Why the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ Is As Important As the Escalade
The 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ is Cadillac’s new luxury electric vehicle. The LYRIQ is the first fully-electric vehicle that the luxury division of General Motors has produced. Here’s why the ideation behind the LYRIQ makes it as important to Cadillac as the Escalade.
The 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ is Cadillac’s attempt at catching lightning in a bottle
The 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ is one of many new General Motors electric vehicles. It uses the Ultium electric vehicle platform, like most upcoming GM EVs.
The LYRIQ has the potential to become a nameplate that’s as important as the Escalade nameplate, if not more important, in the future. The Escalade has been in production since 1998. In the decades since it was first released, the Escalade has become one of the most impactful modern luxury SUV nameplates.
The LYRIQ is a smaller, more affordable SUV that GM hopes will become a popular option in the electric future. The electric luxury SUV vehicle segment is becoming more populated as more automakers roll out EVs, but the LYRIQ will still arrive before many competitors. Production has already begun at the General Motors Spring Hill, Tennessee factory.
The 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ starts at $61,795. It uses an electric powertrain system to make 340 horsepower. The LYRIQ can go from 0-60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds. The most powerful LYRIQ configuration can make 500 horsepower using a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain system. Car and Driver claims that the LYRIQ has an estimated 312 miles of driving range. The luxury electric SUV was able to travel for 270 miles on the highway during the automotive publication’s real-world highway driving test.
Does GM make good electric vehicles?
General Motors’ portfolio currently includes two electric vehicle nameplates that could have a major impact on the EV space. The Chevy Bolt EV was controversial because of past battery fire issues, but Chevrolet has rereleased the Bolt EV with an attractive new starting price, alongside the Bolt EUV electric subcompact SUV.
The Chevy Bolt EV starts at $25,600. The Bolt EUV starts at $27,200. Both models have over 247 miles of driving range.
General Motors may have been in hot water after the Bolt EV’s reliability issues, but the company could become a leader in the EV space in the next few years. The Cadillac LYRIQ and Celestiq all play a role in a larger company strategy that spans GM’s many brands.
Should you be excited about the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ?
The 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ is exciting because it’s affordable (by Cadillac’s standards). It’s a luxury electric SUV that has the potential to become ubiquitous depending on how well it’s initially received.
All of the performance specs released by Cadillac make the LYRIQ sound like it will have engaging driving dynamics. Account for plenty of luxurious features and great standard tech, and it’s hard to hate on Cadillac’s electric SUV of the future.
It’s clear that General Motors has every intention to compete in as many vehicle segments as possible as more automakers incorporate electrified powertrain systems. The LYRIQ could become Cadillac’s most popular nameplate before the next decade.
