Cadillac is planning for it to be the bold Cadillac of EVs.
CadillacCadillac just launched its first Ultium-based EV, the Lyriq crossover. The brand is following that up with the Celestiq — an opulent, hand-built rakishly-roofed four-seater sedan that will reportedly start around $300,000 and rival the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Now, Cadillac has just offered us a preview of what it will look like — with the new Celestiq Show Car.
According to Cadillac, the Celestiq will present the brand’s “purest expression,” basically the Cadillac of electric vehicle options. Its design harkens back to Cadillac’s glory days, taking design inspiration from the famed 1957 Eldorado Brougham and Eero Saarinen’s mid-century architecture.
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The Celestiq will one-up the new Escalade with a 55-inch advanced LED display, which will be one of five in the vehicle. The LED display will have a passenger display with electronic blinds to prevent the driver from viewing it. That should allow the passengers to theoretically watch a film legally while the vehicle is in motion.
Cadillac will fit the Celestiq with a smart glass roof, offering four zones of variable lighting — one for each occupant. Cadillac also confirmed the production Celestiq will receive the next generation of GM’s hands-free driving technology, Ultra Cruise.
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Being the premium spear tip of GM’s push toward electric vehicles is the latest in a series of Cadillac rebranding efforts. Getting back to the brand’s glorious roots design-wise should be an intelligent play to soften what will be a massive transition technically to battery-electric power.
The Celestiq’s boldness is refreshing. It’s easy to see Cadillac falling into the same trap as some of their current vehicles: reacting to the market, fixating on hitting a particular price point and ending up with what feels like an uprated Chevy or GMC product rather than a Cadillac.
Cadillac said it will reveal more details about the Celestiq closer to production. The Celestiq could potentially end up being the third Cadillac EV to hit the market after a production Escalade EV.
Keyword: The Cadillac Celestiq Is the Gorgeous Caddy of Tomorrow, Today