Cadillac’s Celestiq shows the brand still has champagne and caviar in its blood.
- The Cadillac Celestiq will ride on General Motors’ Ultium platform, which will underpin all of GM’s upcoming electric vehicles.
- The show car revealed today features a 55-inch LED screen on the dashboard, and four other LED displays.
- Cadillac says the Celestiq will be the first vehicle produced at the GM Global Technical Center since the building’s inauguration in 1956. This one will be hand-built.
After weeks of teasing, Cadillac has finally revealed some details, and images, of its latest show car: the Cadillac Celestiq. Shown ahead of its production version, the Celestiq (pronounced seh-LEST-ick) concept captures the opulence and excess seen in Cadillacs of yore, but with a clear look at the future of luxury vehicles. Relying on the General Motors Ultium platform, the Celestiq show car further pushes Cadillac’s all-electric aspirations and raises the bar for GM’s luxury arm.
Based on the Ultium platform, there are some ideas of how much power this Cadillac could make. The company has revealed few specs for this Celestiq show car, but it’s safe to assume the performance would be at least as good as what we can see from Cadillac’s Lyriq or Chevrolet’s Blazer EV.
The base model Lyriq sends 340 hp to the rear wheels, with a single motor. This motor uses 102 kWh worth of electricity to travel 312 miles. The Chevrolet Blazer EV SS promises 557 hp from its two electric motors. Though, considering the production variant should hit the streets by the 2025 model year, those numbers could rise for the better. The Celestiq will likely sport either all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive layouts to lean into luxury traditions.
Interior of Cadillac Celestiq show car.
Cadillac
While electric vehicles might have less of a spotlight on the powertrain, it seems like there’s an even sharper focus on consumer tech. As we’re seeing from the folks at Mercedes-Benz, the Cadillac Celestiq features a 55-inch LED display that consumes basically the entire face of the dashboard. The massive surface joins four other screens to bring the grand total to five LED displays throughout the Celestiq. Controlling the light that could wash out those screens is the Smart Glass Roof, which can adjust how much light passes through over each passenger—individually. Cadillac also says the Celestiq will feature Ultra Cruise, which is the company’s next-generation hands-free driver-assistance system.
Of course, the cabin is somehow more than just an array of screens. The four-seat luxury EV is full of different, high-end materials that help establish the Celestiq as a luxurious machine. The seat shells look like they were inspired by the legendary Eames chairs, while the accented leather appears to be inspired by futurism. It will be interesting how this cabin translates into production.
As for the exterior, it’s simpler. Cadillac says the Celestiq’s styling was inspired by mid-century architecture—namely, the works of Eero Saarinen. Despite being significantly smaller than the TWA Flight Center, it’s clear the swooping and sharp lines have their origins in mid-century forms. Still, the shape isn’t exactly a sedan and the long roof makes it feel almost like a hyper-luxury wagon.
More than just a show car, the Cadillac Celestiq gives us an idea of what we can expect from the confirmed production version. Cadillac says essential details (like availability and features) are still to come, but well-heeled potential customers will have to wait a few year for Cadillac’s new flagship. GM has not specified a launch year, but images of the Celestiq released to media were dated for model year 2025.
The Celestiq will also be the first vehicle built at the Saarinen-designed GM Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The Celestiq will be hand-built.
Keyword: Cadillac Returns to Super Luxury with Celestiq EV