Cadillac XTS Tops Fast-Selling List With Subaru BRZ
One of the two fastest-selling vehicles in June was a newcomer to the market: the 2013 Cadillac XTS.
The fastest-selling vehicle list is based on Edmunds.com's calculation of days-to-turn; that is, the number of days a vehicle sits at the dealership before it is sold. The XTS tied with the 2013 Subaru BRZ, which held the No. 1 spot on May's fastest-selling vehicle list, with a days-to-turn of only seven days. The industry average edged higher to 55 days from 53 in May.
It's typical for new models to turn quickly as demand has usually built up and supply is low as factories gear up production. Indeed, the new flagship Cadillac sedan just went on sale in June and is in short supply as the General Motors assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada ramps up production. Cadillac dealers have been starved of new product as the GM luxury brand clears out old models to make way for two models — bookends, really — the top-of-the-line XTS and the entry-lux 2013 Cadillac ATS, the BMW 3 Series-fighter that goes on sale in August. In June, Cadillac's best month of the year with sales up 12 percent from a year ago, the XTS shipped in 753 units of sales.
At nearly 17 feet long, more than 6 feet wide and nearly 5 feet tall while weighing in at 4,006 pounds, the XTS is Cadillac's big-car replacement for the now-defunct DTS and STS, but, as Edmunds' InsideLine.com noted in its XTS first drive, it is no Fleetwood Brougham of old in its ride and handling. With a starting price of $44,075, the XTS comes with same 3.6-liter direct-injected V6 used in the smaller CTS, coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission, tuned to 304 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque and available in front- or all-wheel drive. The XTS also is equipped with Cadillac's new CUE (short for Cadillac User Experience) touchscreen infotainment system. InsideLine.com concluded in its first drive: "The 2013 Cadillac XTS's extensive tech puts it at the leading edge of automotive features, functionality and interface design. And from behind the wheel it's as competent, capable and comfortable as it needs to be. But it's still not the massive, rear-drive sedan offered by some of Cadillac's competition. How much this matters will depend on just how big you need your big boy to be. We think this one is plenty big enough."
The Toyota version of the Subaru BRZ, the 2013 Scion FR-S, which ranked No. 2 in days-to-turn in May, slipped to No. 4, edged out by the Audi allroad.
A newcomer to June's top 20 of fastest-selling vehicles list is not a new vehicle but one that has struggled for sales: the smart fortwo. Last summer, smart parent company, Mercedes-Benz, took control of distribution of the micro-car, originally a concept developed in the 1990s with Swiss watch company Swatch. The fortwo soared to the No. 12 sport on the fastest-selling vehicle list with only 16 days-to-turn.
Other new models on the market that have been turning fast of late remained on the June list. They included the Toyota Prius C, Subaru Impreza, Lexus GS 450h, BMW X6, Hyundai Accent, Acura ILX, Infiniti JX, Hyundai Elantra, Volkswagen Golf R, Toyota Prius V, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Veloster. Though not new, the Kia Soul and Audi Q5 remained on the list as they have been for months.
