Polestar is a car brand from Sweden that focuses on making electric cars, and it started as a part of Volvo.
Car
Cadillac Lyric V
The Cadillac Lyric V is a new electric SUV from Cadillac. It's designed to be luxurious and high-tech, showing that Cadillac is focusing on electric vehicles.
EVs stand for electric vehicles, which are cars that run on electricity instead of fuel. They're becoming more common because they're better for the environment.
Super Cruise is a feature that lets you drive without using your hands on the steering wheel on specific highways, making long trips easier.
Car
Cadillac Lyric
The Cadillac Lyric is a new electric SUV from Cadillac. It's designed to be luxurious and has many high-tech features, making it a great choice for those wanting an electric vehicle with a premium feel.
Car
Cadillac Vistik
The Cadillac Vistik is a new SUV that can fit six people and has three rows of seats. It's made for families or groups who want a comfortable ride in a luxury vehicle.
An infotainment system in a car is like a computer that helps you with music, navigation, and other information while you drive. It makes the ride more enjoyable and easier to manage.
Powered doors are automatic doors in cars that open and close with a button. They make it easier to get in and out of the vehicle, especially if your hands are full.
LIVE
Hi everyone and welcome to the January 23rd, 2026 episode of the Automotive News Canada
podcast.
I'm your host Greg Lason, the digital and mobile editor at Automotive News Canada, coming
to you from just outside Windsor, Ontario, the automotive capital of Canada.
Today on the show we hear from Cadillac Canada managing director Mike Sparanzini.
He spoke to Automotive News Canada publisher Tim Dimopoulos on the sideline of the Montreal
International Auto Show.
The two discussed Cadillac's 2025 record sales, winning over new customers, digital marketing,
the luxury market, dealer imaging programs, new product and more.
We do have a conquest program that offers consumers a discount if they're new to the
brand.
But first, a look at some of the top Canadian automotive stories of the week.
China made EVs are coming to Canada, but while Prime Minister Mark Carney and China President
Xi Jinping made the announcement a week ago, the news continues to dominate headlines.
China will soon annually ship 49,000 EVs to Canada.
They will face a tariff of 6.1%.
This week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for a national boycott of the vehicles.
Unifor, the union representing the Detroit three auto workers in Canada, says the plan
could be a job killer.
But Carney says the deal is designed to lead a Chinese brand, partnered with what the government
calls a trusted partner, building EVs right here in Canada.
Head to our website for the very latest on this developing story.
In retail news, there have been some changes on AutoTrader.ca Shoppers get a slightly different
experience while browsing vehicles from Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Polestar.
Hero banners for competitive brands disappear, inline ads tease the brand's showrooms and
each click brings up a custom built homepage offering a crash course in what the brand
has to offer.
The trio of automakers are the first to use what AutoTrader calls storefront.
It's a dedicated landing page for each brand.
They include a wealth of automakers specific content and real time dealership inventory
among other features.
Says Steve Carter, marketing director at Mitsubishi Motor Canada, storefront has been
a great opportunity for us to reach consumers that wouldn't necessarily have Mitsubishi
on their shopping list to start with.
We have much more on the changes at automotivenews.ca.
And in executive news, the global automakers of Canada is looking for a new CEO.
After more than 20 years at the helm, David Adams is retiring.
GAC represents overseas automakers operating in Canada.
Adams says he has been tremendously privileged to lead the group and that the time is right
to pass the baton.
Says Adams, there's other things I want to do when I still have health, energy and capability.
GAC launched a search for his replacement January 19th, but Adams will remain in place
until a successor is found.
We plan to hear more from David himself on a future episode of this podcast.
And that's a look at some of the top Canadian automotive stories of the week.
We now hear a conversation between automotive news Canada publisher Tim Domopoulos and Cadillac
Canada managing director, Mike Sparanzini.
So Mike, again, the bar for Cadillac has been raised once again for 2026.
You're coming off another record sales year.
Tell us about, you know, how you got there.
What models drove the success and also tell us about the mix of EVs versus regularized vehicles.
Great.
Thanks, Tim.
Yeah, we just came off 2025 was our sixth consecutive best year ever for Cadillac in Canada.
The growth, we had a full portfolio and the growth was driven by all of the vehicles that we launched
in the first half of last year.
So we launched OPTIQ, Lyric V, Vistik, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL.
And the great news is consumers have accepted them really, really well.
For the entire Cadillac calendar year, we sold 40% of our mix as EVs.
And we saw that grow to 50% in Q4 and 60% in December, which leaves us really optimistic about 2026.
You know, part of the success of Cadillac is also bringing new customers to the brand
and younger customers to the brand.
So tell me about how you did that and what the strategy is behind that.
It's the focus on the new product that's bringing new customers to the brand.
What we've seen is our average age dropped by nine years, almost a decade.
And we're seeing conquest rates we've never seen before,
up to 50 points higher than our traditional gas-powered portfolio.
And anecdotally, from dealers across the country, we're seeing multicultural customers
that we've not ever seen in our showrooms before.
We think it's product-driven.
We think it's the appeal of our EVs that win on their design, technology, and performance.
So in terms of outreach to these new customers and new nationalities coming to the brand,
how do you change the marketing or the messaging to make sure you're reaching
kind of all corners of that market?
Great question.
It starts with focus on the product.
And most of our marketing is in the digital space where we're targeting folks
that are interested in our product and retargeting them.
And of course, creating awareness through various digital forums.
We also use influencers who get the opportunity to see our vehicles.
And talking to folks like you who share the good news.
Now, luxury, the market is down overall across the board.
