2024 Cadillac Lyriq overview: setting the stage
MSRP $58,590.00
“With the Cadillac Lyriq, it is nice to see a automobile that doesn’t require spending extra cash on choices to enhance vary.”
Professionals
Modern design
Comfy inside
Strong vary
Nonetheless has CarPlay
Useful driver-assist options
Cons
Just a little expensive
Gradual to cost
Whereas the likes of Ford, Hyundai, and Kia had been comparatively fast to change to electrification for a minimum of a few of their automobiles, others weren’t fairly as speedy. Cadillac, for instance, held off for a while, saying the Cadillac Lyriq in 2020 as a 2023 mannequin yr automobile. Early on within the Lyriq’s lifespan, the automobile was extremely troublesome to come up with, and even now, there are provide points, although these are lastly beginning to ease up.
The Lyriq is extra than simply Cadillac’s first EV. Like so many different automakers, Cadillac took the chance of releasing its first EV to introduce a brand new design language meant to characterize Cadillac’s imaginative and prescient for the longer term. Not solely that, however the Lyriq packs in new tech and options that make the expertise of driving a Cadillac extra trendy than earlier than.
Just a little over a yr into the Lyriq being on the highway, how does it maintain up in an more and more aggressive EV house? I lately had the possibility to drive the Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 for every week to seek out out.
Design and inside
As talked about, Cadillac took the chance of the Lyriq to introduce a brand new design language for its electrified automobiles. To be clear, the Lyriq actually affords design components of earlier Cadillac vehicles. For instance, it has that giant Cadillac grille on the entrance, although for the Lyriq, it’s a fake grille somewhat than an actual one. It additionally has the vertically aligned headlights which have turn out to be a staple of Cadillac design. I actually like the general look of the Lyriq, even with the fake grille. I’m driving a white mannequin, and the black0and-white look is a pleasant one.
Christian de Looper / Digital Developments
The again of the automobile is simply as fascinating. It has angled taillights that reach down from the again of the roofline, then curve across the rear of the automobile. The 2 sides don’t fairly meet within the center for a full mild bar, but it surely’s nonetheless a glossy and trendy look.
The inside of the automobile is nice too. It’s luxurious and modern-looking, and it doesn’t verge on getting overly gaudy, which is at all times good to see in vehicles that should be luxurious automobiles. The Lyriq options sturdy and soft-feeling leather-based upholstery, below which there’s seat heating, seat cooling, and massaging. Once more, the seats are extremely comfy.
Christian de Looper / Digital Developments
The Lyriq affords loads of house for most individuals as properly. There’s an honest quantity of room within the second row of seats, and also you’ll get a big, open trunk that I discovered provided loads of house for big gadgets like a stroller. The trunk has 28 cubic toes of cargo room, which is a stable quantity.
Finally, design is subjective, however once more, I fairly just like the look of the Lyriq and discover that the inside is comfy and splendid. It’s not over-the-top, but it surely’s actually premium.
Tech, infotainment, and driver help
The Lyriq doesn’t simply supply a brand new design — it’s additionally full of tech that makes the expertise of driving it extra trendy and extra handy.
The star of the present is the expansive show on the entrance that stretches alongside the dashboard. This show joins the instrument monitor and the infotainment display into one, and even affords a contact panel on the far left facet for the driving force to customise what’s proven on the instrument panel. For instance, you’ll be able to change between the instrument panel exhibiting map options, driver help options, or just instrument gauges. It’s a pleasant strategy, although I think most individuals will choose their favourite view and keep it up without having fixed entry to those settings.
Christian de Looper / Digital Developments
The software program expertise on the Lyriq isn’t horrible, but it surely’s not unbelievable both. The software program on the second-generation Rivian R1S that I lately drove is way superior to what’s on supply within the Lyriq. It’s a little bit of a disgrace as a result of, as a GM firm, Cadillac is slowly shifting away from providing CarPlay, although the Lyriq that I drove did nonetheless have CarPlay constructed into it. The software program is laid out very like a cellphone, with buttons to entry many of the main capabilities organized in a grid. There’s additionally a fast entry menu bar on the backside of the display that means that you can change between issues like maps, music, and automobile data. I did discover that the software program was decently responsive in comparison with different automobiles, although nonetheless not as responsive as what you’ll discover on a Tesla or Rivian.
Fortunately, there are some options that aren’t packed into the screens, like local weather controls. Cadillac has resisted the urge to cram fan velocity and temperature controls into the software program, and also you’ll nonetheless get bodily paddles which might be simple to regulate with out taking your eyes off the highway. It’s a safer and extra handy strategy, and I hope others observe swimsuit and reverse choices to construct all the pieces into the software program.
