Launching from 0-to-60 in about 6.5 seconds, the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq is reasonably quick, but certainly no match for the luxury brand’s gas-powered models, like the new CT5-V Blackwing — nor does it come close to the numbers of some competing battery-electric vehicles, including the mainstream Ford Mustang Mach-E GT which can hit 60 in barely half that time.
Cadillac has long positioned performance as a cornerstone of its brand identity, even adding a new “V” version of the big Escalade SUV this year. So, with plans to go 100% electric by 2030, it might seem like a high-power version of the Lyriq — and other Caddy BEVs to come — would be an immediate priority.
You’d be wrong. While there eventually will be all-electric “V” models, the first likely won’t make it into showrooms until close to mid-decade, several Cadillac officials told TheDetroitBureau.com during the first media drive of the Lyriq in Park City, Utah this week.
The wait won’t be “forever,” promised Kristen Lewis, the marketing manager for General Motors’ flagship brand, but it is by no means a top priority right now.
Making change
While Cadillac previously offered a plug-in hybrid, the XTS, the Lyriq is its first all-electric model and, according to Lewis, is already sold out for the 2023 model year. Other BEVs are in the works, Caddy earlier this month teasing an exotic model it has dubbed the Celestiq. Few details have been revealed, though it is set to challenge the likes of super-premium brands like Rolls-Royce, according to brand vice president Rory Harvey.
Industry analysts expect Celestiq to go on sale during the second half of 2023 — at the earliest — and Harvey told TheDetroitBureau.com it has priority over a possible Lyriq V.
And other new models could be squeezed in, as well, GM officials doing nothing to deny that an all-electric version of the full-size Escalade is now under development.
“It’s a matter of balance,” said Sam Abuelsamid, principal auto analyst with Guidehouse Insights. “They need to get their basic (new EV) products done and executed well” before focusing on performance editions that will demand a significant amount of design and engineering resources.
Not the company’s only EV line-up
Complicating matters, parent GM needs to spread its manpower and technical resources over three other brands: Chevrolet, Buick and GMC, that are also racing to bring new battery-electric vehicles to market. Chevy alone has confirmed upcoming BEV versions of the Equinox and Blazer SUVs, the Corvette sports car and the Silverado pickup. All told, it plans to have 30 all-electric models on sale by 2025.
With the possible exception of the electric Corvette, “The high-performance models aren’t going to be the big sellers,” said analyst Abuelsamid. “They want the big volume and they want to make sure what they get out there is right. They can’t afford to sully their reputation,” as happened when GM was forced to recall nearly 150,000 Chevy Bolt EVs due to a risk of battery fires.
Cadillac’s go-slow approach contrasts the strategy of some key luxury competitors. The Mercedes-AMG EQS punches out 658 hp, exactly twice the power of the base model, and enough to hit 60 in 3.4 seconds. Lucid’s debut version of the new Air Dream sedan tops 1,100 horsepower and will hit 60 in barely 2 seconds — about the same as the Tesla Model S Plaid.
Now, potential BEV buyers shouldn’t dismiss the new Cadillac Lyriq as a slouch. With the ability to generate 100% of its torque all but instantaneously, “There’s more than enough (power) for most drivers,” said Caddy marketing chief Lewis.
And where the initial, rear-drive model makes 340 hp, a twin-motor all-wheel-drive variant bumping that to 550 hp will follow early next year.
But there’s significantly more potential using the “Ultium” battery drive technology that GM has developed, said analyst Abuelsamid. A three-motor drivetrain in the new GMC Hummer EV tops 1,000 hp and, despite weighing in at just over 9,000 pounds, it can hit 60 in 3 seconds.
Few would be surprised if Cadillac doesn’t package a three-motor system in future models. That’s something that brand officials won’t confirm — but they also take pains not to deny.
So, even though it may take time to catch up, there is little doubt that the genes of Cadillac’s vaunted V-Series will remain part of the brand DNA long-term.
