CarBrandLogos archive · Cadillac · 2022

CadillacLyriq

The electric car meant to make a 120-year-old luxury brand mean something again.

Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0

The story

A defining chapter in Cadillac history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Cadillac Lyriq, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Cadillac Lyriq, South San Francisco, California

Origins

The Lyriq was the first vehicle in Cadillac's shift to an all-electric range, and the first Cadillac built on General Motors' Ultium battery architecture. Production began at Spring Hill, Tennessee, in May 2022, with a parallel line in Shanghai for the Chinese market.

Cadillac Lyriq, South San Francisco, California · Mliu92 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

The design, led by Magalie Debellis, deliberately avoided the aggression of Cadillac's recent sedans. It is a long, low-slung mid-size crossover with a closed-off front panel lit from within, a fastback roofline and a cabin dominated by a single curved 33-inch display running from ahead of the driver across the centre of the dash. Rear-drive single-motor and all-wheel-drive dual-motor versions are offered.

Cadillac Lyriq L233 Oxford Stone · Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0

In production

What distinguishes it from most electric crossovers is restraint: the ride is deliberately soft, the interior materials are the most convincing Cadillac has fitted in decades, and there is no attempt to chase acceleration figures in the base car. Reviews were markedly warmer than for anything Cadillac had launched in years, and the Lyriq established the naming pattern and design language now carried by the Optiq, Vistiq and the electric Escalade IQ.

Cadillac Lyriq L233 Oxford Stone · Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

2022–present

Designer

Magalie Debellis

Body

5-door SUV

Technical specification

The Lyriq, in detail.

Production: May 2022 – present ; 2022–present (China)
Class: Mid-size luxury crossover SUV
Body style: 5-door SUV
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout; Rear-motor, rear-wheel drive ; All-wheel drive; Dual-motor, all-wheel drive
Designer: Magalie Debellis
Assembly: United States: Spring Hill, Tennessee (Spring Hill Manufacturing) ; China: Shanghai (SAIC-GM)
Manufacturer: Cadillac (General Motors)