Christian de Looper / Digital Developments
One of many standout options on the Lyriq is entry to GM’s Tremendous Cruise expertise, which basically permits for hands-free driving on the freeway. Tremendous Cruise differentiates itself from fundamental adaptive cruise management by not solely permitting the automobile to drive with out the driving force having to maintain their arms on the wheel, but in addition with superior options like automated lane altering, which the automobile performs when it finds itself caught behind a automobile going slower than the utmost velocity that the driving force has set. I discovered that it labored fairly properly and was a bit bowled over the primary time the automobile modified lanes by itself. Once more, the function actually solely works on highways, and solely on choose highways — you’ll be able to’t activate it in a zone that it’s not set as much as work in. Different useful driver-assist options embody chicken’s eye parking views and an precise adaptive cruise management that can be utilized in conditions when the automobile isn’t ready to make use of Tremendous Cruise.
Driving expertise
I discovered the Lyriq to carry out fairly properly total. I used to be particularly driving the Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3, which is the highest-end model of the Lyriq. Whereas the Sport 3 might supply design tweaks and a few further options in comparison with different variations, all iterations of the Lyriq carry out the identical. The Lyriq is accessible in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations, and I used to be driving an all-wheel drive Lyriq.
Christian de Looper / Digital Developments
The AWD Lyriq could be very fast. The twin-motor setup delivers 500 horsepower and is ready to speed up from 0 to 60 miles per hour in round 4.6 seconds. To be clear, there are many quicker EVs on the market, however years into test-driving EVs, I’m nonetheless excited each time I hit the accelerator and get that fast response and quick acceleration. Most drivers will discover it to be greater than fast sufficient for maneuvers like quick overtaking on the freeway and rapidly getting in control on an entry ramp.
The Lyriq additionally affords wonderful single-pedal driving choices, and in contrast to another trendy automobiles, it saves earlier settings for the following time you activate the automobile. That will not sound like a giant deal, but it surely’s positively an added comfort that EV drivers will respect. In lots of day-to-day driving situations, I discovered that I by no means actually needed to contact the brake pedal when in one-pedal driving mode.
Christian de Looper / Digital Developments
Usually, I discovered the steering of the Lyriq to be comparatively responsive, and the automobile felt smaller than it truly is round tighter turns. There wasn’t a lot lean, both. The suspension makes the journey comfy and clean, although it actually didn’t verge on being overly mushy, and also you’ll nonetheless really feel larger bumps as you go over them. That may make driving on rougher terrain rather less comfy than in different automobiles, however total, I discovered the Lyriq to be clean.
Vary and charging
The vary of the Lyriq varies a bit relying on whether or not you get an all-wheel drive model or a rear-wheel drive model — however not as a lot as you would possibly anticipate. The rear-wheel drive Lyriq will get 314 miles of vary, whereas the all-wheel drive configuration reduces that to 307 miles. It’s good to see a automobile that provides greater than 300 miles of vary in all configurations.
Christian de Looper / Digital Developments
The Lyriq expenses fairly rapidly too, although not as quick because the upcoming Cadillac Escalade IQ will. The Lyriq tops out at 190 kilowatts at a DC quick charger. The charging curve of the Lyriq seems to be a bit completely different from another EVs, and the automobile appears to take a bit longer to totally cost than I might have preferred to have seen. To get from 10% to 80%, it takes over 40 minutes, which is a bit gradual. Principally, what which means is that whereas the automobile would possibly attain 190kW in some unspecified time in the future in its cost, for essentially the most half, it’s charging at a a lot slower fee.
Like different EVs, it’s price pondering lengthy and laborious about how you intend on charging a automobile — in a best-case situation, you’ll cost at residence in a single day.
How DT would configure this automobile
The Cadillac Lyriq is a superb electrical automobile. It affords a glossy exterior, an expensive inside, and a stable vary total. It’s not low-cost, after all — in any case, this can be a luxurious automobile. To get even the bottom mannequin of the automobile, you’ll pay $58,590. However for those who’re prepared to spend some money on a extra luxurious crossover-sized electrical automobile than the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, you’ll love what’s on supply with the Cadillac Lyriq.
It’s nice to see a automobile that doesn’t require spending extra cash on choices to enhance vary. The bottom mannequin Lyriq is known as the Cadillac Lyriq Tech, and it has the identical vary as different variations of the Lyriq. Nonetheless, some individuals would possibly need to spend the extra $4,000 to improve to the Cadillac Lyriq Luxurious, which provides the Tremendous Cruise driver help tech, a greater speaker system, seat air flow and massaging, and extra. These are luxuries, to be clear, however the Lyriq typically is a luxurious automobile, and in order for you high-end options, it’s most likely price upgrading to the Lyriq Luxurious.
Most individuals is not going to must spend the additional cash on the Cadillac Lyriq Sport, which prices one other $500 or so and solely actually provides some minor design modifications in comparison with the Luxurious mannequin. Many consumers will need to improve to the AWD powertrain too, which provides a further $4,000 to the worth. The AWD Cadillac Lyriq Luxurious begins at $66,190. The AWD Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 that we reviewed prices $74,815.
