Drop-top gorgeous! Cadillac reveals electric Sollei Concept ahead of US luxury brand’s Aussie return
As Cadillac prepares for an Australian reboot after a 55-year hiatus, its new concept Sollei convertible hints at a future EV porftoilo shimmering with old-world elegance.
The US brand launches its right-hand-drive Lyriq electric SUV here in a few months, the opening salvo in its quest to be a “tier-one luxury brand” in Australia, with numerous high-end EVs promised to rival Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and BMW.
While SUVs will inevitably be Cadillac’s bread-‘n-butter, this Sollei large drop-top roadster oozes retro Caddy cool, and should morph into a low-slung flagship production model in future.
It’s also further proof that Cadillac sees a future in low-slung passenger cars as well as a series of SUVs. It alreday has the ultra-luxury Celestiq on the way in the USA and is teasing more electric sedans down the track.
Its also hinting its got a hypercar on the way too.
It’s a 2+2 convertible boasting a milled brushed aluminium windscreen, 55-inch pillar-to-pillar dash screen, unstained wood veneer interior trim, colour-changing leather, integrated drinks chiller, buttons instead of door handles, and Manila Cream body colour paying homage to an original Caddy hue from 1957 and 1958.
The name ‘Sollei’ is a blend of sun (sol) and leisure (lei), and its design “represents the brand’s vision to offer modern design in an open-air format, inspired by iconic Cadillacs from the past.”
There’s no information about its motor(s), battery, range, performance or production potential, but for Caddy to stand out in overseas markets, it’d be safe to assume something like the Sollei would be needed to differentiate the brand from every other luxury EV maker simply stuffing portfolios with electric SUVs.
A production version wouldn’t come cheap. Caddy’s said the Sollei “pushes the boundaries of future bespoke commissions, tailored to reflect the unique passions and interests if its clientele.”
Basically, it’s not for the great unwashed.
The hand-cut and hand-laid interior woodwork show its not of the mass produced variety, while there are 126 ambient light colour options for each of the car’s ‘zones’.
And – get this – included is “a custom brushed metal and leather-wrapped case (that) houses 3D printed acrylic bird calls, a leather-bound journal with hand painted bird illustrations and a leather tool roll for pens and pencils, made to custom match the vehicle interior, allowing enthusiasts to capture their bird-watching experiences.”
That’ll go down a storm in Penrith and Craigieburn.
It’s all rather lovely, fabulous and exclusive – not least the Sollei’s fine Nappa leather cabin with pink iridescent pigment to house up to four entitled occupants – reminding that the country bringing you Donald Trump can also produce high class design treats.
The Sollei concept may be a dream-like vision of the near future, but Cadillac’s Aussie rebirth is very real and very soon.
How the American luxe brand can muscle into our prestige market remains to be seen – competition is plentiful and talented – but eye-catching design studies like this buttery and desirable Sollei gives Cadillac a much-needed boost of brand awareness.
