Was Cadillac listening?

That was me, then:

A quieter car, which requires fewer trips to the gas station and can start its climate control at full bore with the flick of a switch (even a remote switch), is a better car and ought to command a better price.

And late last year:

The self-inflicted wound on GM's part is that the Volt is a Chevy, not a Cadillac.  A $40,000 pricetag on a Caddy isn't an issue.  The ultra-smooth drivetrain is just made for a luxury car.  Features like electric A/C are tailor-made for integration with OnStar so you can text the car from the country club or mall and have it cool and comfy by the time you get to it.

And this is now:

Cadillac unveils plug-in hybrid luxury concept car

DETROIT – They're calling it the luxury car of the future that will serve as a "personal headquarters."

It's the Cadillac XTS Platinum concept car, and General Motors Co. unveiled it Tuesday at the Detroit auto show.

Concept cars are displayed at shows to gauge consumer interest, and they often are the basis for future products

. The XTS, which can run on a rechargeable battery-powered electric motor or a 350-horsepower V-6 engine, has touch-screen entertainment, and navigation and information systems, GM says.

It's about time, Cadillac.  You could have taken the PNGV technologies under your wing and had this years ago, but you still appear to be first in the segment.  Leadership isn't a lost art in the USA. 

Now that PHEV is coming in at the top, it is time to exploit it for all it's worth.  Use the OnStar phone to turn on the climate control remotely, or text you when you bring it home and forget to plug it in.  Use the GPS nav system (Denso makes that, no?) to anticipate energy demand for things like long grades and charge the battery up or run it down accordingly.  Have it learn the typical driving of the owner and adapt to it.

Get a jump on Europe and Japan.  Show us what happens when luxury meets green.  Make a name for American engineering again.

¶ 1/12/2010 03:25:00 PM