Cadillac Lyriq fully reserved; order books opening this summer [Update]

Update: ‘Production’ section updated.

GM started taking pre-orders for the Cadillac Lyriq on September 18, 2021. In a matter of just 10 minutes, the company stopped accepting reservations as the SUV was sold out. The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq was available to pre-order only in the Debut Edition trim.

Let’s take a look at the important aspects of the Lyriq. For customers who couldn’t already reserve the vehicle, you may refer the Price & Release Date section for details.

Specifications

The production-spec Cadillac Lyriq debuted in April 2021 and looks virtually unchanged from the concept version that broke cover in August 2020. Sitting on a new modular EV platform, the low-slung electric SUV utilizes GM’s Ultium propulsion system. The company has confirmed that it will sell Lyriq in RWD and AWD configurations.

The Cadillac Lyriq is 196.7 in. (4,996 mm) long, 77.8 in. (1,977 mm) wide, and 63.9 in. (1,623 mm) tall. Its wheelbase measures 121.8 in. (3,094 mm). The new electric SUV offers a passenger volume of 105 cu. ft. (2,976 L) and a cargo volume of 28.0 cu. ft. (793 L) behind the rear seats. On folding down the rear seats, the cargo volume increases to 60.8 cu. ft. (1,723 L).

We predict that Cadillac will launch the Lyriq AWD later this year. Image Source: GM

The 2023 Lyriq comes in only a single-motor RWD variant right now, with a PMSM generating 340 hp (255 kW) of power and 325 Lb.-Ft. (440 Nm) of torque. A 12-module, 100 kWh battery pack is standard, and it will likely provide a range of over 300 miles. Customers can charge it at up to 19.2 kW with alternating current – a segment-leading specification, and at up to 190 kW with direct current.

Charging the Lyriq using a 190 kW DC fast-charger for just about ten minutes will likely add a range of 76 miles. At home, charging it using a 19.2 kW AC fast-charger will likely add 52 miles of range per hour.

Lyriq drivers in America will be able to select the level of regeneration they want with an all-new Regen on Demand technology using a pressure-sensitive paddle located on the steering wheel and experience the comfort of one-pedal driving. GM’s Super Cruise autonomous driving is also among the list of advanced driving technologies.

Features

On the outside, GM has equipped the Lyriq with features like slim LED headlamps with choreographed lighting sequence, black crystal grille, and 22-inch split-spoke Reverse Rim alloy wheels. There are just two paint options: Satin Steel Metallic and Stellar Black Metallic.

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq features a 33-inch curved panel that serves as both its instrument cluster and its infotainment system display. Image Source: GM

Interior highlights of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq include a curved, 33-inch LED display that harmoniously integrates the instrument cluster and the infotainment system, a 19-speaker AKG Studio audio system, an all-new active noise cancellation system, digital key, and wood over metal decor. Sky Cool Gray and Noir are the interior color selections.

Production

GM started series production of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq in the U.S. at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant on March 21, 2022. The company retooled the factory and completed the preparations needed for the Lyriq nine months ahead of the original schedule, which, given the current circumstances, is an impressive feat. Despite battling pandemic-related production and operational delays and the semiconductor shortage, GM completed its target well before the deadline.

In October 2020, GM had announced a USD 2 billion investment in Spring Hill Assembly, where it now manufactures the Cadillac Lyriq. Image Source: GM

On March 16, 2022, Reuters said that GM will make the Lyriq in limited numbers initially, although this is normal for any new product.. The company may take its time to ramp up and normalize the output. According to the report, the Lyriq AWD will enter production around late 2022.

Video Source: YouTube/General Motors

GM had earlier planned to manufacture 3,200 Cadillac Lyriq SUVs annually. However, with exceptional demand, the brand has told suppliers to upscale production to 25,000 units this year, according to a Reuters report dated February 8, 2022. GM aims to deliver 400,000 EVs in North America in 2022 and 2023 combined, according to GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra.

Price & Release Date

The Cadillac Lyriq will go on sale in the U.S. this spring. That’s the publicly announced launch timeline, following the customer deliveries of the limited-run Debut Edition trim.

During a conference call held on March 15, 2022, Cadillac VP Rory Harvey said that dealers will start receiving the Lyriq in May 2022, as per the first Reuters report mentioned above. Order books will open for both Lyriq RWD and Lyriq AWD on the 19th of the same month, but only the former will be available at dealers initially. Harvey said that 233,000 people have registered their interest in the Lyriq and that it expects a higher number of hand-raisers to convert into orders than the usual 10%.

During GM’s Q4 2021 earnings conference call held on February 1, 2022, Barra had said that Lyriq deliveries will begin in less than 60 days (referring to the limited-run Debut Edition trim).

