Just this week, it leaks out BMW is working on a hardcore off-roader, then Cadillac reveals this bizarre off-road concept. And in April, Genesis revealed its own overlanding concept SUV. It appears we’re entering an era of luxury brands making trail rigs for the richies who want to look rugged.
This is why the car market favors soft crossovers over anything else lately.
Of course, this new Cadillac concept is all-electric, because you can definitely transport extra juice in jerrycans. Called the Elevated Velocity (no, that’s not a joke, we think) it’s a 2+2 crossover with falcon wing doors.
It sure looks different than anything else, that’s for sure. The clean body lines seem to clash with the chunky, utilitarian-looking wheels. While the doors are eye-catching, so is the rear fascia, which seems to be one giant taillight.
The interior looks like some Star Trek set with odd minimalism and boucle upholstery.
But Cadillac is really hammering on the performance capabilities of this bizarre machine. It features different drive modes: e-Velocity, Terra, Sand Vision, and Elements Defy. That last one made us laugh out loud when we first read it.
But Elements Defy isn’t some ultra off-road mode. Instead, it turns the crossover into a giant dog, vibrating to shake, dust, dirt, sand, etc. off the exterior for a quick cleaning on the go. We can’t believe GM engineers wasted time on that.
Sand Vision uses something similar to night vision to help the driver see in sandstorms. And Terra mode uses the air suspension to increase ground clearance.
We suspect Cadillac, just like BMW, is trying to come up with something which will compete with the Mercedes G-Wagon. Doing that with some soft crossover is a surefire way to not succeed. Mercedes is in a unique position, having made trucks since before WWII, so it better understands how to craft a quality off-roader.
But we suspect more will try to jump into this niche. Maybe Acura or Aston Martin will be next?
It’s unknown if Cadillac will move forward with a production version of the Elevated Velocity, but if it does, we hope it comes up with a better name. At the very least, some of the design cues from the concept will influence future Caddies.
Images via Cadillac
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