General Motors has approved production of the stunning Cadillac Converj, its extended-range electric-powered coupe based on the Chevrolet Volt's Voltec architecture, a well-placed source says. GM brass wants the car on the road by 2011, making it a 2012 model. This is all contingent on improved finances for GM, of course, which means it's contingent on the government's reaction to the next version of the automaker's viability plan due June 1. It doesn't hurt that the Obama administration has called for automakers to bring more fuel-efficient cars and trucks to market. A production Converj is potentially profitable and would improve Cadillac's green image at the same time.
Our source says GM will follow up the Cadillac with a people-mover/crossover utility vehicle based on the Voltec architecture.
A GM spokesperson contacted for this report denies the Converj's green-light status and says that nothing has changed regarding the production prospects for the car. However, our source offers a number of details that lend credence to the probability of its approval.
Our source says GM will follow up the Cadillac with a people-mover/crossover utility vehicle based on the Voltec architecture.
A GM spokesperson contacted for this report denies the Converj's green-light status and says that nothing has changed regarding the production prospects for the car. However, our source offers a number of details that lend credence to the probability of its approval.
First, of course, a 2011 on-sale date for the Converj is a target date, and it's an ambitious one at that. While the Voltec architecture is exclusive, there's a lot of GM's compact Delta architecture in it. A '12 Converj would need all-new sheetmetal and interior, and that's possible given the advanced status of Voltec development. The drivetrain would be similar to the lithium-ion battery pack and 1.4L four-cylinder engine to be used in the Chevy Volt, although GM is likely to add battery mass to make the Cadillac a more powerful car.
Our source says GM brass plans to build the car as a two-door coupe, like the concept, not a four-door with hidden rear door handles, an alternative product chief Bob Lutz floated in Motor Trend's April 2009 feature on the concept. While the concept is a tallish 55 inches, a production Converj would have to use the Volt's taller firewall, which means the car will have to grow upward in more than ground clearance to make production financially feasible while retaining general proportions.
Whether you believe our source, or the spokesperson, a production Converj seems an easier bet with half of the automaker's brands -- Saturn, Saab and Hummer -- on the way out. GM can better concentrate on core new models for Chevy and Cadillac. Having such advanced green technology available for GM's low-priced and premium "core" brands would resonate with the Obama administration and the public.
As for the Voltec people-mover/CUV, our source believes a Buick badge is most likely, though it also could delineate GMC from Chevy truck models and still please Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers. The Voltec CUV could have two or three rows of seats - the compact Delta platform is related to the midsize Epsilon II platform, so this model could be larger than the Chevy and Cadillac, with more battery mass to handle the extra weight.
Our source says GM brass plans to build the car as a two-door coupe, like the concept, not a four-door with hidden rear door handles, an alternative product chief Bob Lutz floated in Motor Trend's April 2009 feature on the concept. While the concept is a tallish 55 inches, a production Converj would have to use the Volt's taller firewall, which means the car will have to grow upward in more than ground clearance to make production financially feasible while retaining general proportions.
Whether you believe our source, or the spokesperson, a production Converj seems an easier bet with half of the automaker's brands -- Saturn, Saab and Hummer -- on the way out. GM can better concentrate on core new models for Chevy and Cadillac. Having such advanced green technology available for GM's low-priced and premium "core" brands would resonate with the Obama administration and the public.
As for the Voltec people-mover/CUV, our source believes a Buick badge is most likely, though it also could delineate GMC from Chevy truck models and still please Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers. The Voltec CUV could have two or three rows of seats - the compact Delta platform is related to the midsize Epsilon II platform, so this model could be larger than the Chevy and Cadillac, with more battery mass to handle the extra weight.
