Once upon a time, Cadillac and Lincoln were the pinnacle of luxury vehicles in America. The fairy tale ended in the ’70s, when economic circumstances such as an oil embargo or two and the dawn of globalization started to reshape American tastes. Baby boomers rejected full-boated luxury in favor of tight-handling sport sedans from Germany and Japan.
Decades later, they were too slow to respond to changing consumer tastes once again. Despite pioneering premium SUVs like the Navigator and Escalade in the ’90s, neither automaker embraced crossovers quickly enough. Now Cadillac has less than half the market share of luxury leader Mercedes-Benz, and Lincoln has fallen behind another luxury American automaker once considered to be a niche player, Tesla.
“Cadillac and Lincoln face uphill battles trying to overcome an older reputation,” said Jeremy Acevedo, industry analyst at Edmunds. “But, they’re putting out stellar product. Cars aren’t speaking to today’s audience, but SUVs will serve them well. It’s tough sledding in the shadows of German and Japanese automakers.”
Even Tesla, the polarizing electric vehicle maker out of California, is in the hunt for Cadillac.
According to market share data compiled by Edmunds through July, Mercedes-Benz tops the luxury list with 15.1 percent share, followed by BMW (14.8 percent), Lexus (13.6 percent) and Audi (10.8 percent). Cadillac is in fifth place with just 7.4 percent. Tesla follows Acura and Infiniti in eighth place with 5.2 percent. At 4.9 percent, Lincoln is just one-tenth ahead of Volvo.
If there’s a road to redemption, it’s likely through very comfortable crossovers and SUVs — core strengths of American automakers.
Leveraging its strengths, Lincoln’s future is defined by the redesigned Navigator ($72,555) that stands proud as a lush American full-size SUV, spoiling passengers with slick wood, 30-way adjustable massaging seats and all the tech conveniences, from Wi-Fi to Slingbox TV. Lincoln’s new grille, glitzy chrome and Rover-esque rear styling is unequivocal luxury, and it’s powered by a 450-horsepower twin-turbo V-6 engine.
“We want a consistent appearance across vehicles with the Lincoln signature grille,” said John Emmert, Lincoln group marketing manager. “We’re really proud of our heritage — love where we’ve come from, but are now focused on the future.”
That reflects consumer preference for real product names, marked by the Navigator’s longevity and Continental’s return. The updated MKX ($39,035) becomes Nautilus for 2019, and the compact MKC crossover ($33,355) is expected to be renamed Corsair. Emmert promises another unannounced utility vehicle and confirms Lincoln is committed to electrification.
The muscular three-row Aviator will be available with 30-way adjustable front seats, 12-inch center display and as a plug-in hybrid with twin-turbo engine.
Unlike Ford, Lincoln isn’t giving up cars.
“We are committed to MKZ and Continental,” Emmert said. “Utility segments are growing and we’re well-positioned, but car segments are still large and important.”
The Continental ($45,160) has door handles blended into the window trim, and lavish interiors with soft Bridge of Weir leather. An available twin-turbo V-6 engine delivers 400 horsepower. One size down, the MKZ ($35,605) comes as a 41/38-mpg city/highway hybrid or with Continental’s twin-turbo V-6.
“Lincoln is doing an about-face,” Acevedo said. “It debuted the Continental to favorable reviews, but it was not right for the times. They responded by doubling down on SUVs. If there is a Ford version of it, there will be a Lincoln version of it.”
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READ THE REVIEW: Lincoln Continental »
Reflecting Lincoln’s reliance on Navigator, modern Cadillac began 20 years ago with the first-generation Escalade, displaying big grilles, edgy fenders and hints of fins that have become the brand’s trademarks. It was also the first tap of the brakes in sedan dominance. But while competitors slotted crossovers into every conceivable crevice, Cadillac offered only the SRX/XT5 ($40,595).
“Cadillac is righting the ship in terms of product portfolio,” Acevedo said. “The XT4 compact crossover is coming this fall to shore up the lineup — a huge amount of sales come from that segment. Compared to competitors, there’s room for Cadillac to fill in gaps in its SUV offerings.”
For comparison, Mercedes offers a range from the subcompact GLA to the compact GLC, mid-size GLE, three-row GLS and all-capable G-Class. Then there are all those “crossover coupes” in between. BMW offers a similar lineup.
Cadillac is filling the gaps. The XT4 starts at just $34,795. Automotive News reports Cadillac will add the XT6 three-row crossover next year, subcompact XT2 in 2020 and XT3 compact crossover by 2021.
“When you look at sales from body-on-frame SUVs, they have the market cornered,” Acevedo said. “Design elements trickle down from the SUVs. Cadillac has suffered identity issues, combating German automakers to have a distinctive presence in the luxury field.”
Cadillac could amp its cars too. Despite attractive concepts like the Ciel and Escala, the conservative ATS ($35,495) gives little reason to leave BMW. More concerning, Cadillac offers the CTS ($46,495), XTS ($46,395) and CT6 ($54,095) sedans in essentially the same space.
Not all Cadillacs are boring. While the CTS-V and ATS-V are being eliminated, the V-Series performance lineup is expanding. The flagship CT6 sedan adds a V-Sport model for 2019 with an all-new 4.2-liter twin-turbo V-8 delivering 550 horsepower. Could we dream about an Escalade-V with a supercharged V-8?
READ THE REVIEW: Cadillac Escalade »
READ THE OVERVIEW: Cadillac Super Cruise »
More realistically, parent General Motors is using Cadillac to roll out its semi-autonomous and autonomous drive system, Super Cruise, which is currently available in the CT6 and spreading to all models during the next couple of years. It is arguably the best system on the market, ahead of Tesla’s Autopilot.
As Cadillac and Lincoln transition from the past, Tesla defines the future, proving America can innovate and create cultlike devotion to an automaker.
Tesla built its brand on the Model S ($100,000), a full-size sedan that can run 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds and travel up to 315 miles on a charge. The Model X crossover is similarly powered, but the compact Model 3 ($49,000) should find broader appeal. It delivers 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and 310 miles range.
Tesla is having an impact.
“It’s definitely a disruptor,” Acevedo said. “It’s obviously doing something the entire luxury segment can’t help but admire. They have a waiting list in the hundreds of thousands. They’re bringing a new base of buyers. Tesla is a very contemporary take on American luxury.”
Cadillac and Lincoln are responding. The former offered the Chevy Volt-based ELR, a plug-in hybrid that could go 40 miles on a charge, and now sells the CT6 plug-in. Lincoln announced the plug-in Aviator with plans to electrify the rest of its lineup. And it’s not only Cadillac and Lincoln. Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar have full-electric crossovers coming in response to the brash upstart American.
Whether Tesla stays in business or not, it adjusted the trajectory of American luxury automakers from gas to electric and from boring to invigorating.
Casey Williams is a freelance writer.