2024 Cadillac Lyriq Review and Road Test
As one of the first automotive brands in North America, dating back to the early 1900s, Cadillac was once the epitome of American luxury and technology. For the brand’s first 80 years, GM’s luxury division often earned its “standard of the world” reputation, and was synonymous with the American Dream and ingrained in American culture, songs, and movies.
Since the late 1980s, however, Cadillac’s leadership in America was challenged by luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Lexus. Cadillac had made multiple attempts at reinventing itself through a number of marketing campaigns, innovations, and new product efforts.
Enter the Cadillac Lyriq – part of Cadillac’s latest attempt to reinvent itself as a leader in American luxury EVs. The all-new Lyriq represents the brand’s first all-electric vehicle, followed by the upcoming smaller Optiq , three-row Vistiq, full-size Escalade IQ, and bespoke $300,000 Celestiq.
I was able to spend some time with the 2024 Lyriq and was pleasantly surprised by Cadillac’s first EV. It's based on GM’s new EV architecture and technology, branded Ultium. It’s a flexible “skateboard” vehicle platform that can accommodate various battery sizes and underpin a variety of different size of vehicles. It currently serves as the basis for GM’s newest EVs, like the new Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Silverado and Sierra full-size EV pickup trucks, and even the massive GMC Hummer EV. GM also provides its Ultium technology to Honda and Acura for their latest EVs, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX.
Cadillac EV: Design
The first thing that you’ll notice is the striking exterior styling. This is one really good-looking Cadillac, especially from the front. I’d even go as far as saying that Lyriq is one of the best looking EVs out there. It definitely stands out from a sea of cookie-cutter crossovers and SUVs.
The most attractive design element is the front end, with its multiple LED light strips that create a large illuminated faux grille, coupled with a vertically stacked arrangement of LEDs for the headlamps, and metallic trim accents. The vertical headlights and taillights are a Cadillac styling signature, reminiscent of classic Cadillacs from the 1960s to 1990s. All of those light elements do a choreographic dance when approaching or departing from the vehicle. It’s quite the show that will be sure to attract a crowd in the parking lot.
The back-end styling is a bit more controversial. The steeply raked rear window, lack of a rear wiper, and blacked-out spoiler give Lyriq a sporty fastback appearance. The thin horizontal light bar wraps around the side and dramatically up along the thick D-pillar, giving a nod to the classic Cadillac tailfins of the 1950s. This is probably the largest side lighting of any vehicle that I’ve ever seen. The look is completed by a triangular body-colored panel that breaks up the windows and light bar and helps accent the fastback appearance. There’s no mistaking the Lyriq for other crossovers from the rear or side view.
The Lyriq is bigger than other crossovers in the segment. Total length is 196.7 inches; compared to its gas-powered siblings, it’s over 7 inches longer than the Cadillac XT5 and just 2 inches shorter than its bigger gasoline sibling, the three-row Cadillac XT6. Although just as wide as the XT6, the Lyriq’s wheelbase is 122 inches – almost 10 inches longer. The Lyriq is larger than its main competitors like the Lexus RZ, Genesis GV60, and Electrified GV70.
Self-presenting powered door handles automatically pop out when unlocking the vehicle, and are much more practical and similar to what you’ll find on many other EVs, like the Tesla Model Y and Genesis GV60. My tester was the base AWD Tech trim in Celestial Metallic. Tech and Luxury trims are dressed with metallic trim, accents, and door handles. Sport trims add “obsidian chrome” with dark accents and body-colored elements. Depending on the trim, Lyriq comes gives a choice of three different 20” wheel designs wrapped with 265/50R20 self-sealing tires, or two different 22” wheels on larger 275/40R22 tires.
Cadillac Lyriq Interior
Inside you’ll be greeted with an equally attractive and roomy cabin. It’s a very inviting and futuristic cabin. You immediately notice the huge 33-inch 9K screen that seamlessly integrates both the instrument cluster and infotainment. Surrounding the screen and cabin is a tasteful combination of aluminum and metallic accents with detailed patterns, minimal piano black surfaces, and soft-touch materials on the dashboard and door panels. There’s an optional wood interior on upper trims.
Visually, it all looks stylish and luxurious. However, there are some materials as well as fit and finish that could be improved, like the rotary infotainment controller on the centre console, and hard plastics on the lower parts of the cabin.
One thing that you can always count on in a Cadillac is comfort and space. The front seats not only look great, but they’re also comfortable. Standard is an 8-way power driver seat with 4-way power lumbar support. A 6-way power front passenger seat with 4-way power lumbar support is standard, with an 8-way front passenger seat optional. Cadillac chose to mount the controls for the power seats, heated seats, and optional ventilated seat controls on the door panels to allow for wider seats.
