If you talk to the developers of the Cadillac Lyriq, you can clearly see how proud they are of the youngest offspring. A luxurious electric crossover that, according to its own statements, can, wants and must easily compete with the best of its kind - this has been a long time awaited. The enemy image of international competition is extremely indifferent. On the one hand, the Lyriq, as a noble offshoot from General Motors, squints over to models such as the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo or an Audi E-Tron GT, but the Tesla Model X or a BMW iX were also the inspiration when it came to the qualities of the Cadillac Lyriq went.
It's chic, imposing and not as dominant as you know it from other Cadillac models. The mighty front is a real staging and the C-pillar together with the rear end and glass lid are not only remotely reminiscent of the Jensen Interceptor. The visual retro excursion gets better and better with repeated eye contact. You also get used to the narrow LED lighting units at the front and rear – which are a bit strange at first – more quickly than you might think. Inside the five-meter-long crossover, things are classy and emphatically American. Front and rear, the occupants sit on the leather armchairs very comfortably and with a moderate American contour. At the front, the sound not only comes from 17 speakers distributed everywhere, but from the two slightly curved headrests. At the back, these are too small and the headroom due to the slightly sloping roof is more manageable than leg and shoulder room. The occupants look at a massive 33-inch instrument display that makes most European command centers look like a clock radio from the 1980s. For a 3.10 meter long wheelbase, the space is not enormous, but the cargo space holds 790 to 1,720 liters.
The Lyriq is finally another really cool car from Cadillac. Officially it is intended for North America, but there should be little doubt that the GM offshoot will soon be offering the electric hope in Asia and Europe. However, this is likely to last until 2024 - also because the sales volumes for 2023 in the USA alone have already been exhausted. For the base price of around 60,000 euros, there is solid standard equipment and an electric motor on the rear axle that delivers 250 kW / 340 hp and 440 Nm maximum torque. This means that the American, weighing over 2.5 tons, is neither in the first nor in the second row when it comes to dynamics, because 600, 800 or over 1,000 hp are now just columns of numbers racing by.
Behind the wheel, the Cadillac Lyriq presents itself as a relaxing cruiser. No brutal thrust that presses you into the seats, no wild leaps in numbers in the digital display, but an impression that is as confident as it is casual. The suspension is very comfortable in both driving modes and even on the shattered country road, the Lyriq does not lose its composure over transverse joints and railway sleepers. The steering could be more direct and give more feedback, especially in the more committed Sport mode. Since there is no rear-axle steering, the turning circle of the five-meter colossus is not small at 12.1 meters. In fast passages there is no direct connection to the road, because here the Lyriq wobbles and nods significantly more than some European competitors. The level of recuperation can be adjusted via the left-hand steering wheel pedal and the oversized digital display or the head-up display can be used to marvel at what results in a driving style with restrained gas foot. The American should cover up to 500 kilometers before it goes to the next charging station for the 100 kWh battery pack. Here you can refuel with up to 190 kilowatts at a fast charging station or 19.2 kW at your home wall box. In the all-wheel drive version, this should be reduced to less than twelve kilowatts.
If you want more dynamics, you should not be satisfied with the 250 kW / 340 hp basic rear-wheel drive, but wait a few more months before the around 500 hp all-wheel drive rolls onto the US market at prices starting at 64,000 US dollars. Production will initially take place exclusively at the Cadillac main plant in Spring Hill / Tennessee. Cadillac has invested two billion US dollars to convert production to electric models. Another $2.3 billion will be invested in a new battery cell plant in Spring Hill by Ultium Cells LLC, the joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution. This is also where the battery packs of its big brother come from - it was presented last week with the electric luxury sedan Cadillac Celestiq.
