1998 Cadillac Eldorado Esc Coupe 2-door 4.6l on 2040-cars

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Cadillac will kill the plug-in ELR

Johan de Nysschen, president of General Motors' Cadillac division, says Caddy's ELR extended-range plug-in won't have any future generations, Automotive News (subs. req.) says. The publication previously reported that the car would be around for another couple of years, but even that's questionable, and the model could be yanked even sooner. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell confirmed that there won't be a second-generation ELR. "Subsequent generations of the car will not be developed," he wrote in an e-mail to Autoblog. "It's available currently as a 2016 model, and there's no change to that status." The model debuted in late 2013 and used a version of the powertrain in the Chevrolet Volt. The main problem, of course, was that the car had a $76,000 price tag that proved too much for most automobile buyers to stomach. Last year, GM sold 1,024 ELRs, down 22 percent from 2014's totals. By comparison, the Chevy Volt moved more than 15,000 units, and that itself was still down 18 percent from year-earlier figures. The merciful end to the ELR shouldn't be much of a surprise, as Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus went on the record in December of essentially calling the model a dud. It's a far cry from the excitement, though, that the concept model of what was then called the Converj was unveiled to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009. For those feeling misty-eyed or nostalgic, though, check here for Autoblog's First Drive impressions of the extended-range plug-in. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Cadillac ELR Review View 48 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req. Green Cadillac GM Hybrid elr extended-range plug-in

Cadillac rushing update for laggy CUE infotainment system

BMW's innovative iDrive was introduced in 2001, and a dozen years later, automakers are still learning hard lessons about what consumers want in their infotainment systems. In response to owner feedback - and a few media drubbings - about the delayed and occasionally fickle responses of its CUE (short for Cadillac User Experience) system, Cadillac has told Wired that it's going to issue an update this year.
Coming for the XTS and ATS, the new software will mean quicker haptic feedback to driver inputs on the touchscreen and the buttons, and snappier responses on screen. Down the road, Cadillac's VP of marketing says that a different mix of screen controls and hard buttons is "something you'll be seeing in the future" - the system is presently a mix of touchscreen-based controls and capacitive-touch switchgear - there are no knobs or physical pushbuttons to speak of, and the omission of both has proven to be a divisive issue among consumers and industry pundits.
Cadillac hasn't provided a date for when the CUE update will be issued, but it has indicated that the service will be performed by dealers, not sent wirelessly.

GM wants to have 10 plug-in models in China in five years

Last we checked, General Motors was selling all of three plug-in vehicle models in its home country of the US, and is prepared to make the Chevrolet Bolt EV available on these shores later this year. So it's notable that the automaker is hatching plans to have at least 10 plug-in variants for sale in China within the next five years, according to Hybrid Cars. Which plug-ins are coming remains a mystery. GM started selling a hybrid version of the Buick LaCrosse in China this month. The strategy makes sense, as China is now the world's largest car market, and accounts for about a third of GM's annual revenue. The automaker, which operates in China under the SAIC-GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling joint ventures, sells cars there under the Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and Boujun badges, and has been doing so for the better part of two decades. Most recently, GM started selling a hybrid version of the Buick LaCrosse in China this month. What we do know is that GM is building its Cadillac CT6 Plug-in Hybrid in China, with distribution to be split between China and the US. That model, which is scheduled to start sales by the end of the year, is being built overseas because of a combination of Chinese government support for new-energy vehicle technology through incentives and the fact that battery-pack maker LG Chem makes most of its cells in nearby South Korea. The plug-ins are part of a broader plan by General Motors to either introduce or substantially tweak about 60 models by the end of the decade. With such new models, GM looks to boost unit sales by as much as five percent a year for the next few years. As for the other nine plug-in models slated for China by 2021, the company is mum. GM spokesman Dan Flores declined to comment to AutoblogGreen. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Cadillac CT6: First Drive View 32 Photos News Source: Hybrid Cars Green Cadillac Chevrolet GM Electric Hybrid PHEV