Cadillac's New Naming Strategy Makes Sense

I have never been a fan of alphanumeric (using letters and numbers) naming for vehicles. It has always been best to have a name for a car or truck, but it is tough to choose a name that resonates worldwide or is meaningful globally. That’s why Toyota has used Camry, Corolla, Tercel, etc. for its car names. These names don’t really mean anything, so Toyota can build an image independently. Premium brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW have relied on alphanumerics for decades even though they now are adding so many models their naming is getting confusing.

Acura’s Move Away from Names Cost it Dearly Acura moved from names (Legend and Integra) to alphanumeric names (RL and CL) in 1996 and lost its way in the market place. The Legend name had become so strong that the Acura brand was diminishing in the minds of Honda management. So they followed the German naming strategy and used letters. Apparently, “RL” stands for “Road Luxury”, but wags around the industry say it really meant “Ruined Legend”. Urban myth in the industry hints that this change cost Acura over a billion dollars in lost sales.

Lincoln’s Move to Letters Confused Management, Dealers, Salespeople and Customers Lincoln fell into the same trap changing to alpha naming with three letters all starting with MK (Mark). Even Ford management could not keep the naming straight and have been caught saying MKZ when they mean MKS or MKX. When a prospective customer comes into a Lincoln showroom the buyer likely does not know what to ask for and the salesperson does not know which product to focus on.

Interestingly, Lincoln kept the Navigator name on its top of the line luxury sports utility vehicle instead of calling it “MKN”. Why? Well, “it’s a brand in itself” say Lincoln managers. The upcoming 2017 Lincoln luxury car that replaces the MKS sedan returns to an actual name with “ Continental ” – a historic Lincoln name.  This was done to position the car better in China.  CHINA?  But now Continental exists among a list of alphas – MKZ, Continental, MKX, MKC. Will Lincoln return to names or remain a confusing mess?

Cadillac Evolving to Naming Rationale That Makes Sense But finally there has been a discussion of alphanumeric naming strategy that actually makes sense. Cadillac’s naming strategy has been a hodge-podge of letters – STS, ATS, CTS, DTS, XLR, ELR, SRX, XTS. What are they? What do they mean? Johan de Nysschen, head of General Motors ’ Cadillac Divison explains Cadillac’s new naming strategy like this. Cadillac is challenged to become a global brand. While loving the glamor and emotion tied to old Cadillac names like Eldorado, Seville, DeVille, Biarritz, and Fleetwood, these names have little meaning outside the United States. Instead, adopting an alphanumeric naming strategy will help Cadillac dealers and customers understand where the product fits in the Cadillac vehicle hierarchy. Going forward, cars will start with CT (Cadillac Touring) plus a number. The first car using that naming strategy is the new Cadillac CT6. Crossover SUVs, of which Cadillac will eventually have four, start with XT (Crossover Touring) plus a number. The new Cadillac XT5 is the first crossover to use the strategy as it replaces the SRX. Of course, like Lincoln, Cadillac has the Escalade riding atop the lineup as its flagship. A brand of its own.