Cadillac Shifts to One-Size-for-All Strategy for Global Cars

General Motors Co.’s Cadillac unit no longer will offer stretched wheelbase versions of its vehicles in China.

Instead, future models will ride on “right-sized” global platforms that will be longer than Cadillac’s current offerings in the U.S. but shorter than its long-wheelbase lineup in China, Reuters reports. The switch reflects Cadillac’s efforts to appeal to younger buyers in China who are more interested in a car’s driving dynamics than they are in being chauffeured around while they relax in a roomy rear seat, Cadillac boss Johan de Nysschen tells the news service.

China’s luxury market already is transitioning to younger buyers who typically prefer to drive themselves, de Nysschen notes. The average Cadillac buyer there is 34 years old, less than half the average age of the brand’s U.S. buyers.

New Cadillacs also feature softer edges than their predecessors. The trend is starting with the all-new CT6 fullsize sedan and redesigned XT5 midsize crossover vehicle (formerly the SRX) that are currently being launched. Both models will be built in North America and Shanghai.

Cadillac's sales in China climbed 17% last year to nearly 80,000 cars, and the company is targeting a 25% increase there in 2016. De Nysschen predicts China will surpass the U.S. in 5-10 years as the luxury marque's largest market. Cadillac sold about 175,000 cars in the U.S. last year.