Cadillac to Expand Dealer Network by Two-Thirds in China

General Motors Co.’s Cadillac brand says it aims to increase its dealer outlets in China by 66% to 500 locations.

The expansion will give the brand a presence in all of China’s “tier cities” and developing markets, according to Cadillac President Steve Carlisle.

The brand’s sales in China jumped 17% to more than 200,000 cars and crossover vehicles in 2018, its sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth in the country.

China accounts for more than half of Cadillac’s global sales, and Caddy sales there zoomed nearly 40% in the first quarter of 2019 to about 55,100 units. The luxury brand currently has about one-third as many dealerships in China as in the U.S.

Carlisle says Caddy is perceived in China as a strong alternative to European brands. The brand’s customers there average only 32 years old. Half its purchasers are first-time buyers, and one-third are women.