‘Redefining’ Cadillac Lyriq EV unveiled
Cadillac, the luxury arm of General Motors, has introduced its new electric portfolio, unveiling a new and luxurious full EV, the Lyriq show car, which promises more than 480km of range and DC fast charging.
Powered by GM’s new Ultium battery system and built on an all-new, modular BEV3 EV platform, this sleek-looking SUV, with a high-end and modern interior, promises 100 kilowatt hours of energy to deliver “stirring performance”.
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The Lyriq is due in production in late 2022 and is expected to look very much like what has been revealed here. Pricing is expected to start under USD75,000, or around $100,000 Aussie dollars.
Logical opposition will include the Mercedes-Benz EQC , Jaguar I-Pace , Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X.
The Ultium battery system is a structural element of the car’s architecture, contributing to rigidity, improving ride and handling and lowering the centre of gravity.
The designers also achieved a near 50/50 weight distribution for “more spirited driving”. The Lyriq entry-level has a rear-wheel drive powetrain while a performance all-wheel-drive option is also coming.
“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, GM North America.
“We will deliver experiences that engage the senses, anticipate desires and enable our customers to go on extraordinary journeys.”
Lyriq is the first of more than the 20 EVs from General Motors by 2023 and the start of Cadillac’s evolution to a fully electrified brand by 2030.
As if a typical EV isn’t quiet enough, Cadillac is using this, its quietest-running vehicle ever, to introduce new road-noise-cancellation technology, which takes active noise cancellation to the next level, using new microphones and accelerometers.
Seeing the need to match Tesla’s much-touted Autopilot system, Lyriq will also offer GM’s latest version of Super Cruise, “the industry’s first truly hands-free driver-assistance system”, which seems a fairly bold claim.
The dash features a massive 33-inch diagonal advanced display, creating a huge LED screen run front of driver and passenger, that looks far more concept car than production, and promises the ability to display “over one billion colours”.
It sounds like it’s a good thing the Lyriq can drive itself, because that could be slightly distracting. It also features a 19-speaker sound system.
Cadillac’s styling is often challenging to the eye and there is plenty that’s angular and eye catching about the Lyriq. The new EV will welcome its owners as they walk up to it with “dramatic lighting choreography” and features a distinctive “black crystal” grille.
“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, Global Cadillac Design.
“Inside and out, Lyriq is a thoughtful integration of design and technology and is intended to make every drive an occasion,” the Australian former Holden design chief added.
Speaking of Australia, no word and no likelihood of Cadillac and Lyriq showing up here sadly.
