2024 Cadillac Lyriq review: Iconic American brand back Down Under to take on BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi with an all-electric SUV

October 13, 2024October 12, 2024 Toby Hagon 1679 Views cadillac, Lyriq

It’s a brand synonymous with celebrities and pop culture and now Cadillac is back in Australia after more than half a century.

But the modern Cadillac is very different to the big engines, big cars and big wings that have helped define one of America’s most iconic brands.

The new Cadillac is electric and the Lyriq is the car that spearheads the brand’s Australian launch, where it’s attempting to lure buyers out of luxury marques such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus.

The Lyriq is a mid-sized SUV that will compete with the Audi Q8 e-Tron, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, BMW iX, Polestar 3 and Lexus RZ – and to some extent the cheaper BMW iX3.

Key to the Cadillac sales pitch is bold styling that helps the five-seater stand out from luxury rivals.

2024 Cadillac Lyriq price and equipment

The Cadillac Lyriq is available as a Luxury or Sport, each sharing the same list of equipment.

The $117,000 plus on-road costs Luxury gets more chrome and glistening bits while for another $2000 the Sport gets black design highlights and black wheels.

Each gets a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, three-zone ventilation, dual-level ambient lighting, 360-degree camera, heated and folding exterior mirrors and powered front seats with inbuilt massage, ventilation and heating functions. There’s also faux leather (called Inteluxe) as well as optional real leather.

A huge 33-inch display screen integrates the instrument cluster and central infotainment functions and is powered by the Android Automotive operating system that includes built-in Google apps, including mapping. And there’s a 19-speaker sound system by specialist Austrian brand AKG.

The Lyriq come with a home charger that plugs into a standard powerpoint.

The Lyriq will be covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty with a separate eight-year, 160,000km warranty on the high voltage battery.

Servicing is required every 12 months and 12,000km and the first five services (up to 60,000km) are included in the purchase price.

2024 Cadillac Lyriq: What we think

It’s not cheap, so the Cadillac Lyriq must deliver on the road and in the way it delivers its luxury.

It starts with dual electric motors making a combined 388kW and 610Nm. They drive all four wheels for 0-100km/h acceleration in around five seconds.

But the Lyriq is also a ludicrously heavy machine. Granted, there’s currently no such thing as a featherweight EV, but at 2774kg the Lyriq is porkier than rivals.

That dulls performance slightly, although with such lofty outputs it’s still ample and makes for effortless pull whenever it’s required.

A 102kWh battery pack gives a claimed 530km of WLTP range. As with all EVs, expect less than that in the real world, maybe 470km or so.

Home AC charging can be done at up to 22.1kW (in America the Lyriq’s AC charging is limited to 19.2kW) for a full charge in about five hours. For the more common 7.4kW charger bank on more like 15 hours.

Faster DC charging can be done at up to 190kW, which allows 128km of range to be added in as little as 10 minutes. Cadillac says 200km of range can be added in 15 minutes.

On the road the Lyriq has a big emphasis on comfort and luxury. It’s impressively quiet with little in the way of tyre and wind noise.

The fancy noise cancellation system is part of 10-speaker AKG sound system and also works to reduce the noise of bumps.

The luxury focus also flows through to the suspension, although the car we drove were running the American suspension tune whereas our cars will get a more dynamic European tune. Our cars will also ride on 21-inch wheels rather than the 22s of our American test car.

Still, the Lyriq is suitably plush and settles swiftly over bumps.

There’s no hiding its heft, though and while there’s loads of grip, quick direction changes remind you that the laws of physics still apply.

It’s a car that feels more comfortable nestling into a long, sweeping bend – or cruising on a freeway – rather than being asked to dart from one hairpin to the next.

2024 Cadillac Lyriq: Verdict

The Cadilac Lyriq is something fresh and different in the EV space.

It doesn’t reset any electric car benchmarks, but it delivers on a slick driving experience with an impressive focus on comfort.

Throw in the large, spacious body and lashings of standard gear and it helps justify the lofty six-figure price tag.

That said, the price tag will also ensure the Lyriq is a relatively low volume EV, albeit one that does things differently to the established luxury players.

Importantly, it also sets the scene for a family of electric Cadillacs on the way over the next few years.

Score: 4/5

2024 Cadillac Lyriq specifications
Price: From $117,000 plus on-road costs
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, AWD
Range: 530km (WLTP)
Battery capacity: 102kWh
Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km
Energy consumption: 22.5kWh/100km
Motors: 1 front, 1 rear 388kW/610Nm
AC charging: 22.1kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 190kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: About 5 seconds