Launched with great fanfare, the 2014 Cadillac ELR turned out to be a huge disappointment. GM->ke1024 sold roughly 800 examples of the plug-in hybrid->ke147 coupe, with about half of the Cadillac->ke18 dealers declining to place any preorders for the vehicle. With that in mind, it's not at all surprising the manufacturer is elbows deep into rolling out a significantly updated version of the ELR. The revised coupe was initially scheduled to arrive for the 2016 model and make its public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show->ke211. The problem is, the ELR 2.0 didn't show up alongside the 2016 ATS-V Sedan and Coupe in the City of Angels.

Not that many people noticed its absence, but it's rather uncommon for such delays to happen in today's auto industry. However, it seems Cadillac had plenty of reasons not to show the new ELR in Los Angeles, mostly due to system integration difficulties. According to GM Inside News, quoting insider sources, Caddy didn't have enough time to refine a few of the features that are supposed to turn the ELR into a "highly autonomous vehicle."

Specifics as to what kind of features the source is referring to are scarce, but word has it Cadillac wants to debut GM's Super Cruise feature with the next ELR. The technology takes control of steering, acceleration and braking at highway speeds or in stop-and-go traffic, which would make the ELR semi-autonomous. Apparently the system, and other features state-of-the-art features slated to find their way into the coupe, are not that easy to integrate, and the debut has been delayed with no target date for a debut. Well that's a bummer...

Click past the jump to read more about the Cadillac ELR.

Why it matters

What matters most is that Cadillac is upping the ante in fixing the ELR fiasco with a better version of it. The coupe is incredibly expensive for a rebodied Chevrolet Volt, although we have to give Cadillac some credit for throwing a host of luxury features inside. Still, the market isn't quite ready to absorb a vehicle such as the ELR, and it took Cadillac less than a year to realize it. Fortunately, development for the next ELR is well underway and it seems the new car will be a far cry from the vehicle that less than 800 buyers wanted in its first 10 months on the market.

On the other hand, this delay comes to prove that developing a highly-advanced, semi-autonomous automobile is a strenuous task that requires plenty of time, and lots of research and development. Cadillac likely rushed with the ELR to Los Angeles only to realize the current prototype won't make a great case for potential customers. Hopefully the new ELR will arrive soon enough to save the nameplate's image as the slowest-selling Cadillac in history.

2014 Cadillac ELR

The Cadillac ELR went on sale in mid-December 2013 as a luxury->ke505, plug-in hybrid coupe->ke141. Essentially a rebodied Chevrolet Volt with a stylish, two-door shell and a luxurious interior, the ERL is powered by an electric motor that generates 207 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, while an 84-pony 1.4-liter, four-banger acts as range extender. The coupe can travel 345 miles with the range-extender activated and and 37 miles on electricity alone.

The 0-to-60-mph sprint is completed in 8.8 seconds in EV mode and 7.8 seconds with the range-extending gasoline engine, while top speed is set at 106 mph. The ELR retails from $75,000.