Cadillac News: Cadillac to unveil the ELR in Detroit

[ocnblu]

Well there's the Malibu. And a non-existent modern compact pickup truck, just two obvious examples. If one counts the corporation as a whole.

[smk4565]

Omg! Key segments aren't being neglected! The ATS just launched. Other bodystyles are coming. We see the next CTS sometime between now and April. A new escalade....a new full Size sedan. All here in the next 3 years. New cars are not an app you can download.

I meant GM overall of the past 10 years or so. They did the SSR, Solstice/Sky and some novelties of Bob Lutz like the G8 and GTO even those were just imports, but then they abandon minivans, small pickups they have neglected as of late, the Impala was neglected for years until now, etc. GM for a lot of years liked doing those niche products, then putting a half assed Malibu out there to get clobbered by the Accord and Camry.

[G. David Felt]

Omg! Key segments aren't being neglected! The ATS just launched. Other bodystyles are coming. We see the next CTS sometime between now and April. A new escalade....a new full Size sedan. All here in the next 3 years. New cars are not an app you can download.

I meant GM overall of the past 10 years or so. They did the SSR, Solstice/Sky and some novelties of Bob Lutz like the G8 and GTO even those were just imports, but then they abandon minivans, small pickups they have neglected as of late, the Impala was neglected for years until now, etc. GM for a lot of years liked doing those niche products, then putting a half assed Malibu out there to get clobbered by the Accord and Camry.

Honestly we did not miss out on cutting the minivans, small pickups. Sadly we took forever in cutting name brands and making some into a niche product for a single brand.

Long ago, 90's GM should have dumped more brands and focused on a 3 tier level of dealerships. Entry Chevy, Mid Buick/GMC and top Cadillac.

Pontiac and Hummer should have been niche models in the GMC family along with the Buick.

If this was done right, we would only have 3 brands today.

GM has some old habits, but they are doing more right than wrong right now.

[ocnblu]

I predict this will be the best looking useless, unwanted car on the market. A valiant, high-tech effort in dream making. But then the alarm always goes off too early.

[hyperv6]

As I can see some still do not see the big picture. No even GM expects to sell a ton of these but you have to start somewhere.

The one issue they do need to address is to give the XLR something more to make it enough different to make it worth the price increase.

The XLR had the major issue that while it was different it was not worth the extra money over the Vette.

This is why it will be key to make enough changed to the ELR to make people want to move up from a Volt.

[regfootball]

ELR is a hard sell. It really has no appeal as an alternate to another similarly priced lux car. It can only appeal to those who want an electric car, or a glitzier volt.

I could buy a base Cayman or Boxster for probably what the ELR will sell for. Or a decent A4 or A6.

That said, if it sells 5-10k units and helps pay for the volt technology it's probably ok.

There are other segments GM could spend the money on right now. Or they could use that money to go to Volt stage 2.

Edited December 22, 2012 by regfootball

[Drew Dowdell]

Uh, none of you have seen the car or its performance specs. Bit early to judge those, no?

[balthazar]

ELR is a hard sell. It really has no appeal as an alternate to another similarly priced lux car.

I could buy... a decent A4...

Is there any appeal there over a Passat with the same powertrain?

[G. David Felt]

Uh, none of you have seen the car or its performance specs. Bit early to judge those, no?

agreed! Too early to tell until they give us the final details on just how well this car will handle and perform.

[hyperv6]

ELR is a hard sell. It really has no appeal as an alternate to another similarly priced lux car. It can only appeal to those who want an electric car, or a glitzier volt.

I could buy a base Cayman or Boxster for probably what the ELR will sell for. Or a decent A4 or A6.

That said, if it sells 5-10k units and helps pay for the volt technology it's probably ok.

There are other segments GM could spend the money on right now. Or they could use that money to go to Volt stage 2.

Hard sell to you but there is a small but growing segment that will forgo price and other issued to be Green. Most have had to forgo style and luxury and the Cadillac will offer that.

GM of late has taken chances with the Encore, Volt/ELR, Cruze Diesel and a few other coming vehicles. How many years did we sit here and complain when they could not afford to fail in any segment that they did not take any chances.

Much of segments GM needs to gain ground in are vehicles that most Regular GM fans have no interest in. By attacking these segments or creating new ones they can bring in customers they do not have now that have no interest in the same old thing GM has been offering.

[regfootball]

if it were a sedan I would be more convinced of it's place in the world. Making it a 2 door is somewhat of a death sentence unfortunately.

[hyperv6]

What is a death sentance for a car that cost little to develope since most of which was spent on the Volt and has little in a way of total required sales.

For the most this car gives GM the chance to show a different face of this technology and also the ability to show that cars like these do not have to be odd shaped golf carts.

I feel the goal of this car is not profit or so much volume sales. This car will speak of things possible as things progress. This car is more about how people see electric cars and think of them than anything else.

Just look upon many here an the negitive images some have here that are not fully developed by what they can not see for the future. In the public domain this is even greater as people there really have little knowledge and ability to understand what is possible.

The one main goal of the Volt and the ELR is not profit or volume but to gain wider acceptance of these models and better understanding what they are all about. Few people again do not see the big picture. We all must look beyond the norm and see what the bigger goals are not only for this kind of product but for public opinion. Untill people see these cars for what they can be they will remain a hard sell.

Many cars like the Corvette are easy sells as they sell on emotion and ego but a product like this needs to be sold with wisdom and understanding that emotion can be added to this.

