(continued from above)
"The Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept celebrates its scale with intelligent,
innovative content that makes it unique regardless of its size," said Clay Dean,
Director of GM North American Advanced Design and Cadillac Brand Champion. "It
has a small exterior footprint, but is roomy inside."
Conceived and
designed in the Los Angeles area, where tight, confined parking areas for
apartments, office buildings and even suburban homes are part of everyday
driving, the concept weaves Cadillac's iconic design elements into a form that
eschews conventional vehicle design to answer the needs of those metropolitan
motorists.
Comparable in size to popular city cars found in Paris,
Shanghai and London, the Urban Luxury Concept demonstrates a departure from
conventional vehicle design. It seats four, with easy access to all seats
available via a pair of scissor-type doors that extend outward and rotate
forward when opened. The design fosters a roomy passenger area, which is trimmed
in exquisite materials and features next-generation interactive technology.
Touch-pad screens and projected readouts take the place of most traditional
gauges and serve as the audio and climate system controls - a design feature
that helps open up the interior for greater passenger space.
"While small
in size, this concept is an exploration of what Cadillac could be in the future,
as the brand continues to focus on redefining industry standards for advanced
vehicle design and integrated technology," said Don Butler, vice president for
Cadillac marketing.
Engineers have developed a concept hybrid propulsion
system for the Urban Luxury Concept that includes a turbocharged 1.0L
three-cylinder engine employing electric assist technology, engine start-stop
function, brake energy regeneration and a dry dual-clutch transmission. Based on
extensive prototype and production experience, a combination of these
technologies could offer projected fuel economy of 56 mpg in the city and 65 mpg
on the highway, in a vehicle of the size and configuration of the Urban Luxury
Concept.
A New Scale of Art & Science
As a strong example
of form following function, the unconventional body style maximizes passenger
space and makes a technology statement. At the push of a button, the large,
scissor-type doors push away from the body and rotate in a seamless, elegant
motion. A large aperture allows for effortless entry and exit- particularly in
tight city parking spaces.
Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept: Review (2/2)
