2014 Cadillac ELR – Rechargeable Beauty for the Affluent

Every now and then at auto shows, you come across a car like the Cadillac Converj, whose beauty everyone can agree on. A coupe with lines so fluid you’d think they were carved by lasers, it was one of the big stars of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

But alas, prototypes rarely become production cars. The Converj, however, bucked the trend and four years later, Cadillac indeed unveiled – again at the Detroit Auto Show – a production version of this beautiful coupe now known as the ELR.

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At the same time, GM’s century-old luxury brand announced that this new model would go into production at the end of 2013 at the Hamtramck plant, right near Detroit’s industrial heart. And it kept its promise, with the first ELRs delivered in December.

Almost identical silhouette

What makes the ELR so very rare is that it’s practically an exact replica of the Converj prototype – right down to the last detail. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find even the slightest difference between the two in a photograph. The most obvious difference is that the ELR has classic rearview mirrors, whereas the prototype had cameras instead. Unfortunately, this technology is not yet permitted on production cars.

Behind the large criss-crossing front grille that is so typical of modern Cadillacs, the ELR features active shutters that close when the drivetrain doesn’t require maximum fresh air for cooling. It’s a matter of improving aerodynamics.

Despite this situationally-smooth grille and overall spaceship-inspired design, the ELR’s drag coefficient is a rather ordinary 0.305. Part of the blame falls on its 245/40R20 tires, which are much larger than the 215/55R/17 tires that equip its environmentally-friendly cousin, the Chevrolet Volt, whose drag coefficient is 0.281. And while the Volt has low-resistance tires, the Cadillac has performance tires.

Familiar mechanics and architecture

There are numerous connections between the ELR and the Volt, since Cadillac kept another promise by equipping the former with a slightly modified version of the latter’s Voltec extended range electric drivetrain. Although the manufacturer claims that 80% of the ELR’s components are exclusive, both cars are built on the same GM Delta II architecture.

With its svelte coupe silhouette, the ELR’s body is 226 mm longer than that of the Volt and its wheelbase is 10 mm longer, despite having two less doors. It’s also 59 mm wider and 19 mm lower, but that’s no surprise either. That’s the price you pay for great looks, and also helps explain the less favourable aerodynamics.

The ELR uses the same liquid-cooled battery as the Volt. Its 288 lithium ion elements are housed in the same large T-shaped box and its power is an identical 16.5 kWh. Its auxiliary engine, whose main purpose is to recharge this immense battery, is the same 1.4-litre 84-hp four-cylinder Ecotec gasoline engine.

The ELR’s 480-km total operating range is less than the Volt’s 611 km. This discrepancy is the result of the Cadillac’s more powerful 135-kW engine (versus the Volt’s 111 kW), the less favourable aerodynamics, the bigger tires and the ELR’s extra 131 kilos. Cadillac, after all, is synonymous with luxury and equipment, including very advanced soundproofing, and all that luxury is heavy, not to mention costly.

The ELR’s electric operating range is about 56 km after a 4.5-hour recharge on a 240-volt charging station, which is very close to the Volt’s 61 km. It’ll take 12 hours to recharge using a 120-volt circuit with what Cadillac calls the “travel charger”.

Luxury and comfort – in front anyway...

The new ELR stands out even more from the Volt once you open its large doors. It has leather as far as the eye can see, while the Volt also reminds us that it’s a car designed to, among other things, ease the conscience.

On the dashboard, there are black piano-lacquer surfaces and real carbon fibre mouldings. The instruments and displays are a very nice blend of features from the most recent Cadillacs, as well as the clear and informative screens that you find in the Volt to follow and control such things as the operation of the drivetrain, battery charge level and the four different driving modes.

A quick word about the Cadillac CUE interface: its controls on the central console are still as imprecise and frustrating as ever when you first use them. On each side of the impeccable steering wheel behind its leather-covered rim there are aluminum levers that activate the energy regeneration system and slow the car down without having to touch the brake pedal. Cadillac has christened this new technology “Regen on Demand”. It’s a good and rather fun idea, even though it slows the car down very abruptly and the paddles don’t allow you to control the braking strength. Let’s just say it’s a good thing the brake lights work!

The thick leather-covered seats are well sculpted, comfortable and practically opulent – at least in front. Cadillac calls the ELR a 2+2, but in this case, that doesn’t make four seats – definitely not for two adults in the back. And you’ll have to choose small children, too. Here, as with trunk space, the clear advantage goes to the Volt. The ELR has a mere 255-litre capacity, but at least there’s a pass-through for skis.

The real thing, only greener

Our first test drive in the ELR was little more than a short ride in the Montérégie region one rainy afternoon and 15 kilometres of electric operating range to share with a colleague. That’s all they were able to put back in the propulsion battery after the morning test drive.

The ELR accelerates enthusiastically and with the same magic fluidity of the Volt in electric mode, but with more comfort and even more silently. With its 207 horses, it should be even livelier in acceleration than the Volt and its 149 horsepower and 9.8-second 0-100 km/hr time. With its heavier weight, it will have to prove it.

It wasn’t until the very end of our short test drive that we were able to hear a strange buzzing sound. It was emanating from the gas engine, which suddenly started to rev pretty high to maintain the battery’s minimal charge level but without affecting speed. Let’s hope that GM will soon replace this engine with something more modern and refined that also reduces fuel consumption when the electric operating range runs out.

Agile and precise like the best of the current Cadillacs (the ATS and CTS), the ELR’s ride is irreproachable. It also offers more than commendable comfort and smoothness, even on rough and bumpy surfaces riddled brand spanking new potholes. It’s even more impressive when you consider that it’s fitted with runflat tires on 20-inch rims. And it’s pretty manoeuvrable too, despite a larger turning circle than the Volt (11.7 vs. 11.0 metres), which is undoubtedly the fault of its larger tires.

The only question with the ELR is whether it’s worth the $78,259 that Cadillac is asking for it. At $84,805, our test car was even pricier. You can actually buy two Volts for the same price, but of course, without the myriad of accessories and systems, the spectacular looks, the leather, and the list goes on. Is a luxury car every really worth the asking price?

The Cadillac ELR is certainly not a rocket like the “current” flavour-of-the-moment Tesla Model S, to which it is always compared. Nor is it as spacious. They aren’t in the same category, in any case. This unique and superb ELR coupe will almost undoubtedly remain rare and will be every bit as reliable as the Volt. One thing is certain, it’s an excellent car, which is something that we would never have said about the Allanté or XLR not so long ago.