General Motors has revealed the Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac’s first all-electric SUV. The fully-electric Lyriq features a massive touchscreen and is being designed to offer beyond 300 miles of range. It’s based on GM’s next-generation, modular electric vehicle platform and it’s driven by the Ultium propulsion system. The Lyriq will be offered in rear-wheel drive and performance all-wheel drive configurations.
Unfortunately, it’ll be a while before the all-electric vehicle from Cadillac makes its way to customers as it’s not going into production until late 2022.
The Lyriq is an important vehicle for Cadillac as it represents the future of the company.
“The Lyriq represents the next iteration of the iconic brand’s styling, enabled by electrification, as only Cadillac can express,” said Andrew Smith, executive director of global design with Cadillac. “Inside and out, Lyriq is a thoughtful integration of design and technology and is intended to make every drive an occasion.”
The Lyriq is set to help Cadillac usher in its new electric portfolio, so the vehicle is viewed as being quite important.
“Led by Lyriq, Cadillac will redefine American luxury over the next decade with a new portfolio of transformative EVs,” said Steve Carlisle, executive vice president and president of GM North America. “We will deliver experiences that engage the senses, anticipate desires, and enable our customers to go on extraordinary journeys.”
To learn more about the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq SUV, continue reading below!
Exterior
Being that the Lyriq is the face of Cadillac’s new generation of EVs, it does make a bold design statement. Perhaps the most bold aspect of the design is its distinctive black crystal grille up front. It’s particularly dynamic because it’s part of a dramatic lighting choreography sequence that, along with the bold vertical, slim LED signature lighting, greets the owner as they approach the vehicle. There are also slim LEDs at the back of the vehicle that are integrated into the lighting choreography.
The Lyriq is defined by taut lines and clean surfaces. It looks assertive and modern, and it’s characterized with a low, fast roofline and wide stance that emphasize agility and convey confidence. The flow-through roof spoiler demonstrates the careful attention paid to the aerodynamics of the fully-electric vehicle.
Interior
Thanks to the new vehicle architecture, the interior of the fully-electric Cadillac Lyriq SUV is quite spacious. Cadillac designers came up with an airy, minimalistic design that does more to involve the driver and passengers in the driving experience, while also offering exceptional functionality when it comes to storage solutions.
“It is also brimming with subtle yet obsessive details such as backlit speaker grilles, curved screens with hidden storage and, like the exterior, orchestrated lighting features,” writes Cadillac in a press release.
The aspect of the interior that’s most likely to catch your eye, though, is the massive LED screen that spans the entire viewing area of the driver. It’s a 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED screen and it was meant to help set the Lyriq apart.
“This new display has the highest pixel density available in the automotive industry today and can display over one billion colors, 64 times more than any other vehicle in the automotive industry, providing a stunning in-vehicle experience unlike anything seen before from Cadillac,” writes Cadillac in a press release.
The all-electric vehicle space is becoming more crowded all the time and so automakers like Cadillac have put extra thought into ways to make their all-electric additions stand out from the pack, including having a massive LED display. The display incorporates driver information details, infotainment controls, and camera views, by the way.
In addition to the massive screen you have in the Lyriq, there’s also the new dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display. It employs two planes: a near plane indicating speed, direction and more, and a far plane displaying transparent navigation signals and other important alerts.
You can expect the Lyriq to be an incredibly quiet vehicle as you drive it as Cadillac is introducing new road noise cancellation technology with it. At launch, the fully-electric SUV will also offer a 19-speaker AKG audio system that delivers exceptional sound.
Performance
The Lyriq is based on GM’s next-generation, modular electric platform. The Ultium battery system is a structural element of the architecture, integrated in ways that contribute to improved ride and handling, as well as safety. The placement of the battery pack helps make for spirited driving, as does the fact the Lyriq is driven primarily by the rear wheels. There is a performance all-wheel drive option available, too.
Cadillac says it’s designing the Lyriq to offer beyond 300 miles of range on a full charge (based on internal testing). Charging options will fit a variety of preferences for home, the workplace, and on the road.
Something interesting to note is that the Lyriq will offer the enhanced version of Super Cruise, which Cadillac calls the industry’s first truly hands-free driver assistance feature. It’s available on more than 200,000 miles of enabled roads and was recently updated to include lane change on demand.
There’s also supervised remote parking that will be offered with the Lyriq. It uses ultrasonic sensors to help the Lyriq park itself in parallel or perpendicular parking spaces, whether the driver is inside the vehicle or outside of it.
Our Take
We’re definitely impressed by the massive touchscreen, the minimalist and airy interior, and the longe range that Cadillac is working toward with its first fully-electric SUV. The Lyriq is expected to makes its way to consumers as a 2023 model. As soon as we get more details about the all-electric SUV including additional performance details and pricing, we’ll be sure to update you.