2010 Detroit Auto Show: Cadillac Unveils The XTS Platinum Plug-In Hybrid Concept
By Scott Doggett January 12, 2010
#NAIAS - Cadillac today unveiled the XTS Platinum Concept at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, offering attendees a look at the brand's emerging top-of-the-line Platinum series that sports a plug-in hybrid propulsion system.
Cadillac Design Director Clay Dean unveils the XTS Platinum Concept.
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General Motors says the XTS Platinum Concept was designed from the inside out, "re-imagining the luxury sedan as a personal headquarters, built for efficiency, luxury and connectivity."
The XTS Platinum Concept uses Cadillac's 3.6-liter V-6 Direct Injection gasoline engine, paired with a plug-in hybrid system. The plug-in technology enables the battery to fully charge from a standard electrical outlet, providing pure-electric propulsion in many driving situations, GM spokesmen said.
They said the XTS Platinum concept's plug-in hybrid electric propulsion system builds on the experience Cadillac has gained with the Escalade Hybrid and Escalade Platinum Hybrid flagship models.
The key benefit of external plug-in recharging is that in many situations, such as overnight parking, the battery can fully recharge in roughly five hours while the car is not in use.
The plug-in system operates at maximum efficiency when operating on power the battery has drawn from the electric grid. "In some conditions, such as urban commutes, drivers can experience fuel efficiency that doubles that of conventional hybrids," the company said in a statement.
At higher speeds or when conditions demand it, such as brisk acceleration, a combination of engine power and electric power or engine power only, propels the vehicle. The combination of the Direct Injection V-6 engine and the PHEV system featuring fully electric variable drive provides an estimated 350 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
That said, no one at GM or Cadillac was willing to provide fuel-economy figures for the vehicle, offer a starting price or say when it might appear in dealer showrooms.
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