It’ll shock no one that brands are currently getting amped up for an all-electric future, charging ahead with plans to help their customers bring ohm an electric car. Our Earth Day series continues…
Cadillac is going all-in with electrification, and the new Lyriq is the first step in their journey to binning the brand’s internal combustion engines.
Available next year, the crossover-style Lyriq will have a 100 kWh battery pack and a single electric motor, providing rear-wheel drive and an estimated 340 horsepower. Range will approach 500 kilometres when the batteries are fully charged.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq
Exterior styling draws heavily from the concept car shown last year, save for a few minor concessions to production realities such as a down-to-earth standard 20-inch wheel size.
Designers have worked to create a new take on the existing Cadillac design language, creating a dramatic style that sets something of a new direction for the company.
That black crystal grille manages to look distinctly Cadillac while also offering something new, and its lighting signatures are said to react in a welcome pattern when it senses the driver approaching with its proximity key. Cadillac claims the truly vertical lamps are an industry first.
Cadillac’s highly regarded Super Cruise will be available as an option, permitting the hands-free driver-assistance technology at the fore of Cadillac’s EV efforts.
The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq will offer one-pedal driving, Regen on Demand and a gonzo 33-inch LED display.
As part of the EV experience, Lyriq can be piloted with one-pedal driving, a feature refined on other GM electric cars and part of Cadillac’s new ‘Regen on Demand’ system. With it, drivers can control how quickly the car comes to a stop using a pressure-sensitive paddle on the steering wheel. Regenerative braking, of course, also harvests electricity and dumps it back into the battery.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq
Inside, the Lyriq shares some of its design with the gonzo new Escalade, including a 33-inch diagonal LED display that spans nearly the width of the car.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq
A 19-speaker audio system with headrest speakers is on tap. It’ll not escape your notice that Lyriq features a Mercedes-style gear lever mounted on the steering column instead of the console-mounted stick currently found in many of its products.
Cadillac has stated an intention to “leave the decade as an EV brand”
During the Lyriq’s online introduction with journalists, Rory Harvey, Vice President (Global) Cadillac did explicitly say the brand plans to stop selling internal combustion engines by 2030.
As for what else is in Cadillac’s electric hopper, noise was also made that a two-motor all-wheel drive Lyriq is coming and will be marketed as a performance variant. If Cadillac wants to bring the goods against the likes of Tesla, they will need to offer this option.
In Canada, Lyriq will be priced at $69,898. Customers may place order reservations beginning in September 2021, with initial availability starting the first half of 2022.
Happy Earth Day!
According to Cadillac, specific Cadillac knurling is etched on all LYRIQ components, emphasizing the idea of high design, even in the smallest of areas.
