Cadillac Cimarron.
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In what could very well be considered the ultimate blasphemous automotive move, let’s consider a possible future Cadillac Cimarron.
The Cadillac Cimarron is probably the most hated model from the brand’s long history. Many Cadillac models have not been perfect displays of the “Standard of the world” over the years, but the Cimarron reached a new low when it was introduced in 1981.
The Cimarron was a full 10 inches shorter than our current Cadillac CT4 sedan. And about 5 inches smaller than a 2024 Corolla Corolla. This was as small as Cadillac had ever been.
Still, I think a small compact new Cadillac model based on the Ultium platform could be quite attractive as an entry-level model for the brand. It could even eventually replace the cool little Cadillac GT4 in China.
Because of its history, no one at Cadillac would dare use the Cimarron name, even today. However, this would be a pretty bold move. And not that insane since almost no one remembers the good-old Cimarron.
The Cimarron was based on the GM J-Platform, which was engineered to be a global platform used by all of GM’s US brands, but also Opel in Europe, and Holden in Australia. All sedan models had a very similar profile, with front and rear ends being the most obvious changes from one brand to another, in true “old GM” fashion. Except for the Opel which had its own interior.
in 1979, 3 years into the development of all these new models, GM quickly decided to add a Cadillac version at the last minute.
Eventually, the Cadillac Cimarron ended up looking a lot like the cheaper Cavalier for twice as much as a loaded version of the Chevrolet. GM had totally failed to turn the J-Car into a true Cadillac. Especially since even the engines were the same. A 1.8 Liter engine with just 88HP. By 1985, the Cimarron was finally available with a 2.8 Litr V6. However, even that engine was also shared with the coupe version of the Chevrolet and Oldsmobile.
Actually, the Cimarron wasn’t a total commercial failure with over 132,000 of them sold in 7 years. Which was only 20,000 fewer than the Oldsmobile version.
GM’s Ultium platform can produce cars of almost any size, and a new smaller sedan model replacing the old CT4 might be welcome, at least in some markets.
The Cimarron was never sold in China and the EV sedan market is thriving over there. Just saying…
I still feel like the Catera was the reincarnation of the Cimarron for us. Let’s not do that again GM.
A lot of GenX (which is starting to be Cadillac’s demographic) may not remember the Cimmaron name, but they can Google that dark period in automative history.
I would like to see Cadillac produce something cheaper on the Ultium platform. But GM probably is wondering how they’ll differentiate Chevy, Buick and Caddy if they’re all essentially the same hardware. It used to be by engines and finishes/features, but that’s all disappearing. I’m guessing Caddy WONT make a cheaper car than the Lyriq – they’ll leave that to Buick and will continue to push the more expensive and bespoke vehicle price ranges.
We have too many names to use to come vs into that, lol!