1999 Cadillac Catera Sport

1999 Cadillac Catera Sport
CHICAGO - Cadillac's marketing duck is dead. The little cartoon character who brought us "The Caddy that Zigs" ad campaign was officially laid to rest in Chicago. There, Cadillac general manager and GM vice president John Smith attempted to ruffle enthusiast feathers by introducing the 1999 Cadillac Catera Sport.

The new Catera Sport will be distinguished by a unique grille, more aggressive rocker moldings and a rear decklid spoiler. Available in ebony, ivory and platinum exterior paint, it will ride on new, seven-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels mated to H-rated Goodyear P225/55R-16 tires. The interior includes unique gunmetal trim, black sport leather seats with adjustable thigh bolsters, and driver- and passenger side-impact airbags (a first for Catera). Mechanically, the Sport is treated to firmer suspension tuning and quicker steering.

Cadillac, while announcing that it will introduce at least one new vehicle a year for the foreseeable future (including additional "activity" vehicles), claims the Sport is not a one-time special but a permanent model in the Catera lineup. As a limited edition, only about 2000 copies will be produced. Expect to see it in dealer showrooms by mid-May. Pricing was not announced, but company officials said the new model's extra equipment will add less than $800 to Catera's $34,180 base price.

"The sport edition fits perfectly with Catera's 'luxury that's fun to drive' positioning," said Jay Spenchian, the Catera brand manager. "We have retired the duck to focus awareness on the impressive performance of the vehicle. We'll also continue to reach our target consumers in unexpected venues such as upscale restaurants, art museums, mountain-biking races and music events across the country."

We understand how building a sport edition of the Catera could help Cadillac build a greater share of the entry-luxury segment. And nobody will miss the duck. But most driving enthusiasts we know would have liked to see Cadillac put some real "sport" into this sport edition with some added horsepower. By not giving the Catera Sport a little extra under the hood, Cadillac zagged when it should have zigged.