2011 Cadillac Converj into Production

Cadillac Converj - Dashboard View

The Cadillac Converj is a concept car manufactured by the Cadillac division of General Motors. It was first shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and made its West Coast debut at the 2009 Orange County Auto Show.

Incorporating the propulsion system from the Chevy Volt—the battery pack, the 120-kilowatt electric motor, and the four-cylinder engine-generator, collectively dubbed the “Voltec” electric propulsion system—the Converj has an all-electric range of 40 miles (64 km) and a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). The two-door, front-wheel-drive coupe recharges in only three hours using a 240-volt outlet, the type commonly used for large electric appliances.

Cadillac Converj - Front Left

Various sources are reporting today that General Motors is planning to put the Cadillac Converj into production. Apparently, the production version of the Cadillac Converj will be a hybrid model, powered by an electric motor developing more than 150 hp and 370 Nm of torque and a 1.4-liter petrol engine. However, the petrol engine will not be used to actually power the Cadillac Converj, but to re-charge the battery need for the electric motor. The same sources say the production version of the Cadillac Converj will be able to run only on electricity for around 60 km on fully charged battery.

Although this information has not been officially confirmed, a production version of the Cadillac Converj is very likely. This will help GM get back some of the money invested in developing the Chevy Volt.

If the Cadillac Converj production version becomes a reality, it will probably take another two or three years for it to get into the showrooms.

Cadillac Converj - Interior Design

Reports have confirmed that US Automaker General Motors (GM) will build a production version of the Cadillac Converj Concept. According to The Detroit News, the Converj was given a go ahead by GM’s board of directors last week. The model is atleast 2- 3 years away from reaching dealing showrooms and a production date is yet to be set. When the Converj was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz hinted that a production version would be similar to the concept given – the fact that it won accolades for its sleek styling and superior powertrain.

The Converj uses the same technology as the Chevrolet Volt, the Converj will possibly include an electric motor that produces 120 kW (161 hp) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque which is powered by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. The Converj will be recharged by a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine once the car exceeds its 40 mile electric-only range – similar to the Volt. It can also be recharged via a 240V or 120V outlet.

Cadillac Converj - Left Side

Bob Lutz, the former GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Development, said in February that any production-ready Converj would have morph from a coupe into a sedan for marketing reasons; sedans are easier to sell than coupes.  Motor Trend’s source says executives have ditched that plan, and want to see the Converj brought to production as a coupe.

The Converj concept was built using GM’s Voltec architecture, the same underpinnings as the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.  Both concepts use a lithium-ion battery to power the car, with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine onboard to keep the battery going when it runs out of juice.  In all likelihood, GM will increase the size of the battery to give the Cadillac more power, but it’ll be interesting to see how it will deal with the extra weight a bigger battery demands.

Cadillac Converj - Rear Left

After the Converj, Motor Trend’s source says a people-mover based on the Voltec platform is next.  The CUV could go to either Buick or GMC, and could be built as a smaller vehicle on top of the same Delta-based iteration of Voltec that the Volt and Converj use, or move up to the Epsilon II midsize platform.

A GM spokesperson has, of course, denied that the Converj has been given the green-light, saying nothing has changed in regards to its prospects for production.  Regardless of whether or not Motor Trend’s source proves to be correct, GM’s entire product plan hinges on whether or not the company stays solvent.  With only taxpayer dollars in its coffers at the moment, GM can only afford to place its bets on sure shots like the Chevrolet Cruze.

Cadillac Converj - Seat View

But let’s hope that its stylists did their homework on the aerodynamics. If the Converj goes into production, we hope it won’t vary as much as the 2011 Volt does from the very different shape of the concept shown in 2007, which was striking but proved wildly un-aerodynamic. The design of the Volt’s more aerodynamic production version is much more sedate. The Dallas Morning News said it “looks like the quintessential rental car.”

Perhaps Lutz and the gang are still smarting from criticism about those design changes. At the Detroit Auto Show, he emphatically stated that if the Converj goes into production, it will look “exactly like” the concept version. That’s a big if. Before the Converj goes into production, according to Lutz, GM has to prove four things: that the company has the money to make the vehicle, that it’s a higher priority than other vehicles in the works, that the Converj can make money, and that there’s customer interest. “It’s going to be financially tough sliding,” said Lutz.