Cadillac Middle East sales momentum maintained in 2005 with 17 per cent growth

Total sales in 2005 passed 2,500 units in the region, an increase of 17% over 2004. This means that in the last two years, Cadillac sales in the Middle East have increased by an impressive 75%.

Cadillac intends to continue the aggressive product strategy that has driven the worldwide renaissance of the brand, with a series of very important new model launches planned in the region in 2006.

The all-new Cadillac BLS is an entry level sedan, which will expand the Cadillac line-up when it reaches showrooms in the region in May 2006. Middle East journalists were the first in the region to experience this new model at an international test drive event held in the South of France in early March.

The new Escalade will arrive in Middle East showrooms in late May. It was the Escalade which signalled the start of Cadillac's renaissance and when the new model was shown for the first time in the region at the Middle East International Motor Show in Dubai in December, it attracted considerable attention from the media and the public.

The brand will be given a further boost in June when the V-Series arrives in the region. The STS-V and XLR-V combine luxury with power, performance, personal amenities and style. Both are powered by supercharged V8 engines which give the V-Series acceleration capable of placing them firmly in the under-5-second-club for 0-to-100 time - a signature capability of the vehicles.

"These models are vital to the continued growth of Cadillac in the region," commented Chase Hawkins, Premium Brands Director, General Motors Middle East.

"Escalade sales were up by 11% last year and accounted for almost half our total regional sales while the BLS and the V-Series will take the Cadillac brand into totally new segments, attracting new generations of drivers to the brand."

Highlighting the recent success of Cadillac and the importance of the Middle East to the brand, Fadi Ghosn has moved to a global role on the brand as Cadillac looks to mirror the regional success on an international level. Ghosn, a Canadian of Lebanese descent, was director of General Motors' premium brands for the last six years and was instrumental in the turn-around of the Cadillac brand in the region. In Detroit, Ghosn will be part of the team that oversees the global strategies for Cadillac, encompassing every element of the business from development of product portfolios to launching individual models in-market, around the world.

Ghosn's role as Regional Director Premium Brands has been filled by Chase Hawkins, who has been with General Motors for ten years, most recently as Regional Manager for the UAE, Kuwait, Levant, Oman and Qatar. In addition to overseeing the successful launch of the all-new Escalade, BLS and V-Series, Hawkins will focus on ensuring that Cadillac customers get the purchasing and aftersales experience they expect and deserve from a luxury brand.