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Terminology : DTS DHS? HUH?

Started by Randall Ayers McGrew CLC # 17963, January 18, 2005, 08:42:02 PM

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Randall Ayers McGrew CLC # 17963

OK I figure, even though GM has made the decision to kill the names Eldorado, Seville etc that the new badges CTS, STS mean for me Cadillac Touring Sedan, Seville Touring Sedan, and the DTS means DeVille Touring Sedan.

But for gods sake...what does DHS mean??   DeVille Honorable Sedan?  DeVille Hoopla Sedan?  DeVille High-Performance Sedan?

Or is all this just my simplistic thinking and they mean nothing?

Bruce Reynolds # 18992

DHS......Definately Hot S**t.  or Definately Hot Stuff.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

As if "DHS" isnt bad enough on its own, it means:
Deville High Luxury Sedan (shouldnt it then be DHLS?).  As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up.

Rich Sullivan CLC #11473

It has been my understanding that "DHS" referred to "DeVille Highline Sedan" and was comparable to the front wheel drive Fleetwood models from 85 to 92, compared to Sedan de Villes of that era. It includes more up-level trim, including real wood accents, rear passenger lighted vanity mirrors, electric rear sunscreen, etc. It also features bench seating, compared to the console arrangement in the DTS models.

Now, reading about the Presidential Limousine, one of the articles mentioned that all new DeVilles (or equivalent series cars) will be called DTS (from 2006 onward) but they will be available in different levels of trim. It will be interesting to see how the various trim levels/seat configurations are differentiated. Even now, with the STS models on sale, it requires learning the various wheels, spoilers, etc. to differentiate the V-6 and V-8, premium and base models, etc. However, the All Wheel Drive model, now offered only on the V-8 STS (but coming on the V-6 STS) has the rear badge that says STS-4 with the 4 as a superscript (i.e. elevated).

Randall Ayers McGrew CLC # 17963

I dont think I have ever seen inside a DHS.  Most of the dealerships only have the brochiers needed to order one.  Sounds nice.

David #19063

The DTS replaced the Concours.

The DHS replaced the DElegance.

I still miss the names myself, but the it probably will save Cadillac millions to on the script everywhere, eg.:

STS instead of Seville SLS or Seville STS

DTS in place of Deville.

Seriously, I am sure it saves them big bucks.

Whenever you sell 500,000 anything, saving $1 or $2/each, or even 10 cents each, is money saved.

Just think of all the letters saved if they come out with a new Fleetwood Brougham...thats 17 letters plus a space, and they can just make it a FBV, FBS, and a an FBL for 3 levels.

Of course, if I just spent $67,000 on a 2005 STS V8 Id be kind of pissed off when a $40,000 dollar V6 version pulls up next to me and the public cannot tell the difference because they are both STS.

The V6 should have been call a SLS.

David

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

It is a very nice car.  I have friends who have a 2000 and it has real wood trim, perforated leather, power rear sunshade, and manual pull-up ones on the back door windows and massaging front seats. Somewhat oddly, it has the same bolder grill with the grill-mounted wreath and crest of the DTS rather than the finer-grained grill and hood ornament of the base Deville which youd expect for the luxury, not touring, model.After a poster thought DHS might stand for something else,  I did a Google search for "DHS High Luxury" and several automotive sources, including Motor Trend, state that DHS stands for "Deville High-Luxury" Sedan as I had remembered from the 2000 introduction.

Mike #19861


 I, for one, find this lettering system somewhat confusing. I still have to dig a bit to remember just what to call the SRX. Not a name that rolls off the memory easily.

 But, the STS name has been with us for 15 years. We all know it and relate to it. Then all the DTS, DHS and so on just seems to build on it. But, just what does all this refer to in the Cadillac hiearchy? Now we have V-6 and V-8. 2WD and AWD. All interspersed across the whole line. Now it gets confusing. An that, to us, Cadillac afficiandos. How does the uninitiated deal with this? Constant referrals back to the literature to see if they called the car the right name? What of the confusion in the dealership?

 I know, the European cars have had this sort of alpha-numeric naming system for generations, and the Japanese have used it too, with very confusing effects. Has anyone tried to make sense of the Acura lineup over the past 10 years? I think it is a lost cause. But they seem to think that it generates an image, and more sales. Im doubtful of that. Maybe its just that old bandwagon syndrome.

