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http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit ... -visa-card
Requirements:General Motors Co.’s Cadillac brand, looking to boost sales and win new customers, is paying drivers $100 to take a test drive.
The luxury brand’s national promotion runs through the end of the month. Since its March launch, Bill Peffer, U.S. vice president for Cadillac sales and service, said thousands of people have come in for test drives.
“This is our way of way of trying to reach out and get people,” he said in a recent interview. “The way to conquest in that super competitive market is to get people’s seats in seats.”
Peffer said qualified drivers who have a registered vehicle are eligible for the payout, which comes in the form of Visa prepaid gift card. The offer is good to motorists 21 and older, with a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance and who own a 2004 or newer non-GM vehicle.
If consumers choose to buy a new Cadillac and they don’t own or lease a GM vehicle, Cadillac will give an extra $1,500 incentive, Peffer said.
Cadillac is looking for a lift in sales after March sales slid 6.3 percent and fleet sales tumbled 50 percent due to a rental agreement that didn’t happen, Peffer said. The brand posted U.S. sales gains of nearly 22 percent last year, but sales through the first quarter for Cadillac are down 7.3 percent year-over-year. Sales for the new ATS and XTS sedans are down sharply through March this year compared to the 2013 period.
Analysts say test drive promotions with money offers, which have been done before, can work to drive sales for automakers.
“It’s actually a pretty inexpensive marketing campaign,” said Larry Dominique, president of ALG, said in an interview.
GM began shipping the first 2015 Cadillac Escalades last week to dealers, who Peffer said have thousands of unfulfilled orders. The luxury SUV was last redesigned as a 2007 model. He said ads for the revamped SUV, which typically sells about 1,000-1,500 monthly — will air next month.
“As a brand that’s growing, we know we have to do a job of maintaining our loyal owner base,” Peffer said. “But, frankly, we have to (win buyers who currently drive other brands) at a higher rate in order to achieve our sales goals. This car will help us do that.”
In addition to Escalade, Cadillac will launch the new 2015 ATS Coupe this summer.
Cadillac officials confirmed the brand will show an ATS V-Series performance sedan this year, and add the sporty compact to its lineup next year. The current V-Series CTS vehicles have included a powerful V-8 engine, Brembo brakes, Recaro performance seats and other enhancements.
Peffer said as Escalade buyers enter showrooms, Cadillac hopes to sell them on sharing their garage with another Cadillac. “The last time somebody came in and bought an Escalade, our showroom looked very different,” he said. “It continues to evolve.”
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2014 ... z2zdf0wgqB
To earn the gift card, you must take a 30-minute test drive of a 2014 Cadillac.
You must be 21 years old, have a valid driver's license and show proof of insurance.
Customers must also own a 2004 or newer, non-GM vehicle.
Gift cards expire after six months. The offer runs through April 30.
