Cadillac wants you to know that what you saw can be — sometimes — what you ultimately get as it introduced its first-ever fully electric model, the Lyriq, that looks remarkably unchanged from the concept vehicle shown less than a year ago.
The two-row utility vehicle is almost identical to the concept revealed after a pandemic-related delay last August. The changes that were implemented are too subtle to notice. The new model was once again described as the “cornerstone” of the brand’s shift to an all-electric portfolio.
The new crossover utility, which will seat five people, is actually ahead of schedule, Cadillac officials revealed during an early background webinar, with engineers and designers essentially just taking care of last-minute details. The vehicle, according to Jamie Brewer, Lyriq’s chief engineer, is set to go into production early in the first quarter of 2022.
Lyriq will be produced at General Motors plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The former home of its Saturn subsidiary is in the midst of a $2 billion renovation to handle production of the new EV. The company will begin taking reservations for the Lyriq in September with deliveries expected to begin next summer.
Lyriq specs
The luxury ute is a two-row vehicle capable of carrying five adults. There are no plans to add a third row, officials noted, despite the fact that at least one competitor, Tesla’s Model Y, does offer an optional third row.
Andrew Smith, executive director of Cadillac Design, suggested that there are “better” vehicles for carrying around that many people without specifically suggesting the brand’s large SUV, the Cadillac Escalade.
The initial vehicle comes equipped with a 12-module, 100 kilowatt-hour battery pack and a rear-wheel-drive Ultium Platform deliver a Cadillac estimated 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. It will also travel more than 300 miles on a full charge, although the final EPA-approved numbers haven’t been determined.
A full charge will take you reasonably far, but more importantly, it won’t take you too long to add miles. Lyriq can be charged using high-speed fast charging stations at 190 kW, and offers a segment-leading 19.2 kW charging module, which can add up to 52 miles of range per hour of charge, according to officials.
Additionally, the ute features one-pedal driving and the company’s next generation of Regen on Demand, which allows drivers to control how fast the vehicle slows down using a pressure-sensitive paddle on the steering wheel. This helps to maximize the impact of regenerative braking.
