RSS First Drive: 2015 Cadillac ELR

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Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Cadillac, First Drives

Cadillac wowed crowds at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009 when it unveiled the Converj concept. At a time when hybrid vehicles were boring and electric vehicles induced range anxiety, the luxury brand's exciting new concept was a plug-in, extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) that promised sexy sheetmetal, a luxurious interior and a worry free range in excess of 300 miles. It was, as GM's Bob Lutz said at the show, the "Cadillac of electric vehicles."

Unfortunately, GM's financial turmoil at the time left little hope the Converj would ever see production. But this industry is full of surprises, and Cadillac unveiled the all-new 2014 ELR at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year - the stunning visual twin of the Converj that had everyone doing a double-take - and readied its production.

Like the concept, the Cadillac ELR is an E-REV utilizing GM's Voltec electric propulsion technology, which is a powertrain shared with the Chevy Volt. But don't think the two are on the same mission. While the utilitarian Volt boasts four doors and a reasonable base price of about $35,000, the ELR is a flagship luxury coupe that costs more than twice as much.

Rather than ponder the $40,000 delta between the mechanical twins by scrutinizing their spec sheets, I accepted Cadillac's invite to drive its all-new ELR along the coast in Malibu, California, last week.

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2015 Cadillac ELR originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Nov 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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