Cadillac’s U.S. sales were up by 37 percent in October, fueled by gaining momentum on the West Coast and by demand for the all-new XTS and ATS sedans. Now in its third month of sales, the XTS found a home with 2,000 new buyers last month, while the ATS saw sales climb steadily in its first full month on the market.

Perhaps more significant was that 70 percent of ATS sales to buyers with trade-in vehicles came from consumers new to the Cadillac brand. As a gateway vehicle, Cadillac seems to have delivered the ATS with a just-right blend of performance, features and value.

California, long the domain of luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, delivered Cadillac a 70-percent increase in October sales compared to October 2011, with year-to-date numbers climbing by 13 percent.

Chase Hawkins, Cadillac’s vice president of U.S. sales, confirmed the strategy is working, saying,  “We are building momentum with our new sedan models and it’s being led by increased demand in the leading regional markets in the U.S.”

Overall, Cadillac’s sales were up 15 percent last month compared to October of 2011, and up 11 percent year-to-date. Also hitting a sales home run for the brand was its SRX luxury crossover, which saw sales increase by 19 percent over September, resulting in the model’s best ever October sales.