Actually, many do.

It's safe to say that the majority of luxury buyers care more about features and creature comforts than sheer performance. Why does the IS250 outsell the IS350? Or the E350 the E550? Or the 4-cylinder Camry the V6 Camry? From a performance perspective the IS250 or E350 and Camry 4-cyl. are completely sufficient for the average Joe and they're more economical than their larger-engined counterparts, which is an added bonus to these buyers.

Also, if one can get great performance and fuel economy out of a car, it's a win-win situation for the owner. And the performance of many entry-level luxury cars, in the eyes of the masses, is sufficient. The only folks I know who'll complain about the performance of such cars are speed-freaks usually found on automotive forums who still think 0-60 defines the size of their _____ and is everything that matters when it comes to cars: any car, even a minivan.

 

It's all about image. A good number of the über-rich want to portray a sense of environmental and social responsibility. Thus the horde of Prius' seen at the end of the red carpet. There is a fair-sized niche market for those who want no part of hair-shirt ecological activism, but still want to be part of the save-the-planet ethos.

Besides, most of these people will be traveling to the airport in their limo to board their G-5 for Christmas in Gstaad, why not have something like a luxo golf cart to putter around the cul-de-sac, or hold in reserve for those public moments when we have to appear suitably contrite for our excesses?

For those souls who care not a whit about point-to-point performance, we have an urban vehicle for the post-petroleum era. One that can survive in urban traffic, if not exactly shine on the interstate. With families routinely having two or even three vehicles, especially those with excess personal income, why not have an automobile that makes you appear socially conscious?

But there is another side to a luxury urban vehicle like the ULV - it makes responsibility more palatable for the rest of us. Who needs 450 bhp in a land with speed limits? You can't reasonably exercise your Carrerra or Aston to anywhere near its limits in the US, and certainly not in our freeway traffic. Why not have something reasonable, something that performs within the envelope available to us, yet also offers safety, maneuverability, and comfort - with all the technological goodies we would expect in a full-boat luxury car. The fact that it may cost a good deal less is the icing on the cake.

I think Cadillac may be on to something here.

 

The return of the Cimarron! The thing in person is pretty fugly. ULC stands for Ugly Little Cadillac or Ugly Little Car.

 

Bleh.

 

I give them credit for taking abstract and minimalism and applying it to a sub compact luxury.