The bottom line is this is a electric vehicle that has advantages of electric vehicles but also the ability to capture the things we also love about our regular cars like styling, luxury and performance. The ELR is here to send to send a message of what is possible more than anything else.

If the ELR helps change the opinion of many it has met its goal. Even with improvments to the system and lowering of prices with time there still has to be a good understanding and accptance of this system to ever get beyond science experiment image in market acceptance.

Edited December 23, 2012 by hyperv6

[smk4565]

There are already plug-in hybrids on Toyota and Ford lots, it isn't like Cadillac is breaking some new ground here. And cars still come down to cost to buy it, cost to own it, and performance it gives back. The Volt doesn't sell because you get the size and performance of a Cruze, for double the price. The ELR is going to be more of the same, it will probably cost more than an SLK, Boxter or Corvette and perform like a Civic, that is a hard sell even if it runs on water.

[balthazar]

annnnd, no one who offered a lux SUV -for example- 'broke any new ground' either, yet they still tumble out, don't they (bentley next- 40+ years too late).

Electrics are the newest segment, and although they have a nearly 'see-thru' slice of the pie, and many have already failed, I don't see the segment going anywhere.

Build a striking example of one and maybe people will start buying them more. Build a mutated turd like the ct200h and you get nothing, good day sir.

[hyperv6]

The plug in hybrids from Ford and Toyota look like what and have crap interiors.

Lets face it Electic cars look like crap and feel like crap because most are based on small econo cars. Tesla is offering a car that is niether and is is doing better than most.

The Cadillac is breaking ground here for styling etc with a price I expect in the ATS range.

Lets face it people complain the Volt is too expensive so why not make a better one all the way around and offer it to the people with the money that would not think much of a higher price. But to do so it has to have style and comfort. We know know what GM can do with a Cruze when it turned it into a Verano. Imagine a Better Verano at this point.

[Drew Dowdell]

if it were a sedan I would be more convinced of it's place in the world. Making it a 2 door is somewhat of a death sentence unfortunately.

If they made it a 4-door, they would have gotten raked over the coals for being a Volt rebadge.

[hyperv6]

If demand warrants we may see a 4 door at a later point.

I suspect this car will be the Volt 2.0 as they are do for a second gen updates to the Voltec system. What better place to show case it.

[Robert Hall]

if it were a sedan I would be more convinced of it's place in the world. Making it a 2 door is somewhat of a death sentence unfortunately.

Cadillac already has 3 sedans...a 2dr is a good idea for something distinctive.

[balthazar]

Which would everyone rather be seen in ?

[ocnblu]

WEIRD

[Robert Hall]

The BMW i8 concept seems to be intentionally ugly...I wonder how toned down the production version will be..

[Drew Dowdell]

... and Cadillac will be right there with a competitor possibly before BMW enters the market.

[balthazar]

'Intentionally ugly'? I don't think so. IMO, BMW has already scraped the bottom of the style barrel, and long ago. A white 5-series GT stopped momentarily today in front of my house, as I gazed in horror. No, this is where BMW thinks it's future lies; the world of Tron. I mean; they've locked themselves into the horizontal light/ pig nostril grilles now, they CAN'T change that. Meanwhile, they've done every possible manifestation of tails (some quite good, most quite pedestrian). Unfortunately, the rest of their vehicles are so bland & arbitrary, they are forced to pull out something like THIS just to get attention.

Obviously the ELR will get 'street' sideviews, but I sure hope Cadillac finds a reason to keep the mega-hoops for production. It's a real slick design regardless of the power scenario (presently unknown).

[Robert Hall]

Of course, the i8 concept is way toned down from the Vision EfficientDynamics concept that preceeded it....the VED had hideous body panels that appeared to hover separate from other parts of the car, the rear end was particularly revolting..

[balthazar]

wow, that is pretty... weird. Conceptually it's interesting, but that concept is beyond BMW to pull off.

I only remember the 'neon' grille; that I like.

I thought that whole 'my rims are 3" too wide for my tires" thing was already dead. Looks like an accident waiting to happen.

[regfootball]

if it were a sedan I would be more convinced of it's place in the world. Making it a 2 door is somewhat of a death sentence unfortunately.

Cadillac already has 3 sedans...a 2dr is a good idea for something distinctive.

a far more suitable 2 door caddy is an ATS coupe. that is not here yet.

[Drew Dowdell]

Staggered body style release, just like every other lux make out there and the CTS before it.

[Camino LS6]

It's not 100k

It's gorgeous

It has no real competition

It's not another boring, redundant sedan.

Looks like a win to me.

[Robert Hall]

I thought that whole 'my rims are 3" too wide for my tires" thing was already dead. Looks like an accident waiting to happen.

Yeah, the VED concept is 3 years old, so that nonsense is in the past....

[Camino LS6]

I suspect that the ELR will do much better than many here seem to think.

[hyperv6]

THe key here is not to count total volume with the ELR. It is a car that has many jobs to do and how well it does with each will decide if it does well or not.

Anyone here who thinks it should and will sell more than 10K units does not understand the real mission this car is on.

[Z-06]

I think it is a statement car more than a volume car. And in someways it is a guinea pig car for Voltec 1.1 or 2.0 whatever you want to call it. The car will do just fine so as long the styling and quality is immaculate. It is a known fact that the Voltec is on the side of bulletproof.

If you look at the bitchers - well they are the same.

[vonVeezelsnider]

^ and of course the more units they spread the development costs of Voltec over the cheaper they can sell the Chevy models.

Edited December 28, 2012 by vonVeezelsnider