Elegant. Modest. Captivating. Vexatious.
Founded in 1902, Cadillac was not only one of the first automotive brands in the world but also established itself at the top of the luxury field. Its crest reflects this heritage, based on the coat of arms of the founder of Detroit and French explorer, Antoine de la Mothe, where the brand was born. Now, over 120 years later, the brand has continued its evolution while maintaining its American luxury identity with the all-electric Optiq, a crossover platform designed for today with a nod to tomorrow.
Cadillac’s Optiq Luxury is at home anywhere it goes
Cadillac’s Optiq first arrived in North America earlier this year after the Lyriq, Cadillac’s first all-electric vehicle, made its debut in the first half of 2022.
The Optiq is powered by an Ultium battery developed by GM, delivering approximately 300 miles of range, and producing 300hp and 354 lb⋅ft (480 N⋅m) of torque from a dual motor all-wheel drive system. While not as powerful as other electric vehicles on the market, it doesn’t need to be. Cadillac’s Optiq is about form, function, and luxury in a package the evokes high class.
Optiq’s profile complements the “Art and Science” design philosophy of Cadillac: Incorporate sharp, sheer forms and crisp edges—a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it.
Speaking of high class, Optiq’s interior is highlighted by patterns, textures, and details that capture the essence of Cadillac’s “Art and Science” design philosophy while evolving the brand’s approach to modern luxury. Cadillac sets the stage on the interior by using recycled materials, including in its yarn, steering wheel, and seat materials. It’s an extension of the sustainability of an all-electric platform where the goal is low-impact and long-term value.
A close-up of Optiq’s dash panel. Optiq’s interior is built using recycled materials including its yarn and available PaperWood veneer, made of equal parts Tulip wood and recycled newspaper
The houndstooth pattern, coupled with white stitching and embroidery hues, complements Optiq’s approach to a simple, modern luxurious look and feel
Optiq’s seating is incredibly comfortable with fully-adjustable bolstering that’s easy to dial in. The cockpit also continues the mantra of modern luxury with a class-leading 33” diagonal LED display that feels more like mission control at NASA but in a modernized layout that’s intuitive, easy to navigate, and absolutely gorgeous enhancing Optiq’s experience.
The steering wheel is an extension of the LED display with push-button controls accessing most of the vehicle’s basic functions save the A/C controls which are intelligently laid out and easily accessible below Optiq’s display. The steering wheel itself is comfortable and conforms nicely to hand positioning and is handsome yet understated.
Ride quality is what you’d expect from a luxury brand like Cadillac, highlighted by four driving modes accessible from the turn dial in the center console area. Additionally, GM’s Super Cruise technology allows for hands-free driver assistance technology while driving in areas pre-mapped by GM’s engineering/software team. The system works beautifully as it’s fully-autonomous and can navigate through traffic with minimal user input.
Comfortable seating that evokes luxury and again, simplicity. I particularly like the continuous 33” advanced LED display with 9k resolution, emitting over 1 billion colors!
View from the cockpit upon start-up
For audiophiles, you’ll feel like you’re in a concert hall with the 19-speaker AKG audio system featuring Dolby’s Atmos multi-dimensional sound experience. It’s incredibly immersive that blew me away while resting in a parking lot and relaxing to the vibrancy of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor.
The 19-speaker AKG audio system is fully immersive and looks stunning!
My only real “concern” about Cadillac’s Optiq gets back to the broader notion regarding charge time and infrastructure. During my time with the Optiq, I had a trip to make Mississippi with my wife and the evening before, we sat in the Optiq and mapped out our journey using the vehicle’s navigation system to outline charging locations along our route.
Earlier that evening we drove around town, scouting a spot for a quick charge as we had already used 120 miles of the Optiq’s battery. In a town with nearly 140,000 people the only quick charge locations we could find were at a Tesla station. Unfortunately, our demonstration model did not include a Tesla charging adapter. As we reviewed our route to Mississippi, it became apparent that our stops would require at least 45 minutes to an hour to fully charge, adding an additional five hours roundtrip to our journey. The cost-benefit didn’t make sense and as such, we left the Optiq at home in lieu of our Lexus gas-powered sedan.
On a regular charging cable it would take 12+ days to charge Optiq
Optiq’s charging cable sans the Tesla adapter
Aside from this, Cadillac’s Optiq is undoubtedly an exceptional, luxurious platform especially when most of your driving is in-town. Coupled with a home charging station and/or local infrastructure that includes quick charge stations, you can feasibly charge the Optiq in 10 minutes and benefit with an additional 75-80 miles of charge. That’s not bad, especially if again, your journeys are close by. And at a starting price of $55k (our demo model was priced out at $63,510 with an accoutrement of upgrades that included an Onyx package, puddle lamps that show the Cadillac logo on the ground in low-light settings, black roof and special crystal white tricoat paint), you won’t break the bank to ride in style.
Optiq is beautiful throughout whether viewing from the side, front, or rear