It’s not often Brisbane gets something before Melbourne, but that’s exactly what’s happening with Cadillac’s network of Experience Centres.
After opening its first Australian Experience Centre late last year in Sydney, at the Rosebery Engine Yards, General Motors’ luxury brand is opening its next one in Brisbane.
While Cadillac has confirmed it plans to open a retail outlet in Melbourne, it has yet to find a suitable location and is instead relying on pop-up locations.
Cadillac hasn’t officially announced its Brisbane location yet, but temporary signage has appeared at a location in Fortitude Valley.
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Located at Homemaker The Valley, this store previously housed Tesla and faces out onto not only the retail complex but also busy Ann Street.
The company has yet to confirm when the Experience Centre will open this year, though Tesla signage is still visible on the walls inside.
Until earlier this year, this was a sales and service centre for Tesla, suggesting Cadillac could also both sell and service vehicles here, like it does at its Sydney location.
Cadillac commenced deliveries of its debut model in Australia, the Lyriq electric SUV, earlier this year. It’s offering vehicles with five years of free scheduled servicing, as well as five years of roadside assistance, a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty.
The new Brisbane location puts Cadillac in close proximity to other luxury brands such as Audi, BMW, Genesis, Lamborghini, Lexus, Lotus and Volvo, while Jaguar, Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz are located in neighbouring Newstead.
Fortitude Valley has traditionally been the epicentre of luxury brands in Brisbane, being situated close to Brisbane’s central business district.
When brands with premium aspirations want to establish a high-profile retail location in Brisbane, the Valley is where they tend to go. Infiniti, for example, had a location here, as did Opel during its brief stint here.
With BYD opening its flagship Brisbane store in Fortitude Valley directly across from BMW in 2023, there’s a changing mix of brands selling cars in the suburb. Fellow Chinese brand Omoda Jaecoo has opened a showroom next door, while signage indicates Geely will do the same.
And while Tesla has left the suburb, it’s moving to larger digs.
It lodged a development application back in 2022 for a showroom and service centre in Red Hill, located in what used to be the headquarters for the Queensland Egg Board.
This location is finally set to open later this year, with residents notified via letterbox drops earlier this year that construction activity would be taking place.
MORE: Cadillac unveils its first Australian experience centre