See Cadillac’s latest EV, the Optiq
Detroit — Cadillac on Wednesday revealed its newest all-electric offering, the Optiq SUV — its entry-level EV that will hit dealer lots later this year with the goal of attracting new customers to the luxury brand.
Cadillac debuted the 2025 Optiq with an event to celebrate the opening of a Cadillac City Paris store as the brand pushes forward on its reentry into Europe. The Optiq will sell in more than 10 regions and be built at GM’s Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico starting late this fall. It will be priced starting around $54,000 North American customers. U.S. customers will also get access to the $7,500 federal tax credit, according to Cadillac.
The Optiq adds to Cadillac’s growing EV portfolio, which so far also includes the Lyriq SUV, halo Celestiq sedan and the coming Escalade IQ and Vistiq three-row SUVs. The EVs are supported by lineup of internal combustion engine products to give customers options. Cadillac leaders say the brand is committed to an all-electric future, but that doesn’t mean it will stop selling internal combustion engine products by 2030, as previously planned.
“We have an opportunity at General Motors to make sure that we’re always listening to the customer and making sure that their voices are heard in our choices on what we bring to market,” John Roth, vice president of global Cadillac, told reporters at an Optiq media event.
Roth said the brand’s EVs and internal combustion engine products “will coexist for a number of years. We want to make sure that we have that luxury of choice in the marketplace, and both will have an opportunity to meet the customer needs.”
That’s a shift from 2021, when Rory Harvey, former vice president of Cadillac sales, service and marketing, said on a media call for the Lyriq’s reveal that the brand “will be leaving this decade as an EV brand as things stand today, which means that we will not be selling ICE vehicles by 2030.”
GM has also shifted from going directly to only battery-electric vehicles for North American customers to bringing plug-in hybrids to market starting in 2027.
Sales of all-electric vehicles surpassed 1 million for the first time last year, but the growth rate has slowed. EV sales in the first quarter rose 2.6% year over year, but fell 15.2% from the fourth quarter, according to Cox Automotive.
But experts say the Optiq could still woo new and current Cadillac customers driving gas-powered products or persuade Tesla Inc. customers to change brands.
Cox found in its 2024 Path to EV Adoption Study that there will be a “significant” second wave of shoppers considering EVs in the later part of the decade. The survey found that as the charging network expands and EV prices moderate, 54% of skeptics will consider an EV within three to five years. And, within the next 10 years, 80% of skeptics will be ready to consider an EV.
“There’s definitely luxury EV buyers,” said Sam Abuelsamid, principal e-mobility analyst at market research firm Guidehouse Inc. “A lot of them have already bought EVs, but those luxury buyers also tend to buy new cars every two or three years. There’s an opportunity for conquest sales, especially from people that bought Teslas … there’s absolutely an opportunity for brands like Cadillac right now to grab people.”
The Optiq will be Cadillac’s fourth EV based on GM’s new Ultium platform, coming to market after the Escalade IQ hits dealer lots this summer. The first electric Cadillac was the Lyriq, which had a bumpy launch but has since seen sales increase. In its launch year, 2022, U.S. Cadillac dealers sold only 122 Lyriqs. Sales hit 9,154 last year and 5,800 in this year’s first quarter alone.
“Consumers are interested in Lyriq, and we’re seeing the growth and the performance that we expect out of the brand,” Roth said at the Optiq media event.
As the entry-point to the brand, the Optiq is meant to begin a customer’s journey through Cadillac’s EV offerings.
“You have to have a vehicle that’s as fun and athletic and sporty as Optiq in the marketplace, and then you have to have that next vehicle in the lineup that allows consumers, as they move through their journey of life, have those choices to move through the brand,” Roth said.
After the IQ and the Optiq, the three-row Vistiq SUV will go on sale early next year.
“In order to grow electric vehicle sales, we need expansions in different segments,” said Stephanie Brinley, S&P Global associate director of auto intelligence.
“People want choice in size, they want choice in price and, to a degree, choice in feature availability, as well.”
Performance offerings
Cadillac will launch the Optiq in a standard dual-motor, all-wheel drive form with a 6-inch shorter wheelbase from its Lyriq sibling. The Optiq comes with an 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This propulsion system gives the SUV a Cadillac-estimated 300 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of instant torque.
“With near-instantaneous torque, OPTIQ delivers a unique and spirited driving experience. The Ultium Platform allows us to fit enough muscle into a smaller package to provide a thrilling performance, delivering a sensation of isolated precision,” said John Cockburn, chief engineer, in a statement.
At full charge, the Optiq offers a Cadillac-estimated 300 miles of range and DC fast charging can add up to 79 miles of range in about 10 minutes, according to the brand.
The Optiq has “Regen on Demand,” a braking feature that gives the driver the ability to slow down or stop the vehicle with a paddle on the steering wheel. One-pedal driving is also available on the Optiq, allowing the driver to slow or stop the vehicle using just the accelerator.
The Optiq has these drive mode options: Tour for everyday driving, Sport for enhanced road driving, Snow/Ice to prevent wheel spin and My Mode to personalize driving with adjustable braking responsiveness and steering feel.
The Optiq will be offered in Luxury or Sport trims.
Design and tech features
The SUV’s exterior design includes a fixed-glass roof and a black crystal grille with Cadillac’s vertical signature lighting that greets the driver with a choregraphed lighting sequence.
On the inside, drivers will immediately notice the vehicle’s 33-inch diagonal advanced display screen.
Optiq interior designers used patterned accent fabric woven from yarn that was made from 100% recycled materials. The Optiq’s PaperWood veneer is made up of equal parts of tulip wood and recycled newspaper.
“It’s got a good design … there’s elements of the design that will stand apart from competitors,” said Abuelsamid, noting the competitors include Hyundai Motor Co.’s Genesis GV70 EV, Volkswagen AG’s Audi Q4 e-Tron and Honda Motor Co.’s Acura ZDX.
The new SUV will come standard with Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free driving service, adaptive cruise control, blind zone steering, enhanced automatic parking and forward collision alert.
Like GM’s other new EVs, the Optiq has Google Built-In compatibility for its infotainment experience.
khall@detroitnews.com
@bykaleahall
