I have to admit, I’m a changed man. Don’t get me wrong, as I’m still easily swayed by the sound, feel and performance of a powerful
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
internal combustion engine, but if it was my hard earned money on the line I would likely opt for a different type of performance, the electrically propelled plug-in kind.
The new Cadillac ELR is the car that’s converted me to the church of electric. I’ve enjoyed numerous EVs and extended-range EREVs before, including the Chevy Volt that shares underpinnings with this crested wreath model, but none of them have made me aspire to own one. The ELR, on the other hand, is so good looking from onset, so beautifully detailed inside, and performs so well in all other respects, that I want to find a way to drive it daily.
The
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
reason I won’t likely find a way to do so is it’s one key drawback, a starting price of $78,250 plus $1,800 for freight and pre-delivery prep, or more precisely the need to pay more than $80k for what is essentially a Volt in a Brioni tux. I chose to mention the Rome-based fashion house instead of say, Piacenza-born Giorgio Armani, because Brioni charges upwards of $40k for one of their best-made suits, whereas Armani’s finest are a tenth the price. Comparatively, Cadillac is charging the rarified few who step up to purchase an ELR around $38,000 overtop the already pricy full-loaded Volt, which means you’d better be impressed with its minimal power upgrade, improved handling, thoroughly revamped interior and low-slung concept car styling.
As mentioned, I happen to love the way this car looks. I was previously taken in by
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
the CTS Coupe’s sharply raked lines and aggressive stance, but the ELR moves things up a notch or three. Its satin silver finished grille would be totally dominant on any other car, but the electrified Caddy’s vertical stack of frontal LEDs appear as if they’re crystals cut by Swarovski instead of the headlamp clusters they are, while the multi-angled cutlines etching out the sweptback coupe’s profile pull all eyes rearward to an attention-getting set of red LED boomerangs, obviously designed to widen tired timeworn eyes while conjuring up ghosts of Cadillacs passed. And don’t just take my word for it. In January 2013, when the production ELR arrived on GM’s Detroit auto show stage, it was awarded “Best Production Vehicle” in Detroit’s Eyes on Design awards. While radical compared to most anything
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
else on the road, the ELR shows a continuity of design that’s instantly classic from front to back, as if it has always been here and will never go away.
Of course, we’re talking about a Cadillac and more so a GM product, and they haven’t exactly been patient with slow sellers over the years. Remember the Allanté? When Cadillac finally got it right by upping performance with its Northstar V8 they dropped it. And what ever happened to the stunning XLR and its slick retractable aluminum hardtop that came along 10 years later? In XLR-V trim is was an elegant yet powerful sports car, yet after six years both versions disappeared. Considering that these sports models sold much better in their heydays than the ELR does now, here’s hoping that this new car’s environmental halo effect is enough of a bonus to keep it in Cadillac’s ranks.
Why
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
do I care? Because, as mentioned, I really like the ELR. It’s not just modern art on wheels, but is endowed with what’s arguably the nicest interior in the electric sector. French stitched full-grain leather combines with suede-like alcantara microfiber and beautiful wood veneers, with dashes of metallic trim and high-quality black lacquered plastic thrown in for good measure. Without seeing it firsthand such a mishmash of materials could be overwhelming, but somehow it all comes together in perfect symmetry with the ELR, even the caramel coloured seat leather blending brilliantly into this potpourri of sensual pleasure. I can’t include my usual report on the quality of plastics because, other than the glossy black lacquer, plastic was truly difficult to find, most surfaces covered in the aforementioned stitched leather. This is the most upscale cabin Cadillac has ever produced,
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
surpassing most anything offered by its German and even British premium brand competitors.
Likewise its electronics are superb. The primary gauge package is a large, colourful digital display that offers more information than you’ll likely ever need to use, albeit in a clear and easy to understand layout. Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system is also leading edge, and is similarly user-friendly. Bright graphics with excellent clarity are now a Cadillac trademark, the brand and this ELR leaving nothing on the table when it comes to top-tier technology. Even the cupholders on the centre console feature a powered lid to up the car’s wow factor, while the exterior and interior “door handles” are mere pulls (cutouts outside and indentations on the armrests inside) next to electric buttons that pop each door open when pressed; another reminder of that wonderful XLR I mentioned earlier.
