General Motors retailers invest in Cadillac's future

From Beirut to Bahrain, millions of dollars have already been invested by GM's partners in new, state-of-the-art showrooms and service facilities dedicated to the luxury brand and to the unique Hummer line-up. In the coming months Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh and Amman will also have brand new facilities.

Fadi Ghosn, Regional Marketing Manager for GM's Premium Brands, said Cadillac has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of new products and manufacturing facilities. Now retailers across the region are supporting that outlay with their own significant investment showing their commitment to the brand's resurgence.

Retailers of Premium Brands have been offering customers the first-class sales experience and aftersales service that they deserve and the new facilities that have been opened to date in Sharjah (UAE), Beirut (Lebanon), Bahrain and Doha (Qatar) reflect the consistent, premium image that GM is working to maintain across all its Premium Brands retail outlets, whether in the Middle East or in New York, Frankfurt, Beijing or Tokyo.

Liberty Automobiles Company in the UAE opened in February the world's largest General Motors showroom. The massive complex in Sharjah is spread over an area of 400,000 square feet while the new showroom measures over 100,000 square feet with a capability of displaying more than 80 cars at a time. It is designed like a boutique with independent showrooms for Cadillac, Chevrolet and Opel. The inauguration was the best occasion to launch the Cadillac XLR and SRX.

Impex, Lebanon retailer for Cadillac, Hummer and Chevrolet opened also in February a new exclusive showroom for Cadillac and Hummer and expanded the Chevrolet showroom to make room for the Aveo, Optra and Epica. It was a great backdrop for the launch of the H2 and the Cadillac XLR and SRX.

National Motor Company (NMC) in Bahrain opened in March a BD5 million showroom extension - which comprises of an exclusive showroom for Cadillac and Hummer and renovated and expanded areas for display and maintenance for the Chevrolet and GMC brands. The H2, SRX and XLR were launched at the same time.

In Qatar the opening of Mannai Trading's Headquarters in Doha, was combined with the local launch of four exciting new products - the Cadillac XLR and SRX the Hummer H2 and the Opel Vectra. Mannai's investment is paying off as the building has already become a landmark in the Qatari capital.

"Customer requirements for luxury products and an exclusive ownership experience are amazingly consistent around the world, and to be a premium luxury brand, we must meet those requirements in a consistent way," said Fadi Ghosn, "Collectively these new premises are testimony to both GM's and our partners' commitment to exceeding customer expectations.

The Cadillac revitalization is founded on breakthrough products, and in 2004 General Motors has launched two of the most exciting models in Cadillac's long and illustrious history the XLR and SRX - both of which were showcased at the showroom openings.

In addition, the 2005 STS, which debuted recently at the New York International Motor Show, and is destined for showroom arrival in the Fall of this year, will offer more options to the luxury car buyer looking for a unique driving experience.

"We are confident that these new additions to the family - which are tailored to meet the needs of contemporary luxury buyers - will be much sought after and further boost our rapidly growing sales," said Ghosn. "Together, they improve the aspirational value of the Cadillac brand and enhance the prestige of the Cadillac ownership experience."

Vehicles such as the CTS sports sedan and the Escalade family of luxury SUVs boosted GM Middle East 2003 sales by 17 percent over last year's figures.