My Tech trim tester was finished in the “Noir Inteluxe” synthetic leather with grey fabric inserts along the shoulder areas of each seat. The optional Nappa leather package includes first- and second-row Nappa leather seats, Nappa leather armrests, a soft-wrapped dashboard, Dark Ash open pore wood trim, and illuminated front seat sill plates.
Back-seat passengers are treated with generous amounts of leg, hip, and headroom as well as a flat floor thanks to the large vehicle dimensions and very long wheelbase. Optional outboard rear-seat heaters are mounted on the rear door panels, complemented by an optional climate control panel between the front seats.
A fixed panoramic moonroof is standard on the Lyriq, with a power sunshade for sunny days. Unlike some competitors, an optional opening version is available on upper trims. Visibility is good when looking forward. There are large blind spots, though, towards the rear, especially with the very thick D-pillar. Rear-window visibility is limited due to the sloping rear. I’d recommend opting for the available digital rear-view mirror if you can.
The Lyriq’s cabin is very quiet. You expect a quiet cabin from EVs since there’s no gas engine, but noise levels are well below what you’d expect even in a Cadillac – and my base tester wasn’t even equipped with the Active Noise Cancellation that uses the AKG auto system to cancel out road noise.
Storage is plentiful. The large glovebox is opened through the infotainment screen, similar to what you find on Tesla models. There’s a huge open storage area under the center console area for large bags and other items. What’s odd is that the drawer-style storage box under the climate controls is only available on Luxury and Sport trims. I didn’t know that storge was such a premium option.
Sadly, there’s no front trunk, even with the Lyriq’s large hood area. However, rear cargo space with the rear seats up is generous at 28 cubic feet, though that falls short of the Lexus RZ’s 34 cubic feet, despite both models having a sloping rear window. There’s a good amount of under-floor storage thanks to the absence of a spare tire. The 60/40 folding rear seats almost fold flat with an available electronic release in the cargo area, revealing nearly 61 cubic feet of cargo volume.
2024 Lyriq Technology
The jewel of the interior is the large 33-inch screen. It’s one continuous and curved 9K screen, rather than a few screens stitched together. Upon entry or exit, it uses the entire screen to display the battery’s remaining charge. The gauge cluster is customizable using the touch sensitive menu on the left side.
The main infotainment screen uses a Google built-in system that requires a monthly data subscription, similar to that on other recent GM models. It’s very responsive and easy to navigate. Surprisingly, the Lyriq offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while other new GM EVs, like the Blazer EV and Equinox EV, don’t. Cadillac also chose to offer a redundant rotary controller on the center console for the touch-screen infotainment system. It provides some familiarity for customers moving to Lyriq from other Cadillac models.
Super Cruise, GM’s fantastic hands-free driver assistance is available on upper trims – and is definitely worth the upgrade especially for longer road trips. GM’s decision to vibrate the driver’s seat, instead of the steering wheel or audible warnings like other automakers, for things like lane departure, blind spot, and rear back up warnings always surprises me. It will vibrate left, right, or the entire seat bottom to get your attention.
2024 Lyriq Powertrain and Trim Choices
Like many EVs, LYRIQ gives you a choice of standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). RWD models get a 340-hp rear motor, while AWD models add a front motor for a total of 500 hp with the capability of towing up to 3,500 lb; Cadillac doesn’t recommend the RWD model for towing. A 102-kWh usable battery is used on all models, and is much bigger than the 77.4-kWh battery available in the Genesis GV60 and Electrified GV70 as well as the Lexus RZ’s 71.4-kWh battery.
The big battery that should provide more than enough range to sooth any anxiety potential customers may have. RWD models have an EPA-estimated range of up to 314 miles, while the AWD models are surprisingly close at 307 miles; AWD models only activate the front electric motor when front traction is needed. Despite the larger battery, the Lyriq is a tad less efficient at an EPA estimate of 38 kWh/100 miles (AWD) versus the Lexus RZ 450e AWD at 32 kWh/100 miles and Genesis GV60 at 35 kWh/100 miles. The heavier weight, larger dimensions, and larger wheels impact the Lyriq’s efficiency.
The Cadillac Lyriq’s braking blends both electric motor regenerative braking and conventional friction braking in a seamless manner. This isn’t easy to achieve. Like some of the newer GM Ultium vehicles, Lyriq has two settings for one-pedal driving – “On” and “High”. It also has the same regen-on-demand paddle to the left of the steering wheel. Like the other Ultium vehicles I’ve driven, regen is particularly strong, and I found that using the regen paddle more useful to modulate the amount of regen braking than setting it to one-pedal driving mode.
