It is usually the best of the best when it is referred to as the Cadillac of its category. For a long time, Cadillac was the only American brand willing to go toe-to-toe with the German brands. Ask your family members. The Detroit automaker has become synonymous with style, class, and excellence as a result of winning the battle against those brands.
The Cadillac is an electric vehicle. It's similar to the word "lyric." Is the brand's first EV a good one? It does, because it is a Caddy. What a dumb question. It is the best of the best.
It is the best of the best.
Does it make sense to expect a world-class EV from Cadillac right away? The first electric vehicle from a brand is supposed to be the start of things to come. It can be a bit rough around the edges, serving as a mix of ideas and concepts that may not be fully realized.
The Cadillac Lyriq is a glimpse into the future of the brand. It is comfortable but not sporty. Cadillac has already said that the 2023 model is sold out, but that is the bitter truth for most electric vehicles.
TheLyriq is a long-legged, compellingly priced, sumptuously appointed EV draped with enough high tech features to make anyTesla owner reconsider their life choices.
My car needs to be driven and charged.
I took the Lyriq on a 350 mile road trip through New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey after 10 days of owning it. I used it for a lot of normal driver things. The kids put their shoes on the upholstery. During my testing, the temperature was cold but not so cold that it would degrade the battery.
The drive quality was perfect, smooth, quiet, and full of hustle. It was my first Ultium experience, and I found it to be pleasant. The roads of various surface quality are easy to navigate with the help of the lyriq. I had a single- motor RWD that had better range but not as much power as the dual- motor all-wheel drive Lyriq that is expected to go on sale next year.
The drive quality was perfect, smooth, quiet, and full of hustle.
The performance of the EV was good, but it wasn't like a Performance-equippedTesla. The RWD motor is comparable to other RWD EV's in terms of power and Torque. The version that will come out next year will have 500hp and 450lb-ft of Torque.
It was a shame that the Lyriq didn't have Super Cruise. After the first over-the-air software update rolls out, GM will not be giving the hands-free highway driving assistant to me. It's possible to get Super Cruise in the Chevy Bolt EV.
The first Cadillac to be built on GM's new flexible Ultium architecture is the Lyriq, which is being used to power the automaker's next- generation lineup of EV. The road on those gravelly back roads was so full of the Lyriq that it gripped it. When you consider that the Lyriq is a whole 12 inches shorter and 15 inches more compact than the Escalade, it makes sense that it is in between the two. It is similar to the BMW iX and AUDI E-tron.
You want to know where the extra girth is hidden. It was in the battery. The electrons percolating under those floorboards are similar to the ones from the German brands. Nearly 90 percent of the battery pack wiring is eliminated when the Ultium battery electronics are incorporated directly into the modules.
I averaged 2.7 miles per kWh in my 350 mile road trip with the Lyriq, which should give me 275.4 miles of range. You can get efficiency ratings for up to three trips. I think you can get from slower, less complicated driving to the estimated range of 312 miles. After a 190 mile jaunt on highways and backroads, the battery dropped to 22 percent.
There are over 100kWh of electrons percolating under those floorboards.
I won't regale you with another tale of non-Tesla EV charging failure and regret, except to note that theLyriq's fast-charging capabilities sound great on paper, but seeing it in action took a bit of work.
It took almost 40 minutes with a maximum charging rate of 83 kilowatts to go from 49 percent to 80 percent on the battery. Another DC fast-charging experience took nearly two hours with a maximum charging rate of 80 kilowatts. The Lyriq can charge up to 190 kilowatts, but I was not able to find a charging station that could deliver such speeds.
Most owners are likely to charge their vehicle from a Level 2 home charging station. It takes five hours to get it to a full charge.
Like a diamond, shine bright.
Maybe you have noticed, but EV headlights can be pretty weird: pixelated light squares, cheap plastic light bars, whatever Musk was thinking with the Cybertruck. Designers are throwing stuff around to see what sticks in the front of the vehicle.
The thing about Cadillac is that it works. Many Cadillac grilles look like a sheer cliffside, but the diamond-cut pattern on the faux grille is unique and flattering. The main lines are supposed to evoke a checkered flag, but I didn't see it. Other unique grille patterns are being worked on by Cadillac.
