In the fierce competition of the automobile market, Cadillac, a once-glorious second-tier luxury brand, has now fallen into an unprecedented predicament. The continuous decline in sales has not only shattered Cadillac's luxury dream but also put its position in the market at risk.

The launch of Cadillac's all-new XT5 should have been an opportunity for the brand to regain its glory, but instead, it chose to adopt a "limited-time fixed price" strategy, slashing prices significantly to RMB 265,900-335,900, compared to the official guidance price of RMB 399,900-459,900, representing a price reduction of up to RMB 134,000. This move undoubtedly signaled to the market that Cadillac has been forced to join the "price war" camp, sacrificing prices for volume to survive. However, this short-sighted strategy not only harmed the brand's image but also cast doubt on Cadillac's luxury positioning in the minds of consumers.

Looking back, Cadillac has had a glorious period in the Chinese market. From 2017 to 2021, its sales continued to climb, reaching a record high of 233,100 units in 2021. However, since 2022, Cadillac's sales have begun to decline, plummeting to 183,000 units in 2023, returning to levels last seen six years ago. This precipitous decline has shattered Cadillac's luxury dream and put its market position at risk.

Against the backdrop of declining sales, Cadillac's marketing strategy also appears misguided. It attempted to attract traffic through a "black and red" route, but this vulgar marketing approach not only failed to boost sales but also created a negative impression of the brand in the minds of consumers. For example, Cadillac's satirical posters mocking Xiaomi's SU7 and suspected connotations in its propaganda posters for Zeekr have sparked strong dissatisfaction and doubts among consumers. These actions undoubtedly accelerated the collapse of Cadillac's brand image.

In the wave of electrification, Cadillac has also lagged behind. When its first electric vehicle, the IQ Ruige, was launched, it was priced at a steep RMB 439,700-479,700, making it largely uncompetitive in a market flooded with new electric models. Although after Zhuang Jingxiong took office, he led the price reduction of the IQ Ruige and the launch of the second pure electric vehicle, the IQ Aoge, this move failed to change Cadillac's passive position in the electric vehicle market. Nowadays, Cadillac has missed the boat in the electric vehicle market and faces fierce competition from new forces such as NIO and Li Auto.

Against the backdrop of declining sales, damaged brand image, and slow electrification transformation, Cadillac's senior management has also undergone frequent changes. From Wang Yongqing to Zhuang Jingxiong to Lu Xiao, each personnel change has failed to bring substantial changes to Cadillac. This frequent turnover of senior management has not only raised doubts among consumers about the brand's future development but also made Cadillac's market position even more precarious.

In summary, Cadillac's current predicament is not the result of a single factor but a combination of multiple factors. Amid declining sales, damaged brand image, slow electrification transformation, and frequent senior management changes, Cadillac's future is fraught with uncertainty. How to escape from the current predicament and regain consumers' trust and affection will be an important issue facing Cadillac in the coming days. However, judging from the current situation, Cadillac does not seem to have found an effective way out yet.