Provoq’d to buy American

Growing up, Cadillac was the measurement by which all other products were judged.  If you bought a refrigerator, you told your neighbors it was “The Cadillac of refrigerators!”  I have previously owned four Cadillacs, but have been considering only a European luxury sedan for my next purchase.  Although American cars have a better repair record than most European competitors, their public image has suffered.  A study was done recently that showed most Americans think Japanese cars, followed by European, followed distantly by American cars are the most reliable.  When, in fact, the American cars rank a close second to Japanese and are ahead of the Europeans.

In this global economy, perception is not everything, it is the only thing.  Honda makes cars in America, and Chevrolet makes them in Australia.  So why do Americans think Japanese cars made in America are better than American cars made in the South Pacific?

The new Cadillac Provoq has gotten me on this rant.  This car is beautiful, it is technological and it is green.

I’m not exactly a tree-hugger (I do recycle my plastic water bottles), but this car has me excited.  Its power train is a pair of hydrogen tanks and a lithium-ion battery pack.  It has a solar panel on the roof to charge the electronic accessories. It will go 300 miles on a tank and only emits water vapor.  The styling is based on the hugely popular and well-awarded CTS.

I hope the publicity behind this new transportation option opens America’s collective mind enough to the perception that the Provoq can be, “The Cadillac of cross-over SUVs.”  I also want to know, just where you buy hydrogen?