2023 Cadillac Lyriq is Almost Here

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai
2023 cadillac lyriq is almost here

Today the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq made its production debut. If this is the highlight of a century of innovation, what’s Cadillac been doing the rest of the time? Cadillac’s luxury electric SUV is starting a new era ahead of schedule. You can place your order in September for a 2022 first-half delivery.

“The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq’s stunning design and technology combined with GM’s Ultium Platform will deliver a high-performance luxury experience unlike anything that has come before it,” said Rory Harvey, vice president, Cadillac.

Lyriq’s Ultium Platform features a 12-module, 100 kW-hour battery pack, and a rear-wheel drive. Lyriq will have an estimated 340 horsepower, 440 Nm of torque, and a range of 300+ miles. What about recharging? Lyriq’s 190 kW high-speed DC fast charging at public stations will add about 76 miles of range in 10 minutes of charging. Lyriq’a 19.2 kW charging module will add up to 52 miles of range per hour of charge at home.

“Thanks to the Ultium Platform that powers Lyriq, along with advanced virtual development tools, Cadillac has been able to accelerate development and put more miles on prototypes sooner than expected,” said Jamie Brewer, Lyriq chief engineer. “It’s exciting to see our objectives realized on the road, and it means we are on track to bring this electric luxury vehicle to customers nine months earlier than originally planned.”

Electric driving efficiency is maximized through the use of regenerative braking. With Regen on Demand, you control how quickly the vehicle slows or comes to a complete stop using a pressure-sensitive steering wheel paddle.

Other features include a 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED display with over 1 billion colors. For comparison, the 27-inch iMac I’m using supports a billion colors. Crank up the AKG Studio 19-speaker audio system. Cadillac’s Active Noise Cancellation keeps out unwanted sounds, just as its KeyPass digital vehicle access deters bad guys.

The otherwise clean and simple interior has laser-etched patterns through wood over metal, something never before done and maybe won’t be again. An imposing LED screen is the focus, with other parts included.

Slim-line LED headlamps have a choreographed lighting sequence. Choreographed lights at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel are part of this vast fountain with water jets, a truly spectacular display. The Lyriq’s headlights aren’t going to be all that impressive.

Twenty-inch split six-spoke alloy wheels are standard, with 22-inch split-spoke, reverse rim alloy wheels as an option. Two exterior colors are the only choices, satin steel or stellar black metallic. Sky cool gray or noir are the interior colors. If Lyriq sells like Cadillac thinks they will, you’re going to see a whole lot of the same steel or black SUVs everywhere.

Another option is Super Cruise, what Cadillac calls their hands-free driver-assistance for compatible roads. Which roads and where? No comparison was made between the Lyriq and Tesla’s autonomy.

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq will be produced at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly plant in the first quarter of 2022. The Lyriq starts at $59,990. Don’t groan, because after all, somebody’s got to pay for all this high-technology. By the way, GM is investing $2 billion to support electric vehicle production. Another $2.3 billion will go towards a battery cell manufacturing plant by Ultium Cells LLC, the joint venture between GM and LG Energy Solution.

[Images: Cadillac]

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  • Jeff S Jeff S on Apr 22, 2021

    I like it and for its price it is competitive. I was expecting this to be 100k which would not be competitive but at just below 60k this could be the vehicle that sets Cadillac on a path to success. I have never considered a Cadillac before but I could if this vehicle is reliable.

  • DIYer DIYer on Mar 25, 2022

    On I-696 near Detroit, saw a Lyriq with manufacturer's plates on a flatbed, probably headed for the GM Tech center. It didn't look anything like the artist's renderings in the article, it most closely resembled a Chevy Cruze hatchback with fake front fender louver vents.

  • Lou_BC "Owners of affected Wrangles" Does a missing "r" cancel an extra stud?
  • Slavuta One can put a secret breaker that will disable the starter or spark plug supply. Even disabling headlights or all lights will bring more trouble to thieves than they wish for. With no brake lights, someone will hit from behind, they will leave fingerprints inside. Or if they steal at night, they will have to drive with no lights. Any of these things definitely will bring attention.I remember people removing rotor from under distributor cup.
  • Slavuta Government Motors + Government big tech + government + Federal police = fascist surveillance state. USSR surveillance pales...
  • Johnster Another quibble, this time about the contextualization of the Thunderbird and Cougar, and their relationship to the prestigious Continental Mark. (I know. It's confusing.) The Thunderbird/Mark IV platform introduced for the 1971 model year was apparently derived from the mid-sized Torino/Montego platform (also introduced for the 1971 model year), but should probably be considered different from it.As we all know, the Cougar shared its platform with the Ford Mustang up through the 1973 model year, moving to the mid-sized Torino/Montego platform for the 1974 model year. This platform was also shared with the failed Ford Gran Torino Elite, (introduced in February of 1974, the "Gran Torino" part of the name was dropped for the 1975 and 1976 model years).The Thunderbird/Mark series duo's separation occurred with the 1977 model year when the Thunderbird was downsized to share a platform with the LTD II/Cougar. The 1977 model year saw Mercury drop the "Montego" name and adopt the "Cougar" name for all of their mid-sized cars, including plain 2-doors, 4-doors and and 4-door station wagons. Meanwhile, the Cougar PLC was sold as the "Cougar XR-7." The Cougar wagon was dropped for the 1978 model year (arguably replaced by the new Zephyr wagon) while the (plain) 2-door and 4-door models remained in production for the 1978 and 1979 model years. It was a major prestige blow for the Thunderbird. Underneath, the Thunderbird and Cougar XR-7 for 1977 were warmed-over versions of the failed Ford Elite (1974-1976), while the Mark V was a warmed-over version of the previous Mark IV.
  • Stuart de Baker This is depressing, and I don't own one of these.
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