Update: ‘Design & Features’ and ‘Production & Price’ sections updated.
General Motors teased the Cadillac Celestiq at CES 2021, showing the flagship car’s glass roof, which can transition between transparency and opaqueness at a push of a button, as well as the full-width digital panel for instruments and AVN. The teaser was enough to get the internet’s attention, and it is seen as an effort by Cadillac to restore the former glory of the American luxury brand with its new sedan, offering a high level of luxury, features, and design.
At the CES 2022, GM confirmed new information including the debut and the release date. Take a look at what we know of the future Cadillac flagship:
Design & Features
Inspired by the Cadillac Escala concept, the Celestiq will see large exterior dimensions to make its presence felt. Designers could easily breach the 5-meter mark in length, lending the Celestiq enormous street cred.
Given its $200,000 price tag, the Celestiq’s closest rivals would be the Porsche Taycan Turbo or a Mercedes EQS/Maybach with all the options!
Our exclusive render (above) reveals the look of the Cadillac Celestiq’s front end. It shows the ultimate Cadillac sedan created using the brand’s new design language seen on the Lyriq. It’s majestic and bold, designed to offer a great road presence and be a head-turner wherever it goes.
The rendered Celestiq greets its customer on approaching or leaving it with an intricately choreographed light animation and highlights its dramatic design. A brand logo with a backlight, a textured illuminated Black Crystal Shield faux grille, vertically stacked LED projectors and LED light guide, and ultra-slim, independent turn indicators placed high in the typical headlamp location give the rendered Celestiq a striking appearance at the front.
The teaser video showed the Celestiq having a wide digital infotainment screen spread across the dashboard, and individual screens should be seen at the rear.
23-inch curved display
The Cadillac Celestiq would feature a reductive interior that is clean and simple and yet looks extravagant with sophisticated technologies and new-age, sustainable materials. A large, curved LED screen measuring 23 inches diagonally should be the centerpiece. That, along with ultra-slim air vents and climate control panel neatly integrated into the dashboard, would help the interior look sleek and minimalistic. The Celestiq would offer 2+2 seating with wood over metal decor and genuine leather-free, synthetic upholstery.
SPD-SmartGlass Nanotechnology roof
Where the Hummer EV features roof panels that customers can remove altogether, the classy Celestiq takes the tech approach with individually dimming glass sections, like a Boeing 787! Images: Cadillac
Cadillac is likely to offer several other futuristic technologies. SPD-SmartGlass Nanotechnology roof, which, as GM Authority reported, allows individual passengers to control the opacity of their respective roof sections. This glass should help the car’s driving range, as Mercedes test data has shown that it can reduce the cabin’s temperature – as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) – to keep it to an optimal level and reduce the load on the air-conditioner.
SPD-SmartGlass Nanotechnology roof would be an attractive feature for both enhanced comfort and range, particularly in the Middle East, where Cadillac is leading GM’s electrification efforts. It is worth noting that the Middle East is the luxury brand’s largest market outside China and North America. The Cadillac Lyriq has already received the green signal for the region, and the Celestiq could be the next EV.
The Celestiq’s SPD SmartGlass quadrant roof should improve its eco-friendliness. This technology can reduce CO2 emissions by 4 g/km* and bring approximately 5.5% improvement* in the range. Image Source: GM. *Independent calculations
Haptic interfaces
Like BMW’s iX, the Cadillac Celestiq will feature haptic interfaces from Immersion Corp’s Tier 1 licensees. Cadillac may discretely integrate some controls into touch-based surfaces and keep them invisible until needed, in line with the minimalist theme of the interior.
Ultra Cruise
Lastly, the Celestiq will boast GM’s most advanced hands-free ADAS – Ultra Cruise. GM has designed it to handle 95% of all driving scenarios on all paved roads in the U.S. and Canada. At launch, Ultra Cruise will cover more than 2 million miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada, and at a later stage, the coverage will expand to more than 3.4 million miles. Apart from highways, Ultra Cruise will work in city streets, subdivision streets, and paved rural roads.
In her CES 2022 keynote, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said that the Cadillac Celestiq will be among the first models available with Ultra Cruise.
I’m excited to announce that the Cadillac Celestiq ultra-luxury sedan will be one of the first vehicles to feature Ultra Cruise.
Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, GM (CES 2022 keynote on January 5, 2022)
On March 15, 2022, autoblog shared new information about upcoming Cadillac EVs from a media conference call with the brand. Cadillac officials reportedly said the Celestiq will be the first model available with Ultra Cruise, but a decision on whether to offer the autonomous driving system from day one or introduce it later is pending.
