The Cadillac Lyriq may not get quite as much of the EV spotlight as the GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV lineup, but the electrified Cadillac will still play a prominent role in the brand’s plans to bring the fight to a growing pool of luxury EV rivals. Cadillac recently gave us the opportunity to have some brief seat time in a late-stage Lyriq prototype last summer, and we came away impressed with some of its interior features and the Ultium battery technology. It has been a while since we have heard any new Lyriq news, but the brand has released a new video hinting that the launch of the Lyriq CUV is moving well ahead of schedule.
Cadillac Pulling Out All The Stops To Make Lyriq Right For Consumers
In a brief statement that accompanied today’s video release, GM revealed that nearly all of the components and features of the Lyriq crossed the 80 percent validation barrier which is a key sign that GM has worked out the bulk of the development gremlins. But the Lyriq didn’t get to that mark by resting on the beach drinking a cold bottle of Corona, it had to prove itself through grueling testing.
This grueling evaluation circuit took place on a global scale, with GM engineers taking prototypes to multiple locations. That included real-world driving on snow, gravel, and ice-filled roads at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds in Wanaka, New Zealand. GM claims that the goal was to create “Isolated Precision” which is thankfully not what once defined “Isolated” in 1980s and 1990s era Cadillacs where floaty suspensions and equally isolated steering defined the norm. Here, look for state-of-the-art suspension and sensors to deliver a plush ride experience while still being dynamic enough for sporty driving if the need arises.
As for what’s next, it appears that the next phase of evaluation work will take place in the interior, with interior engineers working to help finalize some of the revolutionary screen-based technology and luxury features that aim to coddle passengers on their daily commute. Getting this side of the coin right is just as important as the mechanicals since the interior is where the customer will spend the bulk of their time in and failing to get certain components fine-tuned could result in a bad customer experience.
First Customers Will Get Their Chance Later This Year
A welcome benefit of the rapidly progressing testing program is that customers will get their chance to own a Lyriq eight months early, with the first models making their way to buyers early next year. That’s an improvement over the last arrival date we got from Cadillac with the brand saying in 2020 that the Lyriq was originally going to be ready later in 2022.
The first models that will leave the factory will be Lyriq Debut Editions which will roughly follow the same spearhead strategy that the Edition 1 Hummer EV will bring to GMC. These examples will be powered by a rear-mounted electric motor that’s good for 340 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. The combination is also good for 300 miles of range between charges which will allow GM to hit the vaunted 300-mile barrier. A 100 kWh Ultium battery pack provides the juice but will require an overnight charge to get it back up to 100 percent if you use the standard 11.5 kW home charger. But Cadillac has prepared for this, and will an optional 19.2-kW onboard charger that can get the battery filled up in six hours.
Unlike other GM EV vehicles that will be built at GM’s Factory Zero plant, the Lyriq will be built at the company’s Spring Hill, Tennessee plant which will also be responsible for batteries and five other Cadillac badged EVs that will appear by 2025. That’s certainly a massive shift from Spring Hill’s early days as being ground zero for the axed Saturn brand, but look for the plant’s innovative history to bleed over to these Cadillac models.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.