Cadillac Debuts Updated 2016 ELR Coupe With More Power And Improved Chassis

This is the revised 2016 Cadillac ELR coupe that gains a boost in performance and improvements in handling and connectivity for the new model year, while keeping its design mostly intact. The only cosmetic changes are a tweaked grille and Cadillac’s new wreathless badge.

Cadillac made software upgrades to the battery system improving power and torque by a claimed 25 percent to 160kW / 215hp in tour mode and 174kW / 233hp in Sport mode, as well as pure EV range on the base model to about 39 miles (60 km), which increases to 330 miles (530 km) when combining pure electric driving and the range-extending 1.4L gasoline-powered engine.

A modified Sport mode that combines engine and electric motor power cuts the ELR’s 0-60 mph (96km/h) time by 1.5 seconds over the previous model to 6.4 seconds, with Cadillac also promising a higher top-speed of 130mph (209km/h) in Sport and Hold modes with the optional Performance Package, and 106mph (171km/h) in regular mode.

The newly available Performance Package adds several goodies including 20-inch summer performance tires that are said to improve lateral grip by nearly 10 percent, recalibrated Continuous Damping Control and electric power steering systems, front Brembo brakes with four pistons that improve 60-to-0 mph stopping distance by almost 12 percent and a sports steering wheel with a thicker-rim.

Besides the optional Performance Package, all 2016 ELRs get the following steering and suspension upgrades:

• Revised calibration of the HiPer Strut front suspension
• Increased front spring rates and a stiffer rear axle
• Stiffer bushings for the front lower control arms, cradle mounts and Watts link in the rear suspension, for more precise control with no loss of ride quality
• Revised calibrations for the Continuous Damping Control system
• Front Damper Rebound Spring added
• New steering calibration tuned to complement the revised chassis and suspension systems
• Revised brake hardware and system calibration for improved application feel.

For 2016, the previously optional Driver Assistance package that includes side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert and Intellibeam headlamps, becomes standard, while the ELR also gets GM’s OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot with a “three-month/three-gigabyte data trial, whichever comes first”. In addition, there’s also a new magnetic inductive charge spot on the instrument panel that allows passengers to recharge their enabled phones wirelessly.

According to Cadillac, the 2016 ELR will go on sale with a starting price of $58,495 after U.S. federal tax credits.