 I would still like to see the traditional Cadillac nameplates. The ones used forever. But, I think this stands in Cadillacs way for their renaissance. Their break with the past and onward to new and better future. In the end, I thik we will be stuck with this. Maybe, we will all have to carry a quick reference book in our pockets to correctly refer to a particular Cadillac model until they roll of the tongue like "Fleetwood" or Coupe deVille".

  Mike

Randall Ayers McGrew CLC # 17963

Its good to remember that the names we love come from another time, a time of luxury body builders like Fisher and Fleetwood; carriage types no one now will remember like Brougham, Phaeton etc.  They conjure up images of long ago.  Perhaps it is time to put them aside,  Besides, my personal favorites are the Series 62, 61 and 60 Specials which hold meaning for us through history and usage.  We did not call my beloved 6269 or 6219 sedans Calais...they were just Series 62s.  

I rather liked the prototype names like Evok and Ciene  (or whatever that is) but I do personally recognize the DTS as a DeVille Touring Sedan.  Somehow, I have more difficulty with a DeVille as top of the line but it could be a Concours or de Elegance.  However it goes, they are Cadillacs.  

So let me see if I have this right;  on order of cost and status we start at the bottom with :

CTS      
CTS V    
STS        
STS V
DTS
DHS
EVC Pickup?
Escalade and Ext
SRX
Sixteen Cyl Sedan???
The new Limo

Seems like, at least for now, we have a full line up again!  And I guess each will have a package assortment with a base price package.  Hows that?

Larry

In my opinion, these names are to sound more "sporty", not the "old man" names such as: Fleetwood, Seville, etc. All new cars have to be associated with sports cars now.  They are built to handle like you are driving in a road-race the majority of your driving time. Thus not the smooth ride. The publications look down on smooth ride-large automobile. Everything is marketed to the young.

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

You did well, ommitting only the XLR roadster and getting the Escalade army not quite right (and I had to go to Cadillac.com to get it straight in my mind). Escalade is the "Cadillac Tahoe". Escalade EXT is not the Cadillac Suburban as would be logical with the EXT/extended suffix, but the Cadillac pickup. Escalade ESV (God only knows what ESV stands for, how about "Escalade Suburban Vehicle")is the Cadillac Suburban. I wouldnt have remembered the XLR if I hadnt seen one the other day on the road and I was back home before the model name (OK,letters) came to me...SRX kept coming to mind, but then I remembered it was the CTS-based SUV or LUV as Cadillac calls it.

Randall Ayers McGrew CLC # 17963

Oh thats right!  SRX is the SUV that SUXs...hehehe. Yeah I guess these names dont come trippingly to mind.  The roadster is the XLR.  And as to the trucks, I dont pay them too much mind since I prefer automobiles, especially sedans.  Guess getting older is settling on my mind since its so blamed hard for family and friends to climb into a two seater.

Larry has a good point, something we all recognize, that the market is aimed more and more narrowly to the 20 to 30 somethings.  Everything has to look, feel or be like it was when you were just out of high school.  And thats OK by me...I like the ads  :)   Unfortunately, the population of the US is increasingly older with the minority being the young, and yet we continue to turn a blind eye to the oldsters.  Im middle aged and I feel like I no longer count.  My likes, dislikes and shopping habits are ignored.  I cannot remember the last time I got a survey based on my consumer tastes.  It is just the way it is.

 Time stands still for no one, not even the young.  <G>

David #19063

It was my understanding that Cadillac originally wanted to use the moniker of CLR for the CTS sedan, but sine CLR was already a popular delimimg cleaner, they decided on using CTS instead.

David

Randall A. McGrew #17963

I think Larry is onto something.  I drove into Denver to see my son for today and tomorrow, about a 50 mile trip down I-25, and everyone regardless of automobile drove like the Devil himself was on their tail.  Its a shame they cannot drive like a racer...yeeesh.  Anyway I have a feeling that the savings on badging is as much an incentive as the sporty sound.

Its good to remember that in time they will be marketing to a smaller group of youngsters as our older population grows unless people start having babies right and left.  Maybe they are at that since I cant seem to go out to dinner with out sitting next or around a squalling infant.  Odd thing was, my son never made a sound when out and we took him out as early as possible.  Guess it just depends on the kid.  Honestly I dont mind children unless they start breaking the 500 decible range.
A definite sign of age...my hearing is getting really sensitive to sudden sharp noises and cant hear a person talking next to me.