- The Optiq, a small electric SUV, joins GM’s Ultium family of electric vehicles, which also includes the Blazer EV, Equinox EV and Lyriq.
- Prices start at around $50,000 – and the Mexico-built Optiq should qualify for tax breaks
- Cadillac promises a range of around 300 miles on a full charge
Cadillac has unveiled an entry-level electric vehicle for GM’s luxury brand that appears to be neither entry-level nor entry-level in terms of size, technology and price.
The Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025) will cost about $54,000 including destination when it launches later this year, according to Cadillac, and have a range of about 300 miles. While that price won’t be nearly as affordable as the XT4 ($39,090 base), Cadillac’s entry-level gas-powered compact SUV, if it qualifies for the $7,500 EV tax credit, it will effectively cost about the same as today’s XT5 SUV ($47,290 base), while offering much more space for cargo and passengers.
Green Car Reports was able to take a closer look at the Optiq a few weeks ago, and as far as first impressions are concerned, this vehicle loses the last remaining design elements of Cadillac’s long-standing art & science Themes that stuck to chiseled corners, sharp edges and straight lines. With the Optiq, the brand is moving towards softer side sculptures, a lower bonnet line and a more rounded roofline. Up front, it is far less imposing and chiseled than the rest of the range, including the larger Cadillac Escaladeand the Optiq cleverly relies on lighting – not actual sharp edges – to maintain its sharp-edged appearance and enable a more aerodynamic shape.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Aerodynamics and lighting dominate the Optiq design
“The sporty, aerodynamic look was the focus of the Optiq,” Cadillac design manager Hoon Kim told me. “So we tried to keep it as low as possible.”
There are many details to marvel at. Cadillac also uses a crisscross laser engraving process on the grille area to create the light signature and precisely prints a graphic pattern on the rear quarter panel – on acoustic laminated glass – that matches the Cadillac crest. All Optiqs will have a fixed glass roof.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
One of the coolest design features is the way the taillights appear to visually drop down the rear pillars, disappearing for a moment under the corners of the beltline and reappearing below.
It is somewhat surprising that in this era of “The Sky’s the Limit” EV skateboard design, the Cadillac Optiq’s silhouette is so closely based on the its cousin, the Chevy Equinox EVThe Optiq has the same wheelbase as this model (116.3 inches), a length of about 190 inches and the same 85 kWh battery.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Optiq features AWD and Blackwing performance connection
It also uses a front-biased all-wheel drive system with a more powerful permanent magnet motor at the front producing around 200 hp, while an induction motor at the rear wheels assists it with around 90 hp. This allows it to run as a front-wheel drive vehicle at a constant speed, and the combination offers an estimated 300 hp and 490 Nm torque.
While the Lyriq is about prestige, the Optiq represents more of the sporty, youthful and dynamic side of Cadillac, according to Cadillac officials. Using a performance engineer from the team that developed the Blackwing models, Cadillac wanted to give the Optiq a sportier experience that would also impact the vehicle’s ride and handling. Towing capacity is 1,500 pounds, and trailer hitches offer the ability to haul other types of gear.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
The Optiq offers Tour, Sport and Snow/Ice modes, as well as personalized My Mode settings. A one-pedal drive mode allows the vehicle to slow down and stop without touching the brake pedal under certain driving conditions. At the time of the preview, Cadillac was still considering drivetrain sounds for the cabin and confirmed that these will be different from those of the Lyriq.
A new charging port for Cadillac electric vehicles
Another difference from the Lyriq is the charging port door. It is a new, simplified design that will also be found in other upcoming Cadillac electric vehicles – including the Cadillac Escalade IQ (model year 2025)– and the headlights show you your charge level at a glance while you’re on the move.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Charging time and an attractive interior are the most important factors for this target group, Cadillac said. The goal is to cover 79 miles in 10 minutes with DC fast charging, but a maximum charging rate was not specified.
What sets the cabin apart are some striking trims—including patterned accent fabric made from 100% recycled content and PaperWood veneer made from tulipwood and recycled newspaper. Yes, you can still read some of it.
Supporting “older millennials”
Cadillac is targeting first-time luxury buyers with the Optiq, and sees the target audience as “older millennials” in their late twenties to thirties (and yes, some millennials are already over 40). For them, it means more comfort. There are massage seats and the seats offer generous back support. The new design is taken from a model developed by GM in Europe, but has become wider.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
The generous front floor takes advantage of the flat battery underneath, and the load floor is relatively low, but there’s no front trunk (or frunk). The back seat offers plenty of legroom, but my head hit the back of the glass roof frame.
The 33-inch display in the dashboard has a resolution of 9k and can display more than a billion colors, GM claims. Although it is the center of the dashboard, does not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto but it does have an “integrated Google infotainment experience” — meaning you’ll have to subscribe to a separate data port for the vehicle, rather than sharing it from your phone. GM has also thought about the separation between screens and switches, giving the Optiq fixed buttons for climate control.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
GM supplies the Optiq with Super Cruise driver assistance technology for three years; adaptive cruise control, an automatic parking system and a full package of active safety features are also included.
Optiq is one of many GM electric vehicles from Mexico
The Optiq will be manufactured in Mexico starting in the fall, in the same plant in Ramos Arizpe that also produces the Chevy Equinox EV and Blazer EValong with Honda PrologueProduction will also soon be ramped up in China, and GM is focusing on China, the USA and Europe as key markets.
The Optiq will be offered in Luxury and Sport trim levels, but Cadillac has not yet confirmed all of the differences.
Cadillac Optiq (model year 2025)
As GM rolls out more Ultium electric vehicles, and especially more Ultium electric Cadillacs, including the larger Lyriq, one is reminded of 1980s GM and the Cimarron, which offered luxury on a budget. How do you build more distinctive electric vehicles without going through the hassle of brand development? We’ll just have to wait and see when Cadillac announces more specs and trim details later this year. But for now, the Optiq’s snazzy-looking, super-comfortable interior is a great sign that the brand has got it.