This
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
ELR, and more accommodating sport coupe concepts like the recently shown Elmiraj, gives me great hope for the Cadillac brand returning to its “standard of the world” roots. Once a marque that rivaled Rolls-Royce, Cadillac became a badge-engineered branding exercise through the latter half of the 20th century, but despite many of its cars and SUVs riding on the backs of lesser Chevrolet models, GM has managed to differentiate crested wreath models enough to claim true premium status, unlike another American-made “premium” brand.
The ELR, as mentioned, borrows all of its high-tech running gear from the Volt, which itself is based on GM’s Delta II compact platform architecture that underpins the humble Chevy Cruze sedan and Orlando CUV, not to mention the Buick Verano. The ELR’s drivetrain utilizes the same three power unit layout as the Volt, starting with an electric drive motor capable of 157 horsepower (115kW) and
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
295 lb-ft of torque, which is 8 horsepower (4kW) and 22 lb-ft of torque richer than the bowtie badged version for a little more jump off the line. Both cars use a 74 hp (55kW) electric motor as a generator, while the gasoline range extender is a plebeian 83-horsepower 1.4-litre EcoTec four-cylinder with variable valve timing. The motive battery is a 16.5-kWh lithium-ion unit, featuring liquid thermal management with active control. It requires approximately five hours to recharge on a 240-volt outlet or upwards of 18 hours on a regular 120-volt household socket.
Interestingly, with about 35 percent charge left on the meter I pulled up to a local charging station, at which point I conversed at length with a Nissan Leaf owner who swears he’ll never buy a gas powered car again; although his other vehicle is a
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Cadillac Escalade, necessary for towing. You can bet he was interested in the ELR. Fortunately I only live a few blocks away from this particular charging station that’s located next to city hall, which offers free charging in order to promote its green image, not to mention free parking while charging. Similar free charging stations can be found throughout my city, although some spots, such as the hospital just across the street, will charge you for parking, negating the fuel savings of going electric. Charging is a simple process that requires opening the socket cover on the side of the ELR, swiping a ChargePoint card (or the card of some other service depending on where you live, most of which are free but you’ll need to sign up with a credit card and wait a couple of weeks for delivery), and placing
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
the charge station’s “nozzle” into the car’s socket. Then, you’ll either need to find somewhere to have an extended coffee break or, like me, walk a few blocks home and lose a few pounds in the process (after a week of trekking back and forth two times per day I trimmed down quite a bit – thanks for the exercise Cadillac). Prior to living in an apartment with no charging capability (newer apartments are being built with car charging in mind), I’d simply pull an extension cord from the exterior socket next to my driveway and plug the car in with its own charging cord found under the car’s cargo floor, but as mentioned this requires more patience.
Cadillac claims a total electric range of up to 60 km, but you’ll either see lesser or greater distance added depending on how aggressively or passively you drive, the terrain covered, exterior temperature, and so on. I typically made it about 55 km in hilly city driving before the juice ran out and the little 1.4-litre internal combustion
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
mill purred into action in order to help out, at which point the ELR is theoretically good for another 500 or so kilometers before its tank needs a refill, with 91 octane premium I might add.
As I’ve attested ad infinitum, the ELR’s rakish good looks makes a person believe its performance should be equally compelling, and in a way it is. If silence is golden the ELR could be Midas’ ride, as the car eerily whirs along like it should be part of a modern-day remake of Andrew Niccol’s film noir Gattaca. Come to think of it, Ethan Hawke would look mighty cool behind the wheel of an ELR, as would his onscreen lover and first wife Uma Thurman, or for that matter Jude Law (I won’t mention Alan Arkin so as not to associate Cadillac with the 80-plus demographic its products attracted back when I was a kid). The ELR is an early-adapter
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
model, mind you, designed to pull in younger buyers that have grown up with an environmental conscience, and are willing to pay for it.
In juxtaposition to its silence, the electric motor’s performance from standstill is impressive, with my notebook stating, “Perfectly quiet, instantaneous power; brilliant acceleration in Sport mode.” All 295 lb-ft of torque meets the fortunately fat 245/40R20 front tires immediately, launching the car forward with quicker feel than its hefty 1,846-kilo (4,070-lb) girth actually moves; the ELR needing about eight seconds to pass the 100 km/h mark. Likewise, while unshakable on the highway, its 160 km/h top speed hardly even qualifies it for Europe’s autoroutes and autobahns. Then again the price of gasoline in Germany right now is the equivalent of $2.20 per litre, so the ELR could make quite the splash if ever offered
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
there (GM currently sells an Opel-badged version of the Volt dubbed Ampera in Europe).
