With the Cadillac Lyriq, GM is betting that there's plenty more room in the premium battery-electric crossover space - at least for an entrant that pulls out all the stops in terms of design, creature comforts, and advanced powertrain. That bet might just pay off; by the numbers, the Audi e-tron has proven a smashing success for the VW Group, and Tesla's recently-launched Model Y appears to be off to a strong start, even without access to European markets.
Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait until August 6 to get the full scoop on how the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq will carve out a space for itself in the luxury electric crossover market, but until then, here's everything we know about the new model so far.
Stylistically, the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq will share much in common with the electric crossover concept the brand debuted back in 2019, with a fake grille and real, functional side inlets featuring an intricate, mesmerizing pattern. It will ride on the crossover flavor of GM's third-generation electric vehicle platform, dubbed "BEV3", and it will be powered by the company's advanced, energy-dense "Ultium" battery technology, with cells lining the floor of the vehicle for a low center-of-gravity and no bothersome cabin intrusions like the Chevy Volt suffered from.
And in a new teaser image released by GM on Thursday, we learned that the charge port will be well hidden behind a broad, sliding panel designed into the front drivers side fender - no obvious-looking "fuel filler door"-style port cover here. According to some who have seen the concept, the door handles are much the same way: well disguised so as not to detract from the vehicle's sculpture. They sit flush with the body when not in use.
Reportedly, the roof of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq will be one big, shining sea of glass, stretching from the top of the windshield to the rear roof spoiler. And speaking of big pieces of glass, of course, the big centerpiece of the electric crossover's interior will be a long, curved 34-inch LED screen serving as driver instrument panel, infotainment screen, and interior controls panel all at once.
The lack of a conventional drivetrain has of course opened up all sorts of options for extra cabin storage, with two drawers in the center stack and a sizable bin in the console between the seats. The one bit of retro throwback in the entire vehicle: it reportedly uses a column-mounted gear selector.
The Cadillac Lyriq is expected to go into production in late-2021 or early-2022, with the first units being delivered to China, a few weeks before the US will get its first examples. We'll know more when the Lyriq is officially revealed on August 6 at 7pm Eastern Time.