Customer interest (in the Cadillac Lyriq) is growing so quickly that we’ll forgo a new round of reservations and begin taking customer orders soon after the Debut Edition launches in March.

Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, GM (Q4 2021 earnings conference call on February 1, 2022)

The Lyriq’s prices start at USD 59,990 (incl. destination). The outlandish electric SUV’s current competitors BMW iX and Tesla Model X are significantly costlier, with prices starting at USD 83,200 (plus USD 995 destination) and USD 114,990 (plus USD 1,200 destination), respectively. The new 2023 Audi e-tron will also debut later this year with all-round improvements.

Harvey had told Reuters in 2021 that 216,000 people have shown interest in the Cadillac Lyriq. Ahead of the Lyriq launch, a dealer network restructuring is on in the U.S. market. Once complete, there will be nearly 40% fewer U.S. Cadillac dealers than in 2018. Compared to approximately 920 dealers three years ago, there might be only 560 dealers. Still, the Cadillac dealer network will be wider than other established luxury brands in the country.

U.S. Cadillac dealers had to invest USD 200,000-500,000 to prepare for the brand’s EV transformation. GM ended up buying out dealers unprepared to make that commitment, and it spent USD 274 million in the process in 2020 and 2021. In China, the brand’s largest market worldwide, there was no need to restructure retail operations.

Colors

Two colors are available to Cadillac Lyriq customers in the U.S.: Satin Steel Metallic and Stellar Black Metallic. The first-priority Debut Edition units will ship in these colors. GM could introduce new options for the regular units which it will deliver later, and spy shots indicate that the paint choices will include white and red. As you see below, Chinese customers get a palette of seven colors.

Cadillac Lyriq color options in China. The U.S. market gets just two! Image Source: SAIC-GM

Cadillac Lyriq in China

The Cadillac Lyriq will go on sale in China in mid-2022. Pre-sales started on the evening of November 17, 2021, and by noon the next day, the company had received over 2,000 pre-orders. On December 7, 2021, SAIC announced in its November 2021 sales bulletin that SAIC-GM had gathered nearly 5,000 reservations. Apparently, the demand faded soon after the initial hype, but it’s still an interesting number. China will get a locally manufactured Lyriq, made at SAIC-GM’s Jinqiao North Assembly Plant in Shanghai. CNY 439,700 (USD 68,970) is the pre-sale price, and the order deposit is just CNY 1,190 (USD 187).

The Cadillac Lyriq going through MIIT’s approval process indicates that it is close to its launch in China. Image Source: MIIT

SAIC-GM is in the process of getting government approval to release the Lyriq in China, an announcement from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on January 7, 2022, revealed. MIIT released two pictures of the electric SUV, showing it in the daylight in China.

Cadillac Lyriq AspectSpecificationLength5,003 mm (197.0 in.)Width1,977 mm (77.8 in.)Height1,637 mm (64.4 in.)Wheelbase3,094 mm (121.8 in.)Front Overhang906 mm (35.7 in.)Rear Overhang1,003 mm (39.5 in.)Tires265/50 R20Curb Weight2,535 kg (5,589 lbs)Gross Weight2,998 kg (6,609 lbs)Drivetrain LayoutRWDMotor Power255 kW (342 hp)Battery TypeLithium-ionTop Speed190 km/h (118 mph)

Chinese Cadillac Lyriq specifications for China (Source: MIIT)

China is getting new ‘IQ Space’ retail outlets for Cadillac electric car models. SAIC-GM opened the first outlet in Shanghai in early September 2021, and on December 25, 2021, another outlet opened in China’s largest city, a GM Authority report said. This was Shanghai’s fourth Cadillac IQ Space showroom, and there are four more cities that have the EV-only Cadillac retail space: Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Zhengzhou.

On January 15, 2022, SAIC-GM opened another Cadillac IQ space in Shanghai – Cadillac IQ Shanghai Kerry Store, another GM Authority report said. Like Buick, Cadillac’s biggest market worldwide is China, and the expansion of this boutique showroom network and the launch of more EVs should maintain the status quo.

Cadillac Lyriq FAQs

Which electric SUVs will the Cadillac Lyriq compete with?

The Cadillac Lyriq competes with the BMW iX, Mercedes EQE SUV, and the Tesla Model X.

When are Cadillac Lyriq deliveries set to begin?

The Cadillac Lyriq deliveries in the U.S. are to begin in the coming weeks.

What will be the base Cadillac Lyriq price?

The base Cadillac Lyriq costs USD 59,990 in the United States.

Featured Image Source: GM

Keyword: Cadillac Lyriq fully reserved; order books opening this summer [Update]