“With the Cadillac Lyriq, it’s great to see a vehicle that doesn’t require spending more cash on options to improve range.”
- Sleek design
- Comfortable inside
- Solid vary
- Still has CarPlay
- Helpful driver-assist options
- Slightly expensive
- Slow to cost
While the likes of Ford, Hyundai, and Kia have been comparatively fast to modify to electrification for at the very least a few of their automobiles, others weren’t fairly as speedy. Cadillac, for instance, held off for a while, saying the Cadillac Lyriq in 2020 as a 2023 mannequin 12 months automobile. Early on within the Lyriq’s lifespan, the automobile was extremely tough to come up with, and even now, there are provide points, although these are lastly beginning to ease up.
The Lyriq is extra than simply Cadillac’s first EV. Like so many different automakers, Cadillac took the chance of releasing its first EV to introduce a brand new design language meant to signify Cadillac’s imaginative and prescient for the long run. Not solely that, however the Lyriq packs in new tech and options that make the expertise of driving a Cadillac extra trendy than earlier than.
Slightly over a 12 months into the Lyriq being on the street, how does it maintain up in an more and more aggressive EV area? I lately had the prospect to drive the Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 for per week to search out out.
Design and inside
As talked about, Cadillac took the chance of the Lyriq to introduce a brand new design language for its electrified automobiles. To be clear, the Lyriq actually provides design components of earlier Cadillac vehicles. For instance, it has that giant Cadillac grille on the entrance, although for the Lyriq, it’s a pretend grille somewhat than an actual one. It additionally has the vertically aligned headlights which have develop into a staple of Cadillac design. I actually like the general look of the Lyriq, even with the fake grille. I’m driving a white mannequin, and the black0and-white look is a pleasant one.
The again of the automobile is simply as attention-grabbing. It has angled taillights that reach down from the again of the roofline, then curve across the rear of the automobile. The two sides don’t fairly meet within the center for a full mild bar, however it’s nonetheless a modern and trendy look.
The inside of the automobile is nice too. It’s luxurious and modern-looking, and it doesn’t verge on getting overly gaudy, which is at all times good to see in vehicles that should be luxurious automobiles. The Lyriq options sturdy and soft-feeling leather-based upholstery, beneath which there’s seat heating, seat cooling, and massaging. Again, the seats are extremely comfy.
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The Lyriq provides loads of area for most individuals as nicely. There’s a good quantity of room within the second row of seats, and also you’ll get a big, open trunk that I discovered supplied loads of area for big objects like a stroller. The trunk has 28 cubic ft of cargo room, which is a stable quantity.
Ultimately, design is subjective, however once more, I fairly just like the look of the Lyriq and discover that the inside is comfy and splendid. It’s not over-the-top, however it’s actually premium.
Tech, infotainment, and driver help
The Lyriq doesn’t simply supply a brand new design — it’s additionally filled with tech that makes the expertise of driving it extra trendy and extra handy.
The star of the present is the expansive show on the entrance that stretches alongside the dashboard. This show joins the instrument monitor and the infotainment display screen into one, and even provides a contact panel on the far left aspect for the driving force to customise what’s proven on the instrument panel. For instance, you possibly can change between the instrument panel displaying map options, driver help options, or just instrument gauges. It’s a pleasant method, although I believe most individuals will decide their favourite view and keep it up without having fixed entry to those settings.
The software program expertise on the Lyriq isn’t horrible, however it’s not unimaginable both. The software program on the second-generation Rivian R1S that I lately drove is way superior to what’s on supply within the Lyriq. It’s a little bit of a disgrace as a result of, as a GM firm, Cadillac is slowly shifting away from providing CarPlay, although the Lyriq that I drove did nonetheless have CarPlay constructed into it. The software program is laid out very like a cellphone, with buttons to entry many of the main capabilities organized in a grid. There’s additionally a fast entry menu bar on the backside of the display screen that permits you to change between issues like maps, music, and automobile data. I did discover that the software program was decently responsive in comparison with different automobiles, although nonetheless not as responsive as what you’ll discover on a Tesla or Rivian.
Thankfully, there are some options that aren’t packed into the screens, like local weather controls. Cadillac has resisted the urge to cram fan pace and temperature controls into the software program, and also you’ll nonetheless get bodily paddles which can be simple to regulate with out taking your eyes off the street. It’s a safer and extra handy method, and I hope others comply with go well with and reverse selections to construct all the things into the software program.
