STS Aims at Benz and BMW

Unveiling the '05 Cadillac STS at the New York International Auto Show, Cadillac General Manager Mark LaNeve says he expects to sell 30,000 of the new rear-drive flagship sedans annually.

He notes it's the first new rear-drive car for Cadillac in 25 years.

LaNeve expresses confidence that Cadillac will compete with the German luxury brands more forcefully with the STS, while declining to predict how close Cadillac's volume can get to Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

“It depends on how aggressive they want to be (in price),” he says. “We're in the mix now. It wasn't so long ago when they were smoking us.”

Pricing for the STS will make the car a better value than competing Mercedes and BMW models, he says. The average transaction price for the V-6 model will be about $45,000, and $52,000 for the V-8. An all-wheel drive option is $1,900.

LaNeve expects 90% of STS sales to be equipped with a V-6. “That's where the segment is.”