2009 Cadillac Converj Coupe Concept Review

by
Canadian Auto Press

As you may have already heard, Detroit's annual auto show wasn't exactly a reenactment of Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval as

Cadillac ran its new Converj Concept through a friendly gauntlet of cheering employees. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

far as flash and excitement goes. No, it was a bit of a sleeper considering its thoroughly entertaining past. Still, for the Big 3 January's North American International Auto Show nevertheless remains the quintessential home show that saw each automaker pull out all the stops... well at least all the stops currently available for pulling. For the second year in a row, General Motors’ Cadillac division showed up at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit with a two-door sports coupe, although compared to the performance-oriented CTS Coupe Concept that stole the hearts and minds of automotive pundits last year, mine included, the Converj Concept measures its performance in miles per gallon and tailpipe emissions.

Call it a big, fat zero if you want to, and GM execs will smile proudly. After all, the gorgeous

I made a point of getting right up close when it drove by, to get a real feel for how it looked from all angles. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

two-door is fully capable of taking you to and from work without ever running on gasoline, and therefore producing almost no airborne toxins.

“The electric motor in the Converj drives the wheels at all times, at all speeds,” commented Robert (Bob) A. Lutz, General Motors vice chairman. When driving on short commutes, he continued, “You may never have to buy a drop of gasoline as long as you own the car.”

That's the same claim that Lutz made with regards to the Volt, possible because of its shared Voltec architecture and identical power and drivetrain. That setup includes a T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack positioned underneath the car's centre, an electric motor as the main propulsion source, and a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder internal combustion engine (ICE) that's not even connected to the drive wheels.

Brilliant! (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

This is the complete opposite of a conventional hybrid which uses electric power to assist the ICE. The Converj's configuration has the traditional engine serving only as a generator to recharge the battery pack when it runs down. If you're worried about performance the little Caddy musters 273 pound-feet of instantaneous torque capable of zipping it to a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). That'll be fast enough for most, even Europe's Autobahners, and the Europeans will especially appreciate the forecast fuel economy, not to mention its sizeable range.

Cadillac cites the same numbers as it does for the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera, the latter introduced at the Geneva auto show earlier this month, being that the new plug-in series hybrid electric Cadillac will share the same internals as its four-door cousins, or about 60 kilometers (40 miles) of range between charges

Great lines... hard to believe it's been designed to be as green as can be. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

when on full electric power. If you live within 60 km (40 miles) of your workplace and have the ability to charge up while on the job it’s quite possible that buying the Converj could at the very least result in a dramatic difference in your fuel bill. The have your cake and eat it too aspect of the design is its ability to run solely on electric power over short distances, yet cover hundreds of miles when needed by tapping into its ICE/gasoline reserves to keep the battery pack topped up. That battery needs a full eight hours to recharge when using a typical household outlet.

While Lutz states that the Converj will achieve the same 40 mile range as its Volt cousin, he was beyond vague about the exact powertrain combination that the technology would use in Cadillac trim.

“The battery pack could either be larger or smaller than the one in the Volt, and so could the engine,” Lutz added,

A talented designer and possibly more talented team leader, GM Vice President of Global Design Ed Welburn is the man behind Cadillac's stunning new look. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

meaning that due to the flexibility of the Voltec system a Cadillac model could be biased more towards performance than fuel economy, to compete more directly with Lexus hybrids.

The Converj, however, is a concept and not reality, at least not yet. Then again, building multiple models off of the E-Flex platform, now officially called “Voltec”, is something GM promised it would do, and more importantly something the General must do in order to make the technology cost effective, so something like the Converj could very well become a reality in the near future.

By the reaction of the crowd it would be a welcome addition to the Cadillac lineup, as it’s a particularly attractive set of wheels. Ed Welburn, GM’s design chief, and the rest of the Converj design team took the brand’s Art and Science design theme to extreme levels with edgier angles and ultra-sharp vertical LED-enhanced headlight clusters plus LED taillights that look like a classic mariner’s compass extended at right angles. The graduating rise of its sharply

Not your average Cadillac interior either. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

creased beltline that flows into the taillights gives it an exotic supercar-like profile, just another highlight of a car that’s destined to change peoples’ perceptions about alternative energy vehicles.

Lutz climbed out of the passenger seat after the Converj rolled onto the stage, and told media that they were looking at the “Cadillac of electric vehicles”, a reminder that the name Cadillac was once synonymous with world-class quality and advanced engineering. Cadillac is doing a good job to repair past mistakes with some of the best-made cars in their respective classes, although the Converj, if built, would be in a luxury class of one. While Lexus builds luxury hybrids, having introduced a new compact-sized dedicated hybrid to be positioned between the IS and ES range on the same day as Cadillac’s reveal, it’s not capable of driving on electricity alone beyond parking lot speeds and then only for short durations.

Lexus

Are Cadillac's future lines going to get sharper? (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

is claiming that the upcoming 2010 HS 250h will be the most fuel-efficient luxury model sold in the US, but an announcement of a production version of the Converj would soon quash such banter, as plug-in series hybrids such as GM’s Voltec system will most likely make conventional hybrids ancient history.

To alleviate any listeners concerned about running out of electricity in the middle of their commute, something Lutz referred to as “range anxiety” and something he personally experienced while testing a pure electric motorcycle, he made sure to emphasize that after the Converj’s 40 mile range passes and its electric power runs out, a small gasoline engine will take over to get you and your Caddy wherever you’re going, in style, we might add.

Another concern Cadillac fans have about the Converj is whether the new coupe will supplant the CTS Coupe that has already been promised for production. According GM's viability plan submitted to the US Treasury, the CTS Coupe is on schedule

Visually, it's a clear winner... but a four-door coupe might be a bigger winner on the sales charts. (Photo: Canadian Auto press)

to arrive as of mid to late 2010 as a 2011 model, one year after its initially proposed launch date, and with regards to the Converj, that plan has only promised extended range vehicles such as the Opel Ampera and Cadillac Converj by 2012. And it only makes sense that the General would want to maximize its investment potential by offering as many vehicles on the Voltec architecture as possible. Nevertheless, there was a reason why Chevy's Volt went from a two-door concept to a four-door production vehicle. Coupes generally don't sell anywhere near as well. Hence the four-door coupe craze that's overwhelming the luxury sector now. The latest news, from information garnered by Motor Trend magazine, has GM considering Converj as a four-door coupe, with rear doors featuring hidden door handles. It's probably a good idea, so expect a revised Converj concept at a future show so that GM can gauge potential market acceptance.

As for the current Converj Concept, it's just that, a concept. We've grown to expect concepts to be made into reality if enough people get excited about them, but we're living in a different time now and GM isn't exactly flush with risk capital. A two-door coupe, no matter how enticing to look at, is certainly a risk in our market, especially a performance oriented series hybrid, so GM will likely step lightly as it moves forward.

Specifications (2009 Cadillac Converj Concept):

• Body: two-door coupe
• Engine: 120 kW (161-hp), 273 lb-ft of torque, electric motor + 1.4L turbocharged I-4 + 53 kW generator
• Estimated fuel consumption (est.):  2.3 L/100 km
• Transmission: none
• Seating Capacity: 4
• website: www.gm.ca