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The Cadillac Lyriq is a battery electric crossover manufactured and marketed by the Cadillac subdivision of General Motors. As Cadillac's first fully electric vehicle, and the first GM production vehicle using the BEV3 platform, the Lyriq introduces a new version of GM's Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system.
History
- See also: General Motors BEV3 platform
At the 2019 North American International Auto Show, CEO Mary Barra presented several details about the group's upcoming series of EVs, which included a crossover from Cadillac. The name Lyriq follows a pattern of several prior Cadillac concept vehicles, including the Evoq, Provoq, and Celestiq, all ending in "q".
Cadillac originally planned for a US-market presentation of the Lyriq (as a "show car" or concept car) on April 2, 2020, followed by a launch soon thereafter for the 2021 model year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to August 6. Production of the Lyriq was also delayed to early 2022. Chinese and Asian market production at a new plant at Shanghai GM's Yantai complex built for Ultium will start slightly before Spring Hill starts Lyriq assembly for North America.
Following the public debut of the Lyriq show car at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, the production version was presented on April 21, 2021.
Batteries for both Yantai and Spring Hill production will be sourced from LG Chem, with Spring Hill initially getting pouch-type Ultium cells from an LG Chem plant in South Korea. This will be done until GM and LG Chem expand Spring Hill to accommodate Ultium battery production for both domestic use and exports to Mexico. According to Cadillac, all the interior components were newly designed for the Lyriq and no pre-existing GM parts were used.
The Lyriq was first delivered to American dealerships in the highest demand markets of New York, Los Angeles, and Detroit in the first week of July 2022.
Specifications
At debut, the Cadillac Lyriq is offered with a single motor driving the rear wheels. All-wheel drive is expected to follow later. The motor generates 340 hp (254 kW; 345 PS) and 325 lb⋅ft (441 N⋅m; 45 kg⋅m) torque. It is powered by a 100 kWh (360 MJ) battery with an estimated 300-mile (480 km) range. The battery supports Level 2 and DC fast charging.
Review
Overview
Cadillac's first entrant into the luxury electric vehicle market is the Lyriq SUV, which offers sharp styling and a modern cabin. Both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive models will be offered, the former offering up to 312 miles of range per charge. The Lyriq has been designed from the ground up to ride on General Motors' new scalable battery architecture which allows for DC fast charging as well as standard in-home connections for refilling the battery. Instead of going for outright performance, the Lyriq's road manners are more focused on comfort, quietness, and luxury. The cabin is tastefully designed and spacious for passengers, but the Lyriq's cargo space isn't as generous as rival SUVs.
2023 changes
Not only is Lyriq a brand-new nameplate for the American luxury brand, but it's also Cadillac's first all-electric offering. It's intended to go head to head with heavy hitters such as the Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace, and Tesla Model X.
EV motor and performance
The Lyriq comes standard in rear-wheel drive form with a 340-hp electric motor on the rear axle. With this entry-level setup, acceleration is adequate and the Lyriq feels responsive, but it lacks the powerful feeling we enjoy in rival SUVs such as the BMW iX and the Model X. At our test track, the rear-wheel drive Lyriq made it to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, which is fairly quick by mid-size SUV standards, but behind that of EV rivals. A 500-hp dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain is optional and adds a second motor at the front to drive those wheels. We haven't driven that model yet, but we expect to find its acceleration more exciting. The rest of the Lyriq's road manners will be a let-down to enthusiast drivers too. While its handling feels stable and competent, the Lyriq doesn't deliver much fun when pressed hard. Its steering is nicely weighted but lacks tactility and the same could be said of the brake pedal. Luckily, Cadillac has engineered an aggressive regenerative braking system that allows for one-pedal driving, so merely lifting off the accelerator pedal slows the vehicle quickly enough to avoid touching the brake pedal in most day-to-day driving scenarios. The ride is comfortable over smooth pavement but some may find the suspension to be a bit too firm over rougher stretches of road. When we have a chance to test the Lyriq's performance, we'll update this story with results from our test track.
Battery
General Motors is launching a line of new EV battery technology with the Lyriq called Ultium. The scalable technology allows the automaker to produce batteries that range in size from 50.0 kWh to 200 kWh, although the largest size is said to be reserved only for large EV pickup trucks such as the GMC Hummer EV SUT. The Lyriq's battery offers 102.0-kWh worth of capacity and offers an estimated driving range of up to 312 miles per charge in the single-motor model. In our highway range test, the Lyriq provided 270 miles of driving before needing to be recharged. Speaking of charging, DC fast charging capability is standard on all models and the Lyriq is also able to charge on home power outlets as well.
Interior
A rich-looking interior treatment gives the Lyriq an upscale flair. Metallic brightwork is intermingled with open-pore wood on the door panels and center console. A large storage tray on the floor between the driver and front passenger is lined with bright blue leather upholstery, which serves as a cheeky pop of color. Although the concept vehicle was shown with just four seats and a center console that divides the two front and two rear seats, with a touchscreen for the rear seat passengers, the production Lyriq has adopted a more traditional rear bench seat. The absence of a gasoline engine certainly helps create a quiet cabin, but the Lyriq also employs advanced noise cancellation technology to reduce road noise. The interior is spacious but the cargo room isn't as generous as in other SUVs and Cadillac hasn't integrated any storage under the hood.
The Lyriq's dashboard, like the Escalade's, is dominated by a giant, 33.0-inch curved advanced LED touchscreen that serves as both the SUV's infotainment system and the driver's gauge display. The infotainment system can also be controlled by a click wheel on the center console, a boon for drivers who aren't fond of touchscreens. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot are all standard features. A rich-sounding 19-speaker stereo system from the high-end audio experts at AKG comes on all models.
Pricing
The Lyriq's base price —an attractive $59,990—is for the single-motor Debut Edition model which comes with limited options. That model is sold out anyway, so instead we'd recommend springing for the 500-hp Dual Motor AWD model which also boasts a 3500-pound towing capacity.
Fuel economy
The EPA estimates that the rear-wheel drive Lyriq is good for 92 MPGe city and 82 MPGe highway. In our admittedly lead-footed hands, we recorded 72 MPGe in mixed driving. For more information about the Lyriq's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.
Gallery
