Outside of the Chevy Bolt, GM doesn’t really have any electric vehicles. The Bolt was a huge step forward with its 259 miles of range on a good day, but GM is definitely falling behind, and that’s why Cadillac is set to “spearhead GM’s shift to an all-electric future.” The LYRIQ that has been teased here is the first of many to come and will be powered by GM’s Ultimum batteries. It will also ride on the same next-gen battery-electric architecture that will underpin most Cadillac and Chevy EVs going forward. We’ll get our first full look at it on August 6th, but what exactly can we expect?
Will the Cadillac LYRIQ Put GM Deeper in the EV Game or Will it Be a Dud?
As of now, we know next to nothing about the LYRIQ outside of its funky name, what the front end looks like, and a few little tidbits about what’s going on under the metal.
GM also promises that most will be 400-Volt battery packs with 200 kW fast charging capability (the truck platform will be 800-volt and feature 350 kW fast charging), which means they should charge quickly when plugged into the right socket. With that in mind, what else can we expect from the LYRIQ?
Based on the teasers, it looks like GM pretty much copied and then tweaked the Audi E-Tron GT’s front end. The fake corner ai intakes and grille are clearly reminiscent of Audi’s latest and greatest. Meanwhile, the silhouette looks like an odd crossover with a dramatically sloping roof, which probably means poor headroom in the rear.
But there’s a problem. Despite the fact that Cadillac is positioned – at least internally – as a premium or luxury brand, few people actually cross-shop it with the competitors that the LYRIQ is set to go up against. If you’re shopping for an Audi, a BMW, or a Tesla, has the thought of Cadillac ever crossed your mind? It surely hasn’t crossed mine with the rare exception of when I’ve compared them on paper for the fun of it. The Cadillac V-Series models of yesteryear did actually hold a candle to some of the more prominent German bands, for example, but they just never really nailed the whole package well enough to really lure in buyers.
If GM and Cadillac do their job right, their next-gen EV onslaught – at least from Cadillac – might stand a chance, but it comes down to whether or not GM can manage to provide the similar comfort, luxury, and technology without overpricing while straying away from the classic “typical GM” mindset that usually comes along with plastic bits and bobs in more expensive models. If the LYRIQ flops is could very well mean the end of Cadillac, so there’s a lot ride on this model and those that come after it. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens, and we’ll find out soon enough what the deal is on August 6th.