Cadillac's Tesla Model S Fighter Will Have A Supercar Price

Mar. 08, 2020 9:15 PM ET by Jay Traugott / 37 Comments

Is hand-built luxury worth this much?

Earlier this month, Cadillac made some big announcements. Not only is the Cadillac Lyric all-electric SUV on its way, but also something perhaps even more special. You see, Cadillac is in need of a new flagship sedan ever since the discontinuation of the CT6. The CT6's replacement is going to be a hand-built, low-volume, all-electric sedan called the Celestiq. Production will take place right here in America, specifically at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. Because tag to reflect this.

At last week's GM EV Day, the Celestiq will have a special status in the future lineup, it will also have a price automaker made several interesting announcements, among them the Cadillac Celestiq's price tag. Although some may assume the Celestiq is a Tesla Model S fighter, it will carry a supercar-like price of at least $200,000.

The most expensive Model S is around $130,000, just for comparison. Cadillac has yet to officially confirm this information but if it's true, the Celestiq will be the brand's most expensive production model ever. In fact, one could even argue the Cadillac Celestiq will not be a direct competitor to the Model S, but rather for ultra-luxury vehicles from the likes of Mercedes-Maybach, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley.

It's an impressive goal but Cadillac obviously needs to deliver the goods in order to justify a price like that. Then again, Cadillac is already describing the Celestiq as the "ultimate expression of Cadillac design and technology, and the ultimate luxury experience," so we remain hopeful.

Cadillac executives also need to be careful not to repeat the same mistake it did the last time the brand attempted an advanced hybrid plug-in flagship, the ELR. The Cadillac ELR, though it looked good inside and out, was a heavily re-skinned and dramatically overpriced first-generation Chevrolet Volt.

Fortunately, the Celestiq is expected to ride on GM's next-gen pure EV platform instead of an existing architecture. Design-wise, sources claim it'll draw direct inspiration from the stunning Cadillac Escala concept that debuted back in 2016 at Pebble Beach. The CT6 also had some Escala styling but the Celestiq will look even bolder.

Cadillac's Tesla Model S Fighter Will Have A Supercar Price

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Cadillac's Tesla Model S Fighter Will Have A Supercar Price

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Related Cars