I’d like to test the ELR out on some of Germany’s beautifully twisting and sparsely populated backroads, because it was surprisingly agile in my mountainous backyard. As mentioned, the ELR uses front-wheel drive, which reacts differently than the brand’s usual rear-drive setup, understeering by pushing its nose out of line rather than oversteering with the rear wheels breaking free when pushed too hard. The former often times feels better to drivers with less performance experience, an understeering car feeling safer at the limit. The ELR tracked well through some of my favourite serpentine haunts, especially one tight, undulating, curving two-laner that snakes down from the base of a local mountain to a small community on the waterfront. It held its line positively, only squealing its front wheels
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
when pushed harder than I initially believed it could withstand, all in all delivering a fun-filled lap that could easily keep me happy on the odd occasion I feel the need to have a little fun behind the wheel.
The rest of the time I’m an errand runner and commuter like most everyone else, and to that end the ELR is an absolutely ideal companion, its front seats as comfortable in city traffic as they are supportive cresting one of the many curves on the aforementioned “test track” or for that matter looping quickly around a highway onramp. The rear bucket-style seats are quite comfortable too, but are more appropriate for shorter folk as head, knee and legroom are compromised. My slightly stubbier than average five-foot-eight frame felt just fine, although a long journey in back might prove otherwise. Certainly its cargo hold could be larger as well, at only 255 litres with the rear seatbacks upright, but you can lay them
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
flat for longer items, which leaves a pair of unorthodox but usable 40-percent passageways at either side of a rigid 20-percent panel.
After living a week with the ELR I only have one serious complaint. While driving into a shopping mall’s underground parking lot, all of a sudden the car slammed on its brakes, unprovoked and without warning. Fortunately no one was following close behind or it could have resulted in an accident. The automatic braking system’s sensors must have mistaken the steep driveway, which was about to flatten out, for a wall or some sort of barrier. The same thing happened to my colleague in the new CTS VSport, which overreacted to a tall curb behind while he was reversing at the GM dealership, again slamming on its brakes with a few feet left
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
to park. Cadillac needs to fine-tune this system before something worse happens.
As for the ELR’s value proposition, there simply isn’t one that I can seriously argue for unless you’re a collector of rare modern art and a high-tech early adapter to boot. Its artistic merit should be self evident, while its rarity can be understood in a single (run-on) sentence: the first 10 ELRs were delivered in December 2013 (six in the U.S. and four in Canada), and as of September’s month end, 2014 year-to-date sales have totaled 910 units, with 879 units sold into the U.S. market and 31 in Canada. If sales continue to plod along at September’s pace, which was a better month than many others, the Cadillac will deliver an unremarkable 1,250 or so ELRs during its first year, hardly a moneymaker
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
for Cadillac or its dealers, but certainly doing a stellar job as environmental poster child. That last reason is why it will likely continue on in Caddy’s lineup despite the aforementioned Allanté and XLR having been dismissed from the ranks for selling in much greater numbers, the former averaging near triple the projected ELR sales during four its seven years of production, and the latter tripling the ELR’s prospective tally for its first two full years and selling much more for the following two, although dwindling into total obscurity towards the end of its six-year tenure.
In the end, if Cadillac priced the ELR 10-to-15k higher than its Chevy Volt counterpart, I could easily recommend it, but at more than $80k, again representing a $38k bump over a fully loaded Volt, it’s hard to justify. But as mentioned,
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
if you’re a collector of modern rare rolling art and want something exclusive that might appreciate (and that’s a mighty big might), by all means pick one up as it’s a truly beautiful and well-crafted luxury coupe that I certainly would enjoy seeing a lot more of out on the street.
In the end, however, the ELR suffers from the same problem that faced the Allanté and XLR, Chevy’s fabulous Corvette, which sits in the same showroom right next to the electrified Caddy, delivers twice the performance for about $25k less, while its sharply creased styling is at least as alluring. On top of this, Cadillac’s all new 2015 ATS Coupe is now on sale, and you can buy a lot of gas for the $36k difference in price. Yes, Cadillac may want to rethink the ELR’s steep MSRP, as it’s a car that deserves to be driven by many more forward thinking buyers than it currently attracts.
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