General Motors (GM) chief executive Mary Barra announced in a conference on Friday that the company is building a top-end Cadillac sedan in Detroit by end of 2015.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the American automaker has hired former Audi president of luxury division Johan de Nysschen to rebuild Cadillac's image. He will be in-charge of the branding and the marketing plan and will meet with dealers next month to present his plans on reviving the brand. Autodata Corp. data has showed that Cadillac sales have declined by 4.7 percent by end of August this year.

"The objective for this upcoming model is to lift the Cadillac range by entering the elite class of top-level luxury cars," de Nysschen said in a statement. "Currently in development, this new rear wheel drive-oriented sedan uses completely new, custom-designed materials on unique vehicle architecture."

The new Cadillac will be inspired by the Elmiraj and Ciel concept cars featured at auto shows, aiming to reinstate the confidence of the wealthy consumers. Barra hinted that the new model will be equipped with a "super cruise" system that will allow the car to navigate without the hands of the driver in the steering wheel. This came early as the original plan was to introduce the system to the 2017 models.

According to the USA Today, GM decided to build the new Cadillac at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant as it was part of the $384 million expansion at the facility. The Elmiraj concept, inspired by the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado, was presented last year in an auto show in California showing a two-door vehicle with four seats that are longer than the XTS sedan.

"We have two cars-the CTS and XTS-that kind of transact in what you would call the mid-range of luxury," Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell told Businessweek. "We need to shore up our credentials and make sure we compete at the top levels in terms of aspiration."