I would say that if there were a Top 5 list of the most controversial cars of 2014, the Cadillac ELR would be jockeying for first place. That's because many folks in the press have looked through the new body and fancy interior to call it out for what it really is. A prettied up Chevrolet Volt.
And that's not such a bad thing. The Volt is a decent car that could be considered ahead of its time. It looked too much like a Honda Civic and priced at over $40,000 made it a bit of a tough sell. The problem it had was it didn't fit that "new, cool kid on the block" mold. Tesla did.
So now when we see that the Cadillac ELR is on its way to showrooms, we have to wonder a bit cynically if this thing is going to perform even worse as it does cost a hefty $75,000.
According to a recent story, Cadillac is sure it will be able to move 5,000 units of the ELR and it will be targeting its will-be buyers heavily.
The problem I see is simple: Though Cadillac is hosting events and putting itself in front of Long Island's elitist Hampton-ite crowd and the wiz kids of Silicon Valley, I can't imagine and forward-thinking individual saying "Sure, let me have the Cadillac over the Tesla."
A part of it is a branding problem and another part is the ELR doesn't have a lust factor. It's weird to say but the Tesla does.
Think: When you see the ELR, does it stand out or does it seemingly look like just any other Cadillac? When you see a Tesla, you know you're looking at a Tesla.
That said, with 5,000 units to be moved we want to know: will the ELR will be a BIGGER flop than the Volt?
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"If you live on the West Coast and you're an architect and you've given to environmental causes, you're probably going to hear about the ELR," Cadillac global chief Bob Ferguson told Automotive News. "We have sliced and diced who is likely to buy this vehicle."
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Cadillac became the official automotive partner for IvyConnect, a members-only social network of entrepreneurs and trendsetters who meet at cocktail party settings on the East Coast. Cadillac stationed an ELR at an outing in the Hamptons for members to ogle and test drive. It hosted a similar event with Girls in Tech, a network in Silicon Valley.
Introducing the first ever Cadillac ELR. You work hard, you create your own luck and just gotta believe, that ANYTHING is possible.