Everything We Know About The 2023 Lyriq–Cadillac’s First All-Electric Car
Due out this year, GM’s 2023 Cadillac Lyriq is a luxe electric counterpoint to the GMC Hummer EV.
Lyriq isn’t just Cadillac’s newest nameplate, but the brand’s first attempt at an all-electric vehicle. The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq boasts an exotic interior complimented by sharp exterior styling, and a battery pack with more than 300 miles of range.
The S Shape
The first peek at the Lyriq came in form of a sleek concept car in 2020. According to Cadillac, Lyriq comes as a reinterpretation of the automaker’s luxury philosophy for the 21st century. It’s not like we wanted to say it out loud, but Cadillac was indeed in need of a revamp. By the looks of it, Lyriq is up to the task.
Fortunately, the production-ready Lyriq did not stray too far away from the concept car. Its silhouette looks sharp and jaunty. The front fascia boasts some of the slimmest daylight running lights in the industry. The DRLs are part of a total of 736 LEDs placed all around the outside of the SUV.
The “black crystal” grille plays a custom lights animation when you lock and unlock the car. The sides are kept clean, with an involute curved surface styling the front and rear doors.
On the rear, L-shaped stoplights decorate the top half while another set of straight, dug-in stoplights decorate the lower half. The rear end pushes sharp edges all around but ends them with rounded features, allowing for beautiful light reflection show especially when driving under street lamps.
Re-Envisioning The Cadillac Interior
Interior features and design are where most Cadillac cars shine bright. Cystal Windham, Cadillac’s interior design director, stated that the cabin has undergone many changes from the concept phase. This was done to smooth out spaces and flatten surfaces.
Overall, the Lyriq cabin feels very airy, thanks to the floor-integrated battery pack. The glass roof comes standard and can be covered with an opaque attachment. Unlike other EVs, the large 33-inch horizontal screen is placed low to improve visibility. The OLED technology allows the screen to display information in a palette of 1 billion colors.
The Lyriq maintains traditional, physical multimedia buttons, making it easier to change tunes or adjust volume without taking your eyes off the road. HVAC vents are discreetly integrated below the wide screen and framed by white borders, contrasting against the upper part of the dashboard.
While the concept Lyriq came with a 4-seat configuration and a long central console splitting the sides, the production model adopted a more traditional rear bench configuration.
The Power
For the moment, only a RWD configuration is available with the Lyriq Debut Edition. Cadillac expects an AWD version to be available by the end of 2022, but no exact date or pricing have been officially announced.
The single electric motor powering the rear wheels pushes 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. However, given the Lyriq’s hefty 5,610-pound weight, it will probably not break any records in acceleration. The electric drivetrain of the Lyriq SUV is based on the Ultium platform, shared with the new GMC Hummer EV.
Power is drawn from a 100.4 kWh battery, which Cadillac estimates will offer 300 miles of range. Charging the battery is done via a standard 80A onboard charger, which adds roughly 55 miles per hour of charge. On a 190-kWh DC fast charger, the charge rate is increased to 200 miles of range every 30 minutes.
Tech Bits
It’s expected that the Cadillac Lyriq will come packed with tech features, especially drive assistance perks. Cadillac officially announced that the brand’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system will be available as option on the Lyriq.
We will have to wait a bit more to find out any particular specs and technologies available, especially in terms of infotainment, although elements such as multi-speaker premium audio paired with Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto are expected to be standard.
Pricing
Cadillac is pricing the first edition Lyriq at $59,990, which includes the destination charge, making it slightly cheaper than the $62,990 Model Y and the $65,900 Audi E-Tron, while also heavily surpassing the latter’s range of 222 miles per charge.
Keeping a close enough resemblance with the concept, sporting generous dimensions and a decent range, Cadillac Lyriq puts on a tough game for other luxury EVs.
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