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2016 Cadillac ELR gets more power, $9,000 price drop

Cadillac has announced a series of updates to the ELR for 2016 that promises to make the plug-in hybrid luxury coupe a more desirable proposition. Perhaps chief among them is a price drop of $9,005 compared to the slow-selling 2014 model. The news follows an announcement yesterday that the Chevy Spark would get a $1,500 price drop. Cadillac is quoting a net price for the updated ELR at $58,495, which is obviously substantially less than the $75k it was asking for the previous version. But it's important to note that the new price is listed after US federal tax credits. The 2014 model came in at $67,500 after the full $7,500 tax credit, so math tells us that Cadillac has slashed the price on the 2016 ELR rather dramatically by about nine grand with a new MSRP of $65,995. One big upgrade on the performance front is a 25-percent boost in output from the hybrid powertrain that marries a pair of electric motors to a 1.4-liter inline-four gasoline-burning generator. The increase is said to be enough to drop 1.5 seconds off the 0-60 time, now quoted at 6.4 seconds. It'll travel for up to 39 miles on electric mode alone, but with the generator spooled up will go up to 330 miles before needing to stop. The engine management software has also been updated and the regenerative braking system reconfigured as well, but GM's luxury division didn't stop at the powertrain, fitting the 2016 ELR with a raft of other enhancements. Visually there's a new grille with the marque's latest emblem embedded. The suspension has been stiffened, the steering recalibrated and the brakes optimized for better feel. Cadillac is also throwing in the previously optional Driver Assistance package of active safety systems as standard, with adaptive cruise control available as an option. And the infotainment system comes with OnStar, 4G LTE connectivity and on-board Wi-Fi. There's even a Performance Package available with 20-inch performance tires offering 10-percent better lateral grip, four-piston Brembo brake calipers up front to help reducing stopping distances by 12 percent, recalibrated dampers and steering and a thicker-rimmed steering wheel. Because of the higher rolling resistance tires, however, the Performance Package kills four miles off of the electric driving range.

GM winding down Chevrolet brand in Europe

If you've taken even a cursory look at GM's European strategy and wondered how it can target the market there with both Chevrolet and Opel/Vauxhall, you're not alone. In fact General Motors itself has found it difficult to justify the two-pronged approach. That's why it's essentially pulling Chevy from the European marketplace.
Instead of trying to ply European buyers with what are mostly former Daewoo products rebadged as Chevys, GM will now let Opel (or Vauxhall in the UK) represent its mass-market aspirations. Chevrolet will keep its presence in Russia and other former Soviet markets, and will continue selling certain niche products in Eastern and Western Europe. The Corvette, for example, has long been sold in Europe through Cadillac dealerships, which for its part is currently "finalizing plans for expanding in the European market".
While the shift in strategy is expected to help GM get a stronger foothold in the European market in the long run, in the short term the restructuring will cost it dearly: between $700 million and $1 billion, according to its own estimates, split between the last quarter of this year and the first half of the next. Jump into the full press release below for more.

Future Classics, Acura Integra Type S and Cadillac Escalade-V | Autoblog Podcast #759

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. They jump right in with some news that Toyota may revive the Land Cruiser in the U.S., followed by rumors of a Nissan GT-R successor. From there, it's on to official confirmation of the Acura Integra Type S revival, followed by a partial rundown of Hagerty's 2023 Bull Market List. After that, it's time for some road test updates. Greg talks about his time in Autoblog's long-term BMW 330e PHEV and contrasts it with the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V. Byron has been driving a Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-30 and an Infiniti Q50 — serving as a perfect launch pad for a look back at 2022's best sport sedans. After that, it's a preview of Autoblog's 2022 Holiday Gift Guide.  Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #759 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Return of the Land Cruiser? Nissan's GT-R successor Acura Integra Type S confirmed Hagerty's 2023 Bull Market List What we've been driving 2022 BMW 330e long-term update 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Series 2023 Infiniti Q50 2023 Mazda CX-30 Best sport sedans for 2023 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Podcasts Acura BMW Cadillac Infiniti Mazda Nissan Toyota Long-Term Garage