Cadillac's new opulent flagship will harken back to its roots.
Cadillac’s latest reinvention is spearheading GM’s push toward electric vehicles. The brand is going all-electric by 2030 (and may be all-electric except for the Escalade before then). A key component of that movement will be a new flagship vehicle for the brand, the Celestiq. It will be a long, low-riding four-seater vehicle with styling that blends the electric future and Cadillac’s glorious past.
Here’s what you need to know about it.
The Cadillac Celestiq is the most expensive Cadillac
The Celestiq won’t be your typical Cadillac. Celestiq pricing will start “north of $300,000.” Each vehicle will be hand-built. They will be “personally commissioned” in collaboration with the dealer and Cadillac designers. Ordering will be by waitlist only.
That price point will push the Celestiq past Cadillac’s typical rivals and have the brand competing with the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
The Celestiq packs 600 horsepower
The Celestiq rides on an “exclusive architecture” based on GM’s Ultium platform. It has a dual-motor AWD system that puts out 600 horsepower and 640 lb-ft of torque — plenty but not outlandish by EV standards. Cadillac says it can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds.
The Celestiq has about 300 miles of EV range
The Celestiq uses a 111 kWh battery pack, which Cadillac says will deliver about 300 miles of range. It will be capable of 200 kW fast charging, which should deliver up to about 78 miles of range in 10 minutes.
The Cadillac Celestiq has a fixed smart glass roof
Cadillac gave the Celestiq a fixed smart glass roof. It has four zones and allows each occupant to control ambient lighting and the amount of light that enters the cabin.
The Celestiq aims to be the best-riding Cadillac
Cadillac is loading the Celestiq with the best driving tech it has to offer. Features include an adaptive air suspension, active rear-wheel steering, the Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 system from the CT5-V Blackwing, a new Active Roll Control system and an active rear spoiler.
The Celestiq rides on 23-inch wheels with summer-only Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires. It also has five-link front and rear suspension systems and a variable ratio electric power steering “similar” to the Blackwing sedans.
The Celestiq has a ginormous infotainment display
The Celestiq has a 55-inch infotainment display stretching pillar to pillar across the dashboard. It’s two screens under a single pane of glass. The driver’s side display has “pixel density comparable to an 8K screen” and the passenger side display has “Digital Blinds Active Privacy Technology” to shield the driver (and presumably let the passenger watch video legally).
The Cadillac Celestiq arrives next year
Cadillac will begin building Celestiq vehicles in December 2023, which presumably will make it a 2024 model year vehicle.
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