Cadillac Lyriq: Charging
General Motors is apparently among the next automakers on the list to gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network, following Ford and Rivian. Right now, the Lyriq is equipped with a CCS port, and will likely adopt the Tesla port in 2026. If you buy a Lyriq today, you’ll likely be provided with a Tesla-to-CCS adapter to access Superchargers.
Opening the large, powered charge door is done by pressing the Cadillac logo. The peak charging rate on a Level 3 DC fast charger is 190kW – decent, given the 400-volt architecture. It’s well ahead of the Lexus RZ’s 150kW peak, but lags behind the 800-volt Genesis GV60 and Electrified GV70 at 225 kW. Like in other Ultium vehicles, Cadillac doesn’t provide the standard 10-80% charge time. Rather, according to Cadillac, the Lyriq can achieve up to 77 miles of range in about 10 minutes.
It’s good news on the AC charging side too. Cadillac recognizes most EV owners will charge at home most of the time. Base Lyriqs come with a 11.5-kW (48A) onboard AC charger that can provide up to 31 miles of range per hour. Luxury and Sport trims get an even more powerful 19.2kW (80A) on-board charger that can provide up to 51 miles of range per hour. While this is fantastic, I don’t understand why Cadillac didn’t just offer the same 19.2kW charger on all trims. After all, they all use the same 102-kWh battery that could benefit from faster AC charging. To take full advantage of the 19.2-kW AC charger, you’ll need to install a higher-powered home charger, which can be a bit more expensive depending on your home’s electrical system – but it will also help future-proof you for new EVs.
Route planning on a road trip is easy thanks to the Lyriq’s built-in Google maps, which outlines the chargers that you’ll need along your route, with an estimated battery state of charge when you arrive at the charger.
2024 Lyriq Driving Impressions
As in most new electric cars, the Lyriq provides good acceleration. AWD models will accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in under five seconds – not as fast as the Genesis GV60’s 3.6 seconds, but still as fast as many sports cars. In contrast to the abrupt acceleration that you often get in many new EVs, the Lyriq’s power comes on strong but in a controlled and smooth manner.
The Lyriq’s ride and driving characteristics are tuned more for comfort and smoothness thanks in part to the very long wheelbase. Oddly, the Sport trim is just an appearance package with no special suspension tuning. Although it’s closely related to the Chevrolet Blazer EV that I drove recently, the Lyriq’s suspension tuning is more plush and forgiving – especially at highway speeds and over rough pavement. This makes it an excellent long-distance highway cruiser. The Lyriq is a heavy vehicle at about 5,800 lb, and you can sometimes feel its heft around corners with the softer suspension.
Cadillac Lyriq Pricing and Competition
In many ways, the Cadillac Lyriq is in a class of its own. Its biggest superpower is the bang-for-the-buck value. The Lyriq plays in a space above fully-loaded mainstream EVs – but well below the tier-one luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Cadillac’s arch-rival, Lincoln, doesn’t offer a full electric model, either.
While the Cadillac Lyriq EV doesn’t have the sportiness or acceleration of the Genesis GV60 and Electrified GV70, it offers a bigger, more usable vehicle with more range. Compared to the Lexus RZ, the Lyriq offers much more range, much faster AC and DC charging, and arguably more luxury. While it doesn’t offer the same level of luxury, refinement, technology, and features as the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE, the Lyriq is tens of thousands of dollars less expensive. You may be tempted to compare the Cadillac to a less expensive Tesla Model Y, but it doesn’t offer the same level of refinement, luxury space, and comfort.
LYRIQ is available in seven trims. The starting MSRP is $58,590 (including destination) for the Tech RWD and $62,090 for the Tech AWD. Luxury trims have a starting MSRP of $62,690 for the RWD and $66,190 for the AWD. Sport trims have a starting MSRP of $63,190 for the RWD and $66,690 for the AWD.
In my opinion, Cadillac has hit one out of the park with the Lyriq. You get a good sized and practical crossover SUV in a very stylish and premium package inside and out. As a made-in-USA EV, the Cadillac offers good range with a larger battery, great AC charging power, and decent DC fast charging. All at a fairly competitive price point in this segment, and one that gives you access to the $7,500 federal EV incentive.
Is this enough to reinvent Cadillac this time around? While it may not be the “Standard of the World” for EVs, the Lyriq is a new standard for GM and Cadillac – and definitely a step in the right direction for Cadillac’s reinvention as an electric brand. If you’re a GM or Cadillac owner looking to transition to electric, you need to look at the Lyriq. Equally, if you’re looking for an electric premium luxury crossover that offers great value, it also needs to be on your shopping list.
