Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept

After years of struggling with its aging identity and less than relevant vehicles, Cadillac may be back on track to being "The Standard of the World" again. At one time, being "the Cadillac" of a product meant to be the best. At some point around the mid-80s Cadillac lost its way and couldn't identify with a customer base younger than retirees or die-hard loyalists.
At an event held in their California design center, Cadillac displayed its new Urban Luxury Concept to show a new direction for the luxury manufacturer. The concept is untypical by Cadillac standards due to its diminutive size. At 151 inches in overall length the Concept is 40-inches shorter than the CTS but the wheelbase is a mere 16-inches shorter. What this means is short overhangs for greater maneuverability and ease of parking but still plenty of interior space.
Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept Rear Three Quarter Lights On
The size is not necessarily what Cadillac wants people to take away from this concept. The company intends to redefine how people view luxury. Cadillac's lead designer Frank Saucedo explained that luxury has nothing to do with size. Luxury is defined by build quality and the selection of fine materials. In other words, Cadillac is now about quality not quantity.
The Urban Luxury Concept shown is powered by a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder hybrid drivetrain. Cadillac claims fuel economy of 56 mpg in the city and 65 mpg on the highway with the use of start/stop technology and brake energy regeneration.
Whether or not Cadillac will produce a small city car like this is still up in the air. What is clear, is that Cadillac is rethinking what defines a luxury manufacturer. They are also focused on what it takes to make a vehicle more efficient while not giving up the amenities Cadillac drivers expect. It may not be too long until we have a new Cadillac of environmentally friendly vehicles.