Compute architecture
Compute architecture, which GM co-developed with Qualcomm, will power Ultra Cruise. It’s quite compact, only about the size of two laptops placed on top of each other, yet it possesses the processing capability of several hundred PCs.
The Ultra Cruise compute consists of two SA8540P SoCs and one SA9000P AI accelerator, which together deliver low-latency control functions on 16-core CPUs and high-performance AI compute of more than 300 TOPS for the processing of the camera, radar, and LiDAR. Qualcomm Technologies has designed the Snapdragon SOCs with the new 5-nanometer process technology, which means superior performance and power efficiency. The two SA8540P SOCs will give the required bandwidth for the autonomous driving system’s sensing, perception, planning, localization, mapping, and driver monitoring.
Ultifi
The development of the software for the system took place completely in-house. OTA u[dates through this software will allow improving and upgrading the compute architecture over time.
It (Ultra Cruise) will leverage the Ultifi software platform and VIP to enable the system to evolve over time with more frequent updates adding features, services, and functions – all over the air. This will not only help keep Ultra Cruise on the leading edge but will also provide data to enhance performance, both now and in the future. Both Super Cruise and Ultra Cruise represent access to breakthrough technology for the customer, both offering more features, conveniences, and enhancements over time.
Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, GM (CES 2022 keynote on January 5, 2022)
Remote functions
Cadillac Celestiq customers would be able to access many functions remotely through a mobile app. These may include locking/unlocking the EV, turning it on, starting/stopping its headlights, activating its alarm, enabling/disabling some of the infotainment system’s apps, and pre-cooling/pre-heating the cabin.
OnStar
Support for OnStar, an in-vehicle safety and security system, could be a standard feature in the Cadillac Celestiq. Using the OnStar mobile app, customers could be able to share their location status to let their family and friends know their destination departures and arrivals. In case the battery of the EV depletes, customers can get a battery charge roadside assistance. In the event of an accident, the vehicle alerts emergency-certified advisors, who can call the occupant. If required the advisors can contact first responders and provide the vehicle’s location. OnStar’s emergency-certified advisors are available 24/7 to assess emergency situations and provide guidance for a way out.
Platform & Battery
The GM BEV3 all-electric platform will form the basis for the Cadillac Celestiq, which will use the Ultium battery and drive motor technology seen on the GMC Hummer EV. The sedan is expected to display the full potential of the Ultium technology with a range of up to 400 miles (644 km) and a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in the sub-5-second region.
The development of the Celestiq started much before the Ultium tech, and unsurprisingly, Cadillac intended the sedan to have an internal combustion engine!
Production & Price
The Cadillac Celestiq will be a hand-built model to justify the expected USD 200,000 price tag. Production should take place at the GM Factory Zero in Michigan alongside other EVs. According to a report from GMAuthority.com, GM is testing the Mercedes EQS as it sees the German model as a benchmark for its upcoming electric sedan. The report suggests that the company likely considers even the Lucid Air a solid potential Cadillac Celestiq rival.
Cadillac officials have told the media that the production of the Celestiq will commence in 2023. As per AutoForecast Solutions’ estimate (via Automotive News), the production volume in the first year could be limited to a few hundred units.
Celestiq will be a true halo for Cadillac in every way. It will embody Cadillac’s commitment to reimagine the artful integration of design and technology. Provided at exclusive volumes, each Celestiq will be hand-built, hand-crafted, and tailored to reflect the unique taste and desires of its owner, delivering on an experience that will become the definition of luxury EV ownership for a new generation of luxury buyers.
Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, GM (CES 2022 keynote on January 5, 2022)
Release Date
Barra suggested during her CES 2022 keynote that the Cadillac Celesiq is likely to debut by June 2022, where the car’s exterior, interior, and technical specifications would be presented. Expect customer deliveries to commence in 2023. At a recent media briefing, the Celestiq will go into production in 2023, according to Cadillac executives.
You’ll be hearing more about Celestiq and our ambitions skyward trajectory for the Cadillac brand in the first half of 2022.
Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, GM (CES 2022 keynote on January 5, 2022)
Cadillac Celestiq FAQs
What is the Cadillac Celestiq release date?
The Celestiq will premiere in the coming months, with customer deliveries starting in 2023.
What is the Cadillac Celestiq price projection?
The hand-built Celestiq should have a price in the region of USD 200,000. Reportedly, production volumes are in the hundreds of units.
What are the rivals to the Cadillac Celestiq?
The Celestiq won’t have direct rivals, but at its price, the Taycan Turbo S, and the Mercedes EQS with all the options ticked, come close!
Keyword: $200k Cadillac Celestiq EV to be unveiled by June 2022, suggests Barra