Author: Shidi

Prior to the Guangzhou Auto Show on November 17th, Cadillac LYRIQ was officially released and went on sale, with the first model being the rear-wheel drive long-endurance luxury version with a pre-sale price of 4.397 million yuan, marking Cadillac’s first foray into the electric vehicle arena. For General Motors as a whole, the launch of Cadillac LYRIQ also means that its Ultium ultra-energy pure electric platform has officially taken a step towards mass production. At this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show, the appearance of Cadillac LYRIQ is undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching members of the brand.

Built-in Highlights

In terms of appearance, Cadillac LYRIQ basically restores the design elements of the concept car, with the family shield-shaped style of the front grille retained and integrated with a 1.8m black crystal brilliant grille, becoming one of the most topical designs of the car. As the vehicle starts, the LED light strip inside the angular texture designed front grille will gradually light up, including the front logo. In short, the entire front grille will light up, and the vehicle is said to adopt a total of 736 LED lights.

Both front headlights are completely different from traditional ones, and are made up of multiple separate LEDs, making them very cool when lit up, with a special sense of ceremony. In addition, the unique design of the silver ventilation openings on both sides of the front also highlights its uniqueness, forming a segmented collaboration with the entire front grille. Overall, the design of the entire front face is very aggressive.

The new car’s side is also very interesting, with the front half of the body resembling an SUV, while the rear half has a sloping back like a coupe. It is regrettable that the frameless doors and rearview cameras that serve as external mirrors on the original concept car have been cancelled. Of course, given the limitations of the current traffic regulations, the cancellation of most concept car rearview cameras is a last resort.

In terms of the dimension data of the car body, the length, width and height of Cadillac LYRIQ are 5003/1977/1637 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 3094 mm. The main reason for achieving such a close to 3.1-meter wheelbase is that its electric drive system implements high integration of eight components in one, which maximally reduces the chassis space occupied by the drive system, becoming an important guarantee for a larger wheelbase.

Like most pure electric vehicles, Cadillac LYRIQ also adopts the hidden door handles. However, unlike the design principle of most previous models using telescopic or press designs, the four door handles of Cadillac LYRIQ only need to lightly press the protruding part on the rear side to open the door automatically.

At the same time, there is a small handle-like design above the main/driver’s door handle, similar to Ford Mustang Mach-E, which is convenient for opening the door.

The new car’s charging port is located on the left front fender and supports whole vehicle lifecycle DC fast charging. The range can be extended by 96 kilometers in 10 minutes of charging, and it is equipped with a wireless connected battery management system.

The tires are equipped with Michelin’s e-PRIMACY series, which is designed for pure electric vehicles and can play a certain role in reducing wind resistance and extending the range. The tire size is 265/50 R20. They are matched with the tough and stylish double six-spoke alloy wheels, which look simple and dynamic.

The rear of the Cadillac LYRIQ also has a high topic value, especially the light strip design that extends from the rear to the D-pillar, which is very eye-catching. With the illumination, it increases the identification of the tail. As a result, the distance between the C-pillar and the D-pillar of the Cadillac LYRIQ is obviously reduced, and the tail lights and rear windshield also adopt a forward extension processing, thereby creating a coupe-like shape from the side.

The styling of the Cadillac LYRIQ is very aggressive overall, quite different from previous models from the brand. However, some details still show the brand’s familiar touch, and the fog lights and large black panels on both sides of the front grille echo each other harmoniously. Meanwhile, as a pure electric vehicle with no tailpipe, the Cadillac LYRIQ cleverly disguises the lack of exhaust pipes by using reflective lines to make it appear as though there are two exhaust vents on both sides of the car.

33-inch 9k curved screen

Inside the car, the new generation VCS intelligence virtual cockpit reflects American luxury in every detail. One of the biggest highlights is the 33-inch 9k curved screen with 10 billion colors, 10-bit color depth, and 271 PPI pixel density, which is a series-standard feature that offers a resolution higher than 4K UHD televisions in most homes. It is powered by a Qualcomm flagship 8155 chip and integrates navigation, entertainment systems, lighting control, HUD head-up display settings, and General Motors’ latest Super Cruise driver assistance system.

The screen will be divided into three areas to display different information, unlike the traditional double screens. It features a three-screen design with visible dividing borders between screens. However, the Cadillac LYRIQ screen will achieve a true “seamless connection” between areas without obvious borders. The UI effect is still unknown as the concept car showed at the event was not powered on.

The Cadillac LYRIQ also features a newly designed three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, with cruise control and other driving assistance buttons on the left and multimedia controls on the right.

Cadillac LYRIQ uses a gear-shifting mechanism with backlight design on the gear lever, offering a touch of luxury in the details.

The physical buttons are used in the air conditioning control area below the central control screen, and the pressing texture is very clear.

In addition to touch control, the central screen of the LYRIQ also has a knob for controlling the multimedia entertainment system in the central area of the driver and co-driver. It is officially called the “Morantz Shield Electric Drill Knob”, and the diamond-like texture design will light up after the vehicle is powered on.

Meanwhile, the Cadillac LYRIQ is currently the only car brand that collaborates with AKG, and the new car is also the first to be equipped with a 19-speaker AKG audio system with a system power of 1400W. Through many technologies such as Quantum Logic surround sound technology, Acoustic Lens acoustic prism, and Unity coaxial composite speaker design, it creates an intelligent immersive luxury experience for users.

On the door panels of the LYRIQ, the candlelight-shadow interior panels are composed of real wood layers, transparent aluminum film, diffuser plates, and substrate skeletons. After the ambient lights are turned on, they can present a pattern of swaying trees, and the surface has a strong texture.

The mass-produced car does not use the four-seat layout of the concept version, but adopts a more practical five-seat layout, and the backrest of the rear seats is adjustable. It is reported that the design inspiration of the mass-produced seats comes from a luxurious lounge chair, and the spacious and comfortable seats conform to ergonomics design.

Meanwhile, compared with the very cool design and intelligent functions in the front row, the rear air conditioning only has two air outlets and is not made into an independently controlled zone.

The space in the trunk is worth praising. Its overall depth is very deep, and there is also a sizable storage space beneath the panel, so the entire trunk space is more than enough to meet the needs of family transportation.

Moreover, there is a very user-friendly design on the trunk, which is the button for folding down the rear seats, making it easier to fold down the rear seats and thereby expanding the storage space.

In terms of power, the first launch model has a rear-wheel drive layout and is equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power of 255 kW and a peak torque of 440 Nm. The acceleration time from 0-100 km/h is 6.9 seconds, and the maximum speed is 190 km/h. The subsequent four-wheel drive model will have an acceleration time from 0-100 km/h of less than 4.9 seconds.

In terms of power battery, the Cadillac LYRIQ is equipped with an Ultium lithium-ion battery for rear-wheel drive, which was jointly developed by SAIC General Motors and CATL. The battery capacity of the rear-wheel drive version is 95.7 kWh, and the official energy consumption per 100 kilometers is 15.6 kWh/100 km. Under the CLTC test cycle, the range exceeds 650 kilometers.

Conclusion

From the current competitive market, the most precise competitor of Cadillac LYRIQ in the same price range and positioning is the NIO ES6. The advantage of the new players in the car manufacturing industry and the traditional car companies is their weakest point; such as brand influence, product strength, marketing model, and customer service, etc. Previously, NIO ES8 had a relatively good response because it had a time difference. However, with the arrival of new competitors, who can firmly establish their foothold in the mid-to-large-size SUV sub-market, will be very interesting to watch!

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.