Cadillac is making a bold move across the company towards a fully electric lineup by 2030, and we had the chance to take a close look at the first of the new wave of electrified Caddies, the 2023 Lyriq, in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
To accelerate this goal, the arrival of the Lyriq was moved up by nine months to the first quarter of 2022, and Cadillac representatives confirmed that this change means the Lyriq will debut in the U.S. market first, before its eventual release in China.
Cadillac Lyriq 2023
We were able to confirm more details about the Lyriq’s powertrain. At launch, only the 12-module, 100 kWh battery pack will be offered, and the Lyriq will have rear-wheel drive only initially. The single motor will produce approximately 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. Cadillac still estimates the range to be over 300 miles; however, the EPA estimated range probably won’t be ready until much closer to the Lyriq’s launch date.
Cadillac also confirmed that the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version of the Lyriq will not be available until the fourth quarter of 2022, and it will feature a dual-motor system. It seems the Lyriq will not have plug-and-charge capability but will use a Cadillac-branded app that utilizes charging stations from different providers.
Turning to first impressions, the Lyriq stands out with 736 LED lights adorning the exterior, and all around, the Lyriq has some form of visual flair. At the front is the prominent black polycarbonate glass grille, with many individual light elements and a cool version of the illuminated and detailed Cadillac shield badge from behind. Flanking the grille are nine individual light elements on each side, the top three power the high beams, and the bottom six power the low beams. As you approach the Lyriq, it puts on a little show with each of the individual elements taking a turn to shine.
On the sides, you get a great view of the wraparound taillights, which largely extend around the sides to the back of the D-pillar. The rear also features a vertically mounted brake light that gives the Lyriq a more distinctive rear visual signature. Like many other electric SUVs, the Lyriq feels shorter than it looks when you get up close, as the ride height is reduced so much that it’s basically like a car in that sense.
Moving inside, there are equally impressive details. Real wood pieces on the doors feature dozens of small cutouts, matching details found on the speaker covers, headrests, and even behind the 33-inch curved LED screen to help cool it.
The Lyriq on display is a sort of first-edition vehicle; Cadillac confirmed this would be the only way to order the Lyriq initially, with the Sky Cool Gray interior and no real options to speak of, except for the 22-inch wheels that add $1,550 according to the price tag (20-inch wheels are standard).
The centerpiece of the interior is the 33-inch curved screen that spans most of the dashboard, extending from in front of the driver to the center console. And it truly is a single screen, not a glass panel covering multiple screens side by side like Mercedes. There are two touchscreen areas: one over the center console and the other to the left of the instrument panel, where the driver has easy access to a small menu of functions. Cadillac said there wasn’t much additional functionality to the screen beyond the Escalade, but it looks much cleaner and more futuristic in the Lyriq without the divider for the instrument panel.
None of the dimensions have changed since we first saw the Lyriq in April; the 121.8-inch wheelbase and the overall length of 196.7 inches remain, giving the Lyriq a real presence. This is not a compact SUV; its overall dimensions put it on par with midsize three-row SUVs, although the Lyriq only has two rows and seating for five.
The rear seat is spacious, with 39.6 inches of legroom in the rear and useful cutouts on the back of the seat, as well as ample space under the front seats for your feet to move. It will accommodate three adults wide (though they’ll be elbowing each other) and offers very comfortable lodging for four on any distance trip. A large fixed glass roof also seemed to come with a retractable screen. It’s one of two available roofs; Cadillac wouldn’t provide more details about the other roof. All seats are covered with Cadillac’s Inteluxe synthetic leather upholstery; real leather won’t be offered at least for the first year of the model, and they’ll add a black interior option later in 2022.
After seeing the Lyriq, I was even more impressed with its price. At $59,990, the Lyriq really has no luxury competitor offering this amount of size, performance, and range at a price close to this. The Audi E-Tron and the Jaguar I-Pace are more expensive and don’t offer the same amount of interior space. And the Tesla Model X starts $20,000 higher, putting it in a different price bracket. Even without a federal tax credit available, the Lyriq offers very solid value given the quality of materials, size, and excellent design.
