GM Approves "CadiVolt" ELR For Production
Nearly three years ago, I penned an entry to TTAC’s Volt Birth Watch entitled “You Should Have Been Born A Cadillac.” True to its name, the piece argued that,
the Volt’s bailout-fodder status requires some kind of volks wagen appeal; while a $40k Chevy is a tough pill to swallow, a taxpayer-funded [Volt-based] Cadillac could create a nasty backlash.
Now that the taxpayers are off of GM’s radar, the plan is going through: GM has announced that it will build a production version of the Converj concept, to be called the “ELR” per Caddy’s alphanumeric naming scheme. Rollout, pricing and performance targets haven’t yet been released, but a production-intent concept will be shown at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. And though more profit out of an already-developed drivetrain makes worlds of sense, GM now has to explain why its luxury brand is getting Chevy’s leftovers with a freshly tailored suit. Hopefully GM will pull off this relatively minor PR hurdle with more aplomb than, say, Lincoln’s attempts to explain that features available in most Fords, like EcoBoost and SYNC/MyTouch, are what makes its cars so luxurious. After all, shouldn’t luxury brands be at the technological forefront, with features trickling down into the mass-market brands?
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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XLR anyone?
Well, at least it looks more like the Volt concept car. Still...Volt Drivetrain...in a Cadiallac? They should've made this more of a Tesla Model S and Fiskr Karma fighter. Perhaps add a 2nd electric motor at the back wheels, or a more powerful engine at the very least. This is all show, no go.
I still think they should have rolled the Volt out as the Buick Electra instead. GM could have cashed-in on the historic name on a car that is fitting. In the brand hierarchy, Buick is supposed to be more upscale than a Chevy, somewhat justifying the price, yet not as upscale as a Cadillac so critics wouldn't balk at the government rebates. Plus, Buick needs a halo car much more than either Chevy or Cadillac.
It wouldn't make sense for GM to not use one of it's premier technologies in it's highest-tier brand. Although the Volt probably had to be a Chevrolet for the reasons the writer mentioned, there's no reason why they can't apply that technology to Cadillac. Anyone calling this a badge job or comparing it to the Cimarron is missing the point entirely- this will not be a blatant rebadge, even if it shares the same platform. None of the sheet metal will be the same.