Yet again, Cadillac is competing and winning.
You mentioned conquest as being a big part of the strategy.
Are there any new conquest programs that you didn't have before
that are helping hum things along?
We do have a conquest program that offers consumers a discount if they're new to the brand.
So that is available to any conquest customer coming from another luxury brand
that is open to trying a Cadillac.
It's built on the foundation of really exciting new product that's appealing to the customer today.
Now, I mean, part of your success is dealers, obviously.
So you need to get your dealers on board in terms of imaging and product and all that stuff.
Tell me a little bit about the changes that we've seen over the last three years
at the dealership level, just in terms of surrounding the new product and surrounding the EVs.
And if there's still any work to do to get some of your other dealers
that may have not come on board from an imaging standpoint on board.
That's another important thing.
The luxury facility program that we have, we have a number of dealers who've already invested
and we had multiple grand openings last year across the country of dealers who've invested
because of their confidence in the Cadillac brand.
It creates a visual identity from the outside of the facility and a warm and inviting place
that's almost like a jewelry box to look at the jewels, which are the products in the dealership.
So I would say we've made great progress and we expect over the coming years to see
the entire network embrace the image program.
And we're targeting being completed all dealers across the country by 2030.
Let's talk EVs. Now, again, the EV market has been very topsy-turvy as of late.
A lot of that has to do with market preferences and policy from a federal,
a provincial and even global level. How can you weather that storm when you really look at
the turn we've seen on the EV side? Do you think you have the right product mix to get
through the changing market demand? Absolutely. At Cadillac, we're defying gravity.
And there is an EV industry, the luxury EV industry is a little bit larger as a
percent of the overall mix than in mainstream. And in that market, we're winning.
So we're defying gravity and we expect that based on the product portfolio that we have,
that we'll continue to win in 26 and beyond. Now, part of the, again, the winning strategy is
having vehicles at the beginning of the product walk, right? Just in terms of entry luxury and
stuff at the very top. So tell me a little bit about what's new in the entry level side and
what's new at the very top end of Cadillac. Well, the path into Cadillac and the luxury EV space
is the Cadillac OPTIQ that starts below $60,000 and gives you a magnificent vehicle that's fully
equipped from the entry level pricing, including technologies like Dolby Atmos, which is an amazing
sound experience, super cruise technology, and other great tech features that are appealing to
consumers. That's where consumers enter the Cadillac brand, move up through Lyric into Vistik,
which is our new three row vehicle with six passenger seating. And then the Escalade IQ
is definitely the flagship of SUVs with the most spectacular luxury experiences that include
an infotainment experience that can vary well for the driver, the front passenger,
and the rear seat passengers, as well as a really cool feature in the powered doors
that open and close. A feature I didn't realize I needed until I got out of the vehicle and
got into another vehicle without them. I want to go back to the dealership experience a bit.
Again, it's such an important part of luxury. I mean, when you look at luxury brands, one of the
big differentiators is how people are treated at dealership. They service their vehicles when
they acquire their vehicles, post sale follow up, all that kind of stuff. So what are you guys doing
in Cadillac to make sure that the dealer or the purchase experience is bespoke for each customer
along the way, right? When you look at even from the entry level customers all the way up to the
high net worth customers. You just said it. It's treating each and every potential client that
comes through the door one to one. And it's creating that experience that's right for each and every
client. So we spend a lot of time and effort bringing all of our sales consultants through
Cadillac Academy training so that they know how to interact with the luxury consumer.
We showcase and focus on the product and align the consumer with the right product for their
needs. Should a customer choose to lease or finance, we offer all leasing and financing
through Cadillac Financial, which is a unique branded experience, front of the line kind of
experience. And then dedicated service lanes in our new facilities for the Cadillac customer
to come to when they do their maintenance. Okay. Well, for 2026, what's exciting you most about
the prospect of a new year and a new beginning? I mean, even though we're almost into February,
still a new year for most. So what are we looking out for in terms of Cadillac?
It's all about luxury EV growth. Last year, the first half was all about launching them and then
evolving into growing the volume. This year, it's continuing to sell and grow the volume for all of
our luxury EVs in the marketplace and continue on the path and trying to figure out a pathway,
a stairway to seven. Right. And hit those numbers again. Absolutely. Got it.
I'd like to thank Mike for his time and Tim for conducting the interview.
If you'd like to be a guest on the show, have a suggestion or simply want to comment,
email me at glasenatautonews.com. And remember, you can listen to all our previous podcasts
on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, or on our website, automotivenews.ca.
Just scroll to the podcast hub in the middle of our homepage. And don't forget,
you can find Automotive News Canada on X, where we're at Auto News Canada. And you can find me
there too at G-Lacin, A-N-C. And finally, you can find us on LinkedIn to search Automotive News
Canada. That does it for this episode of the Automotive News Canada podcast. We hope you'll
join us next time. So long, everybody.
About this episode
Cadillac Canada managing director Mike Speranzini shares insights on the brand's record sales in 2025, driven by a strong lineup of new models including the OPTIQ and Escalade IQ. The conversation highlights Cadillac's strategy to attract younger and multicultural customers through digital marketing and a new conquest program. The episode also touches on the challenges and opportunities in the EV market, with Cadillac's EV sales reaching impressive levels. Additionally, it covers changes in dealership experiences and the importance of personalized customer service in the luxury segment.
Chinese EVs are coming, Changes to AutoTrader.ca; David Adams retiring. Plus, Cadillac Canada Managing Director Mike Speranzini talks about record sales, winning new customers, digital marketing, the Luxury market, image programs, new product, and more.
