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Cadillac and Buick boost GM's return to growth in China

BEIJING — General Motors on Monday said continued market recovery from the COVID-19 crisis helped its China vehicle sales grow 12% on year in July-September, marking the Detroit automaker's first Chinese quarterly sales growth in two years. The second-biggest foreign automaker in China by units — after Germany's Volkswagen AG — said on Monday it had delivered 771,400 vehicles in China in the third quarter. That followed a 5% fall in the second quarter, when parts of China were still emerging from virus-busting lockdown measures. GM has a Shanghai-based joint venture with SAIC making Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles. It has another venture, SGMW, with SAIC and Guangxi Automobile Group, producing no-frills minivans and which has started manufacturing higher-end cars. Sales rose 26% for cars under its mass-market Buick brand in the third quarter versus the same period a year earlier, while those of premium brand Cadillac jumped 28%, GM said in a statement. Sales of its mass-market Chevrolet marque fell 20%. Sales of no-frills brand Wuling grew 26%, whereas those of mass-market Baojun vehicles tumbled 19%. "GM's compact models returned to four-cylinder engines and that helped sales growth," said LMC Automotive senior analyst Alan Kang, referring to an attempt to market cleaner but noisier three-cylinder versions. "Cadillac also has a more complete lineup this year." China's biggest automakers' association expects overall car sales to grow by double digits in July-September versus a year earlier. Makers such as Toyota, Honda and Geely saw sales jump in the just-finished quarter. GM has seen its China sales suffer in a crowded market and slowing economy. To revive its fortunes, it plans to have electric vehicles (EVs) make up over 40% of new models in the next five years in China, where the government promotes greener cars. The automaker's Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV, a micro two-door EV with a starting price of 28,800 yuan ($4,200), was China's biggest-selling EV in August. GM's sales fell 15% in 2019 from a year earlier to 3.09 million vehicles. The automaker delivered 3.65 million vehicles in 2018 and 4.04 million in 2017. Related Video:

Man trapped in Cadillac XLR for 14 hours after battery dies

A 75-year old Cleveland man ended up trapped in his 2006 Cadillac XLR for 14 hours last month, according to a story reported by the Detroit Free Press. The owner of the car, Peter Pyros, hopped into his roadster to back out onto his driveway, but he quickly learned that the battery was dead. He was "trapped" because the doors use an electric button to activate the door latch to open the door. Since the battery was dead, the buttons did nothing. Now, GM planned for an eventuality like this by placing a manual door release handle on the ground next to the seat. It's marked with a red diagram of the driver-side door opening. There's also a section about it in the owner's manual. The only problem here, was that Pyros says he didn't know the release was there, and he didn't have his owner's manual in the car. Because of this, Pyros may not have made it out alive if not for a neighbor coming to his rescue. "I came to the conclusion that I was going to die ... I was at peace with it. I asked God to help me twice, then I said, 'OK, God if this is the way I'm supposed to die, I will die,'" Pyros said to reporters. There's every chance he could have died in the car, too. Temperatures in Cleveland hit 77 degrees the day he was in the car, and he said it was unbearably hot and difficult to breathe after only 30 minutes sealed inside. Pyros reportedly tried yelling, pounding on and even trying to break the car's windows without success. At one point, Pyros wrote a note to his nephew explaining what happened if he ended up dying. What eventually saved him was a curious neighbor who came to investigate after he noticed his garage door was still open late at night. His neighbor called the police after he found him in the car, and emergency personnel actually ended up charging his car's battery up enough to get the electric door release to work. Of course, after everything settled down, there are now lawyers involved. They're going after GM, with an argument accusing the automaker of not making the emergency latch more obvious both in the car and in the owner's manual. GM doesn't appear to be having any of it. Here's its statement on the matter: "Because this varies by make and model, drivers should review the door lock section of their owner's manual, and follow up with their dealer or customer assistance center if they have any questions," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson wrote to the Free Press. This type of door release isn't particularly uncommon for GM vehicles.

Cadillac prices new XT5 from $39,990

Keen to put your deposit down for a new Cadillac XT5, but waiting to find out how much you'll need to set aside? Well the wait is over, friend, as Cadillac has announced pricing for the new crossover. US pricing starts at $38,995, which works out to $39,990 once you factor in the standard $995 destination charge. That's only $1,390 more than the now wreathless brand charged for the outgoing SRX, which the new XT5 replaces and which carried a starting price of $38,600 (delivered). It also undercuts the competition from most other luxury automakers. The BMW X3 ($40,495), Audi Q5 ($40,900), Lexus RX 350 ($42,850), and Infiniti QX70 ($45,850) each start at a higher base price than the Caddy. However the Mercedes GLE stats marginally lower at $39,875, and the Lincoln MKX goes for significantly less at $37,935 – all prices including destination charges. Of course, that starting price is just for the base model with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional on Luxury and Premium models, but comes standard on the top-spec Platinum. Step that far up the ladder, though, and you'll be looking at $63,495 (delivered). Related Video: New 2017 Cadillac XT5 Crossover Arrives in April 2017 XT5 CROSSOVER PRICED FROM $38,995 IN THE U.S. 2016-02-10 The first-ever Cadillac XT5 will arrive in U.S. dealerships in early-April, continuing the brand's product-driven growth. XT5 enters the strongest category in the luxury automotive space, the midsize luxury crossover segment, where Cadillac set sales records in 2015. "The arrival of this sophisticated new crossover positions Cadillac well, as XT5 enters the most popular segment in the global luxury market," said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen. "It's pivotal to our ongoing growth, which is why we've developed XT5 from the inside out to provide customers more space, more technology, more luxury and more efficiency." The XT5 is the first in a series of upcoming luxury crossovers carrying the "XT" designation, a key aspect of the brand's product-driven global growth plan. The new luxury crossover joins Cadillac's lineup immediately following the new range-topping CT6 Sedan, as the brand enters a new phase of product growth. The XT5 is the next chapter in elevating the Cadillac brand: it is bold, distinctive and sophisticated with enhanced driving dynamics. This new crossover perfectly reflects Cadillac's positioning in the luxury automotive marketplace, de Nysschen said.