One of the standout options on the Lyriq is entry to GM’s Super Cruise expertise, which basically permits for hands-free driving on the freeway. Super Cruise differentiates itself from primary adaptive cruise management by not solely permitting the automobile to drive with out the driving force having to maintain their arms on the wheel, but in addition with superior options like computerized lane altering, which the automobile performs when it finds itself caught behind a automobile going slower than the utmost pace that the driving force has set. I discovered that it labored fairly nicely and was a little bit bowled over the primary time the automobile modified lanes by itself. Again, the characteristic actually solely works on highways, and solely on choose highways — you possibly can’t activate it in a zone that it’s not set as much as work in. Other useful driver-assist options embody fowl’s eye parking views and an precise adaptive cruise management that can be utilized in conditions when the automobile isn’t in a position to use Super Cruise.
Driving expertise
I discovered the Lyriq to carry out fairly nicely total. I used to be particularly driving the Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3, which is the highest-end model of the Lyriq. While the Sport 3 could supply design tweaks and a few further options in comparison with different variations, all iterations of the Lyriq carry out the identical. The Lyriq is on the market in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations, and I used to be driving an all-wheel drive Lyriq.
The AWD Lyriq could be very fast. The dual-motor setup delivers 500 horsepower and is ready to speed up from 0 to 60 miles per hour in round 4.6 seconds. To be clear, there are many sooner EVs on the market, however years into test-driving EVs, I’m nonetheless excited each time I hit the accelerator and get that fast response and quick acceleration. Most drivers will discover it to be greater than fast sufficient for maneuvers like quick overtaking on the freeway and shortly getting on top of things on an entry ramp.
The Lyriq additionally provides glorious single-pedal driving choices, and in contrast to another trendy automobiles, it saves earlier settings for the subsequent time you activate the automobile. That could not sound like an enormous deal, however it’s undoubtedly an added comfort that EV drivers will respect. In many day-to-day driving situations, I discovered that I by no means actually needed to contact the brake pedal when in one-pedal driving mode.
Generally, I discovered the steering of the Lyriq to be comparatively responsive, and the automobile felt smaller than it really is round tighter turns. There wasn’t a lot lean, both. The suspension makes the trip comfy and clean, although it actually didn’t verge on being overly comfortable, and also you’ll nonetheless really feel larger bumps as you go over them. That may make driving on rougher terrain rather less comfy than in different automobiles, however total, I discovered the Lyriq to be clean.
Range and charging
The vary of the Lyriq varies a little bit relying on whether or not you get an all-wheel drive model or a rear-wheel drive model — however not as a lot as you may anticipate. The rear-wheel drive Lyriq will get 314 miles of vary, whereas the all-wheel drive configuration reduces that to 307 miles. It’s good to see a automobile that gives greater than 300 miles of vary in all configurations.
The Lyriq costs fairly shortly too, although not as quick because the upcoming Cadillac Escalade IQ will. The Lyriq tops out at 190 kilowatts at a DC quick charger. The charging curve of the Lyriq seems to be a little bit totally different from another EVs, and the automobile appears to take a little bit longer to completely cost than I might have favored to have seen. To get from 10% to 80%, it takes over 40 minutes, which is a little bit sluggish. Basically, what which means is that whereas the automobile may attain 190kW in some unspecified time in the future in its cost, for probably the most half, it’s charging at a a lot slower price.
Like different EVs, it’s price considering lengthy and laborious about how you intend on charging a automobile — in a best-case state of affairs, you’ll cost at house in a single day.
How DT would configure this automobile
The Cadillac Lyriq is a superb electrical automobile. It provides a modern exterior, an opulent inside, and a stable vary total. It’s not low cost, in fact — in any case, this can be a luxurious automobile. To get even the bottom mannequin of the automobile, you’ll pay $58,590. But for those who’re prepared to spend some money on a extra luxurious crossover-sized electrical automobile than the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, you’ll love what’s on supply with the Cadillac Lyriq.
It’s nice to see a automobile that doesn’t require spending additional cash on choices to enhance vary. The base mannequin Lyriq is named the Cadillac Lyriq Tech, and it has the identical vary as different variations of the Lyriq. However, some individuals may wish to spend the extra $4,000 to improve to the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury, which provides the Super Cruise driver help tech, a greater speaker system, seat air flow and massaging, and extra. These are luxuries, to be clear, however the Lyriq typically is a luxurious automobile, and in order for you high-end options, it’s most likely price upgrading to the Lyriq Luxury.
Most individuals won’t must spend the additional cash on the Cadillac Lyriq Sport, which prices one other $500 or so and solely actually provides some minor design modifications in comparison with the Luxury mannequin. Many patrons will wish to improve to the AWD powertrain too, which provides a further $4,000 to the value. The AWD Cadillac Lyriq Luxury begins at $66,190. The AWD Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 that we reviewed prices $74,815.