Unlike many Cadillac grilles that look like a sheer cliffside, the diamond-cut pattern on the faux grille is flattering.
The rear lights reach up and along the side of the vehicle until they are in close proximity to the C pillar. The advantage of this trick is that it makes the lyriq more visible. The red lights illuminate the back of the vehicle if the vehicle is locked or unlocked.
There is a logo at the center. It took me a second to realize that the logo was the one on the license plate. The trunk opens automatically if you press it. It's not a bad quirk and feature.
The Lyriq is the same size as the Cadillac XT5 and has 22-inch wheels. Its hood line makes it feel like a longer car. The lack of front storage space will be a disappointment to all the lovers out there.
I want to go to the door handles. I don't know why Cadillac chose these door handles. The paddles make the vehicle more aerodynamic. Push the paddle and pull the door open with an L shaped part below the window. It is clear that some of the designs in the shift to electrification are over thinking. You're stuck with the weird handle because there's no phone-based locking orunlock mechanism.
The visibility from the driver's seat was good, but I wish the rear end of the Lyriq wouldn't slope down at such an angle. If it wasn't for the rear windshield being squat, it would be taller. It wasn't hard to see out the back, but I wanted more. The panoramic glass roof gave the greenhouse a helping hand. The glass roof made it look like there were levels of headroom.
The interior is warm and welcoming. There is more room for a center console in the absence of a transmission tunnel. There is a neat little drawer that pops out above the storage area that is lined in blue leather.
The glass roof lent it that appearance, even though there were no levels of headroom.
Some of the ports are in awkward places. You can put your phone in the center console slot to charge it. If you have a cover on your phone, it makes it hard to get it out, even though it is more secure. People don't want to have to fight over the phone charging slot in their car.
The cargo space behind the rear seats of the Lyriq is 28 square feet, and the space behind the folded seats is 6 square feet. Average for an electric SUV. There is plenty of room for carry-on bags, boxes, or large items in the cargo area. There is an additional compartment under the floor of the cargo area that can be used for charging equipment.
We are going to the part where I gush about the screen. It is a big first impression. There is a large amount of floatingLEDInfotainment. It stretches the entire length of the dashboard pillar to pillar. There are three different displays, the main display, the instrument cluster, and a small display to the left of the instrument cluster.
The user experience wasn't as good as it could have been. While not as ostentatious as Mercedes' Hyperscreen experience, it still required too much scrolling and searching for it not to distract some drivers. It's recommended to orient yourself before you start driving, find the features you're likely to use most, and do your best to build that muscle memory right out of the gate.
Maps, Assistant, and the Play Store were integrated into Cadillac's media player. I preferred the big full-screen navigation of the native Google Maps in theLyriq. I was able to do work from my laptop during a couple of lengthy charging sessions, but there was a line of physical buttons underneath the screen that I had to use. You enjoy seeing it.
The user experience wasn't as good as it could have been.
It took me a full minute to figure it out but I liked it. There is a knob on the center console that allows you toggling between the menu on the display without using your fingers. A silver scroll wheel is used for volume control. The material was similar to the knobs on the vent. It is comforting to have a lot of knobs and buttons in an EV.
The seats of the Lyriq were comfortable and included massage functions. The sound system in the car has speakers in the headrest. There are dime shaped speakers above your head that you can use to speak. There is a person named Google assistant. It worked well for navigation, but didn't have the ability to control the vehicle's heating and cooling system.
The luxury EV market is a good place to start. At a starting price of $62,990 for the RWD version, it certainly makes a strong case for itself when compared to more expensive offerings from BMW, Mercedes, andTesla.
Will you be able to find a lyriq for that price? Absolutely not. The cheapest EV is selling above its asking price. It is best not to think that you will be able to drive your brand-new sticker-price Lyriq off the lot in the future.
Reservations are being accepted for the 2024 model. You might want to consider a BMW iX, a Genesis G80, or a Mercedes-Benz EQE if you can't wait. It's time to get in line if the Lyriq sounds good to you.
Andrew J.
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