- Cadillac unveiled its Urban Luxury Concept last night prior to the L.A. auto show.
- Measuring just 151 inches long overall, the ULC is 10 inches shorter than a Honda Fit, yet it seats four.
- The ULC is powered by a mild hybrid system that bundles a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with GM's "electric assist" technology.
LOS ANGELES — One of the more unusual concepts created for the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show is Cadillac's Urban Luxury Concept, so called because of its positioning as "a new type of vehicle that offers a luxury experience in a diminutive size," according to the brand.
How diminutive? Measuring just 151 inches long overall, the ULC is 10 inches shorter than a Honda Fit, yet it seats four.
Designed at GM's North Hollywood Advanced Design Center under the direction of Frank Saucedo, the ULC looks exactly like what it purports to be: a baby Cadillac with a smaller-than-usual footprint, plus lots of room inside and a frugal hybrid powertrain under the hood.
Built on a 97-inch wheelbase, the ULC is powered by a mild hybrid system that bundles a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with GM's "electric assist" technology, as well as a stop-start system, a dry dual-clutch transmission and regenerative brakes. Cadillac projects fuel economy at 56 miles per gallon in city driving and 65 mpg on the highway.
Among the concept's more unusual design features are twin skylights in the roof and a pair of scissors-style doors that extend outward at the touch of a button and then rotate forward. The car rides on 19-inch wheels and tires.
The high-tech cabin has ambient lighting and is trimmed in blue and gray leather with contrasting fabric, as well as carbon-color wood inlays, brushed aluminum accents and ceramic materials. Next-generation interactive technology is enabled via touchpad screens, capacitive multitouch switches and projected readouts, including a high-definition head-up display.
Inside Line says: Small, but definitely not budget-priced. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
idaspaceman says:
01:58 PM, 12/19/2010
I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. What a sad day in America.
dansmith says:
07:26 PM, 11/18/2010
Build the Imaj, instead. The ULC is dangerously small. Besides, the CAFE regs are about to be killed off.
PikachuRacer says:
02:58 PM, 11/18/2010
It is a good idea, but it looks not that good. Certainly this would be a competitor to the Aston Martin Cygnet in the newly-made "Luxury Minicar Class". Yet if Cadillac wants to meet the 35 average mpg goal for auto manufacturers in the 2020 CAFE standards, this would be a decent shot at the goal with the ULC's 61 mpg combined fuel economy (56city/65hwy). It would be smart to put a car like this in production, a bit different than this specific concept. Maybe using the Chevrolet Spark's chassis as a base and build it up to look, feel, and perform like a Cadillac, but not appear as extreme as this one.
If you plan to sell this Cadillac, here's a tip: The biggest problem would be the price for a car like this. The Aston-Martin Cygnet starts in the mid-$40,000 range, which makes it tough for any traditional buyer to afford (some think that this price is way too much). If the Cadillac ULC is to be competitive as well as one affordable, add premium features not found in traditional minicars and familiar to traditional Cadillacs and then putting the starting price at around $7000-8000 more than the Chevrolet Spark's possible price range (which is around $11,000, so at least $18,000 would be a reasonable starting price for a Luxury Minicar based on it). If it starts over $25,000, many people may refuse such a car.
escaladefan1 says:
05:28 PM, 11/17/2010
Wow, this is truly dreadful, already one of the worst cadillacs ever.
mike6zz says:
11:00 AM, 11/17/2010
Finally, competition for the Aston Cygnet.
Wait, What???
captainvw says:
10:36 AM, 11/17/2010
Someone call the producers of Total Recall...
compressor says:
09:38 AM, 11/17/2010
Good thing the interior is nice because you certainly can't see out of it.
lions208487 says:
09:37 AM, 11/17/2010
I love the CTS sedan/coupe, but this is fugly. Thank goodness it's just a concept.
wjtinatl says:
09:14 AM, 11/17/2010
Hmmm, today Urban Luxury is defined as an Escalade rolling on 24" chrome wheels, pretty big leap to this thing.