Author: Guo Hehe

If there is one thing that has changed the most at car shows in recent years, it would probably be that new energy has gradually become the main theme of car shows from a sideline song. Nowadays, brand manufacturers feel ashamed to participate in exhibitions without new energy models. Cadillac, a traditional luxury brand known for authentic American large displacement, has launched its latest heavyweight product, a pure electric luxury SUV called LYRIQ, instead of a large displacement, or even non-internal combustion engine.

Friends who frequently surf the Internet can find that General Motors’ all-new Ultium Ultium electric vehicle platform has been widely seen on the Internet variety shows and various other places recently, especially with the appearance of Lang Ping’s guidance, making their slogan, “Ultium Ultium, make electric cars born stronger,” even more impactful.

The release of the Ultium electric vehicle platform gives people the feeling that the entire General Motors Group is “ALL IN” on electrification, which is not an easy task. The General Motors Group, with its large-scale products covering almost all sub-markets of vehicle types and grades, needs massive investment and a strong pure electric platform to meet the demands of this many markets for electric transformation.

The Ultium electric vehicle platform can achieve flexibility in battery packs and drive systems, whether it is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive, and can accommodate everything from the smallest electric logistics vehicle BrightDrop to the electric Hummer with output of over one thousand horsepower. LYRIQ is the first medium-to-large-sized luxury SUV built by the General Motors Group based on the Ultium electric vehicle platform.

From concept to mass production, the LYRIQ mass production version highly replicates the details of the concept car in design. It started presale in North America in September, and presale orders quickly sold out. In China, the mass production version will be released online on November 17th, and information on LYRIQ presale prices and related rights and benefits will be announced. At the subsequent Guangzhou Auto Show, LYRIQ mass-produced cars will also make their first appearance in front of the Chinese public.

There is no doubt that LYRIQ is a new starting point for Cadillac. It embodies Cadillac’s innovation practices and forward-looking courage for more than a century, and opens the curtain on Cadillac’s new era of intelligent pure electric with its forward-looking design, pioneer technology, and intelligent interconnection that combines luxury, technology, and future. When the electric cars of mainstream luxury brands on the market are striving to compete but achieving little, it is extremely important for Cadillac to enter the market in what kind of posture LYRIQ will have.

Stuart Norris, General Motors’ Vice President of Design for China and International, once said this when introducing the LYRIQ: “When we began designing this new electric vehicle, the challenge we faced was how to bring Cadillac to a new era, so that people could still recognize it as a Cadillac at a glance, but also see the Cadillac of the future.”

What sets century-old automakers apart from new upstart brands is that they pay attention to details and focus on the legacy of the past while exploring the future. Thus, no matter what type of car LYRIQ is, it must first and foremost be a Cadillac. Therefore, if you observe carefully, you will find many Easter eggs on this car. For example, the straight-line lightning taillights on the LYRIQ’s tail are a tribute to the 1967-1969 Cadillac Eldorado.

As early as 1971, Cadillac first adopted the wrap-around dashboard design, layouting the control buttons needed by the driver at the best angle. In addition to paying homage to this layout, the designers also blend futuristic and luxurious elements, outfitting LYRIQ with a 33-inch panoramic ultra-high-definition screen.

In addition to its large size and comprehensive information display, this curved screen also uses high-density partition backlighting technology. With precise control of the brightness of each unit partition, it can provide a dynamic contrast ratio of more than 100,000:1, perfectly displaying the night sky effect. At the same time, the screen can display 1 billion colors and has a resolution of 8960×1320 pixels, reaching the top-level pixel density of 271PPI at 9K. Its ultra-narrow frame design has a narrowest width of only 7.8 mm, and its screen-to-body ratio reaches 86.8%. There will be no awkward situations where some brands’ screens are designed to be large, but their black borders are so wide that they can park an aircraft carrier.

In addition to the touch screen, LYRIQ also retains some exquisite physical buttons. These control knobs evolved from classic 1950s styles, giving drivers a sense of precision like operating scientific instruments while reducing driving safety hazards.

In terms of dimensions, the LYRIQ’s length, width, and height are 5003 mm/1977 mm/1637 mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 3094 mm. In terms of size, it belongs to the mid-to-large SUV segment and has a clear advantage over the front-runners in the market (Audi e-tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC, and BMW iX3) from BBA.

In terms of range and safety, it is reported that the LYRIQ CLTC has a range of over 650 kilometers and supports fast charging throughout its lifetime, allowing for 96 kilometers of range with just 10 minutes of charging. Moreover, in terms of the most concerned driving assistance system in smart cars, the LYRIQ is equipped with the all-new Cadillac Super Cruise advanced driving assistance system. Prior to this, the Super Cruise system had achieved an accumulated record of 11 million kilometers of safe driving in North America based on high-precision maps and excellent software and hardware collaboration.

The upgraded all-new Cadillac Super Cruise advanced driving assistance system not only has more sensitive external environmental perception and more precise vehicle control, but also adds intelligent driving assistance functions such as changing lanes by command and automatic lane changing. Future over-the-air updates can also achieve more advanced intelligent driving functions.

Compared to the three competitors from BBA, Cadillac is a latecomer but will meet everyone up close at the Guangzhou Auto Show with the LYRIQ. For Cadillac, the LYRIQ represents the beginning of their next era, as well as the interpretation of traditional automakers toward luxury electric vehicles, launching another challenge to Tesla.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.