Since the start the Cadillac Escalade has been criticized for being just a Yukon with more chrome and Cadillac aims to put that argument to rest with the all new 2015 Escalade. You’ll notice all the major exterior components are unique with long vertical tail lamps even joining the design to identify the Escalade as a Cadillac. Inside, lots of attention went into colors and material finishes with beautifully detailed doors and seats providing a new level of luxury at the top of the GM lineup. The 6.2-liter V8 remains the one and only powerplant and a 6-speed automatic distributes power. The biggest advancement in the area of ride and handling is the availability of Magnetic Ride Control. We expect this system to offer big improvements in controlling body motions and smoothing out broken pavement that can otherwise upset the solid rear axle of these body-on-frame SUVs. Of course Cadillac’s CUE system is also included so you’ll want to start memorizing voice controls but all in all we’re glad to see Cadillac trying to justify the huge window stickers that the Escalade wears.
Cadillac showed us the Converj concept a couple years back in the anticipation that the luxury brand would find a way to incorporate the extended range electric vehicle capabilities of the Chevrolet Volt into a sporty and luxurious coupe. Cadillac has shown us photos over that time, in both publicity shots as well as deliberate ‘spy’ photos. The 3-letter nomenclature proliferating the Cadillac line (save the Escalade) meant revising the name into ELR. Overall, the proportions of the ELR have changed somewhat from the Converj, but the overall effect is very true to the concept. Rather than referring to the ELR’s extended range powertrain as the Voltec, Cadillac uses the EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) designation. Cadillac claims it is the first full-line luxury automaker to incorporate such technology, using a gas engine generator to recharge the batteries on any drive longer than 35 miles. The 35 miles is about 3 miles shorter than Chevrolet claims with the Volt, likely due to the slightly more aggressive nature of the ELR, which packs an electric drive unit capable of 295 lb-ft of instant torque. Cadillac neglected to announce pricing, but we would expect it to be significantly higher than the Volt’s $39,145 base price before $7,500 federal tax credit.
Kicking off the festivities at Cobo Hall for the North American International Auto show was the announcement of the North American Car and Truck / SUV of the Year winners. The Cadillac ATS was named North American Car of the Year, edging out the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord midsize sedans. This was Cadillac’s first time receiving the award and was no surprise since the automotive press has been giving the luxury brand’s compact rear-wheel-drive sport sedan high praise. North American Car of the Year awards are determined by a panel of 49 journalists from the United States and Canada. The jurors are given 25 points to distribute among the cars. The ATS led with 207 points, followed by 159 points for the Honda Accord, and 124 points for the Ford Fusion. Cadillac executive cheif engineer, Dave Leone, was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the Cadillac team. Read more…
Cadillac might have sold the CTS as its 3-Series competitor when it debuted a decade ago but the truth is the CTS has always been a bit too big and heavy to match the stalwart 3-Series punch-for-punch. In an effort to make the fight more interesting Cadillac introduced the ATS that measures within an inch of the Bavarian in every important dimension. The result is a tidy sport sedan with short overhangs and a lot of design details borrowed from the full-size XTS. Read more…
Stand by because the heroes of automotive banter are back in front of the video camera. In our season premiere we cover GM’s hotly anticipated new vehicle of the century: the Chevrolet Volt. We would be remiss to give it all away here, but in a nut shell, the boys are smitten. Read more…
Since our weeklong foray with the Cadillac SRX 2.8 Turbo, GM has decided that Cadillac dealers no longer require the services of this “premium” offering of their midsize crossover and have decided to cancel the 2.8 Turbo engine offering after one year. Without tipping my hand too far here, I have to say we are inclined to call this a smart move. But let’s delve into the details a bit before we bury the hatchet on Cadillac’s troubled turbo crossover. Read more…
Wagons are not the most popular body style in these United States of America. But there was a time when station wagons as large as barges and covered in an acre of faux wood ruled the highways. They were powered by V8s and used a body-on-frame, which meant that you could haul the family, their stuff, and tow a trailer to grandmother’s house simultaneously. That all changed when Chrysler introduced the world to the minivan in 1984. Ever since, car designers’ pens rarely draw the formidable 2-box shape of the station wagon. Stare as one might at the ink blots that are the tall-roofed SUVs and jellybean-shaped crossovers, these are not true wagons. But just as all hope was seemingly gone, Cadillac of all marquees has come to the rescue and delivered us a long roofed version of the popular CTS. Is it all we could hope for and more? Read more…
In the winter of 2009 at the NAIAS, Cadillac rolled out the Converj Concept. The Converj is a luxury 2+2 coupe featuring GM’s extended range electric Voltec powertrain. There are 220 lithium-ion cells onboard capable of storing enough energy for 40 miles of travel without using a drop of fuel. More impressive is the 273 lb-ft of torque available instantly, for claiming stoplight superiority, and 120 kW of power. To further lessen dependence on the grid or the pump the Converj utilizes regenerative braking and has a glass roof housing solar panels. But at the end of the day this is still a Cadillac, and as such occupants are treated to an interior trimmed in Winter White suede, Midnight black leather, polished aluminum and wood accents and even a headliner made of silk.
At $100K the Cadillac XLR-V was the most expensive Cadillac you could buy at the time in 2007. Under the hood of this svelte Cadillac bodied Corvette is a 4.4L Supercharged Northstar V8. This motor channelled 443-hp and 414 lb-ft of torque through the rear mounted 6-speed automatic transmission. Shown here in the Elegance Collection of the 2007 Kettering University Firebird’s Car Show.
