By Jeff Gilbert, WWJ AutoBeat Reporter
(WWJ) There has never been a Cadillac like the Lyriq.
It's the first part of a wave of Cadillac electric vehicles. Overall, it's an awesome vehicle, and a big step into the future for a brand that--to many people--represents an era of big cars, fins, and over-the-top styling.
The world has changed. So has Cadillac.
Tesla has replaced BMW as the benchmark, as Cadillac tries to appeal to a new, and different generation of car buyers.
"They've been waiting for a luxury vehicle to come to market, something that has the touch and the feel and the elegance that a luxury buyer expects," said Kristin Lewis, marketing manager for Cadillac's first electric vehicle, the Lyriq.
Neither Lewis nor any other GM exec specifically mentioned Tesla as they took media on a deep-dive of the Lyriq. But they are no longer talking about precision handling and trying to be the ultimate driving machine. They are trying to show the world you can have lots of luxury amenities and technologies in an EV that gets over 300 miles of range on a single charge.
GM seeks to be all-EV, and Cadillac's mission these days is to be the first brand to reach that goal.
"Cadillac is the crown jewel," said GM's Director of Electrification Strategy Tim Grewe.
GM taking us to Park City, Utah to drive the Lyriq on windy mountain roads and hilly freeways.
The six thousand foot elevation is breathtaking, and the vehicle's design comes close.
It has elegant looks, sticking with Cadillac's general theme, but making it look more modern, more sleek, without coming off like a science project.
"Lyriq represents a clean sheet design that sets the standard for the future of Cadillac," said Cadillac Design Director Andrew Smith. "We wanted to give the vehicle a face, making sure it looks distinctly Cadillac."
Inside is where Cadillac can do things that no EV startup can compete with. Cadillac knows how to do interiors, and the Lyriq interior shines.
The 33 inch LED display is probably the most beautiful that I've seen. Cadillac says it's capable of emitting over a billion colors. In the real world, it may actually be able to do too much, possibly confusing the driver a bit, but there is no question that it's awesome.
Seats are comfortable, massaging, as well as heated and cooled. Things are generally well laid out.
It took a lot of work to get this vehicle to market ahead of the original plan.
"It's exciting to see our objectives realized on the road," says Jamie Brewer the Lyriq's chief engineer. "It means we are on track to bring this pioneering electric luxury vehicle to customers nine months earlier than originally planned."
But hurrying-up meant some sacrifices needed to be made, and -- if you look closely -- you can see them.
Heads up displays, where info is projected on the screen in front of you, have become a big part of luxury vehicles. You can't get one in the Lyriq. It was sacrificed to speed-to-market.
There is no frunk (front trunk). Again, the engineering time needed to create something like this would have delayed the launch.
And you can see a few areas where high end luxury wasn't quite maintained. A drawer under the center screen feels kinda cheap. In fact, there aren't as many storage spaces as you may want.
Also, a few too many controls have been put on that wonderful center screen.
Deal breakers? Of course not! But these are a few areas where the vehicle doesn't quite reach its potential.
The AKG sound system is definitely premium, as good as anything you'd hear on any luxury brand. Unlike some German EVs, you can get traditional AM Radio. Wireless Apple Car Play connects easily.
The driving experience is definitely EV awesome. It's smooth, quiet with plenty of torque for climbing mountains and hills, and easy handling around switchbacks.
The 340 horsepower motor meant great acceleration and no struggling on any incline.
Going downhill can be a bit different, if you use the optional one pedal driving.
I'm not a fan of one pedal driving, but it does help add more regenerative braking, and can help with your range. It was a great help when going down steep hills. The feel was like you were downshifting and it actually started adding range while we were driving.
The latest generation of GM's outstanding Super Cruise technology is available. It was not operational on my test vehicle. But, I have used it on other GM vehicles and it just keeps getting better.
There are a lot of charging choices. DC fast charging can give you up to 76 miles of range in ten minutes.
The Lyriq is sold out through 2023. GM, however not giving specifics on how many vehicles that means.
GM is doing a slow launch with the rear wheel drive model available first, with a $59990 base price. Only two colors are available.
GM will bring in an all wheel drive model, with additional options. There will also be some models that come in below the price of the launch model, some above.
Production of the Lyriq began in March at GM's Spring Hill Tennessee plant. GM hopes to deliver the first Lyriq to a paying customer soon.
Marketing chief Lewis says journalists and analysts were among the first to drive the Lyriq. That will be followed soon by dealers. GM hopes to get some demonstrator models into dealerships so that people who are curious about electric vehicles can get behind the wheel.
"It's imperative that we get the cars on the road and get people in them."
GM says 78% of those who have ordered a Lyriq are new to Cadillac. They are also younger -- with two-thirds from Generation X or Y. GM says they are getting more orders than normal from the western region of the U.S.
But, Lewis says they also need to reach out to people who haven't owned an electric vehicle before.
"We have an incredible task of bringing people along with us."
At the heart of GM's electrification plans is the Ultium battery platform. Battery chief Tim Grewe says that one platform lets GM make EVs of all kinds and make money on them.
"With the high volume manufacturing quality, the high volume scale, we get the cost down while delivering this unique character to every brand inside of General Motors."
We will see two "bookends" of that strategy this summer, when GM debuts an electric version of the mass market Chevy Blazer and a hand built premium electric Cadillac called the Celestiq.
For Grewe, it's all about tuning the technology for the vehicle.
"Now you can take the technology up to the next level and make preferred EVs"
Bottom line for the Cadillac Lyriq. It's certainly the best looking vehicle that Cadillac has put out--a title that may not last long, as we see the Celestiq soon.
It's a great vehicle on its own merits, without adding in the electric powertrain. That powertrain is great, with the known limits of any EV. It's definitely the kind of vehicle to attract both the tech lovers and the car lovers.
Five stars.
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