2026 Cadillac Vistiq review
The Cadillac Vistiq, in contrast, has seating for up to seven, which sees it rival the Volvo EX90, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and… well, not much else.
It's closely related to the Lyriq, General Motors luxury brand's debut product in Australia.
Cadillac explains it uses the same 'upscale architecture' as that smaller, two-row SUV, with the two SUVs using a 'different branch' of GM's BEV3 dedicated electric vehicle (EV) platform.
To that end, the Vistiq and Lyriq share the same wheelbase, battery, and front and rear electric motors.
But the Vistiq stretches 217mm longer at 5222mm, or 185mm longer than an EX90.
Given the flagship, body-on-frame Escalade iQ and Escalade iQL aren't coming to Australia, the Vistiq – which Cadillac executives are all too happy to hear referred to as a 'baby Escalade' – will be the brand's flagship SUV in Australia.
It's due here in 2026, part of a dramatically expanded Cadillac lineup that will also include a hotter V-Series version of the Lyriq, as well as the new entry-level Optiq crossover SUV.
All are electric, as Cadillac has committed to being an EV-only brand in Australia.
Even in its home market, Cadillac is focusing more on EVs than many other luxury brands. It's phasing out its petrol-powered XT4 and XT6 crossovers there, with the XT5 likely to follow, leaving buyers with the similarly sized Optiq, Lyriq and Vistiq – plus the petrol-powered Escalade and electric Escalade iQ atop the range.
The good thing is Cadillac's new electric crossover SUVs are much more impressive than its moribund petrol-powered ones. Not since the first-generation (2004-09) SRX has Cadillac offered a crossover SUV that can truly put the fight to rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
How much does the Cadillac Vistiq cost?
While Cadillac hasn't announced pricing for the Vistiq in Australia, it has confirmed it will offer only up-spec variants featuring adaptive air suspension and a six-seat configuration with second-row captain's chairs.
In the US, the Vistiq is offered in Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury and Platinum trim levels, with prices ranging from $US79,090 to $US98,190 (~A$120,000-149,000). All feature a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain.
The most affordable all-wheel drive Lyriq is priced from US$63,590 (~A$97,000) in its home market. Here, it's priced from $122,000.
To see how the Cadillac Vistiq stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
What is the Cadillac Vistiq like on the inside?
Cadillac has done a terrific job giving each of its electric SUVs a unique feel inside, even if they may share key components.
The Vistiq, like the Optiq and Lyriq, has a 33-inch curved display. This comprises a digital instrument cluster and an infotainment touchscreen.
It also includes an additional touch panel between the steering wheel and the driver's door that can be used to control the headlights, view trip information and change the instrument cluster layout.
But the Vistiq is alone among this trio in featuring an additional touchscreen used for the climate control, similar to screens you'll find in Audi and Range Rover products.
While the Optiq and Lyriq's row of physical climate control switches didn't really need replacing, this screen does at least feature haptic feedback.
The centre console has a unique design too. Behind the climate touchscreen are a pair of wireless charging pads, while aft of it you'll find a pair of cupholders and a rotary dial to control the infotainment system.
There's a two-spoke steering wheel, which looks attractive but does occasionally feel weird in operation – 'Which way is up?'
As with the Optiq and Lyriq, there are some eye-catching interior colourways available.
We drove a Premium Luxury, for example, which featured blue on the dashboard, seats and doors, with suede pillar and headliner trim, and beautiful wood inlays.
Modern Cadillac interiors often employ many different types of materials. By that, we don't mean multiple types of black plastic trim with different graining, but rather mixtures of wood, leather, metal and plastic.
Some may find this style busy, but to my eyes the Vistiq's interior feels appropriately posh with an elegant design and interesting material choices.
I like touches like the (admittedly Mercedes-Benz-like) seat controls on the doors, as well as the knurled metal volume wheel and infotainment dial and cupholder surrounds.
The latter sit near touch-capacitive shortcut buttons which you may accidentally 'press' with your sleeve.
There are a few material and design choices I don't care for. The bottoms of the doors are finished in hard plastic, though this is something we've also noticed in $200,000-plus Audis and $500,000-plus Porsches.
The hard plastic glove compartment lid feels a bit cheap, too, while the patterned trim on the top of the dashboard behind the curved screen results in major glare on the windscreen.
Everything feels generally well screwed together, mind you. If we're nitpicking, the centre console bin lid is just a tad wobbly.
After unusually launching the Lyriq without a head-up display, a common feature among luxury brands and plenty of non-luxury ones too, the Vistiq features a dual-pane augmented reality head-up display.
Information like speed is displayed on one tier, with turn-by-turn directions on the other.
However, the Vistiq does without Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both of which feature on the Lyriq.
General Motors has been moving away from this smartphone mirroring technology in its EVs, arguing its Android Automotive-based infotainment system gives you a raft of embedded Google apps and the opportunity to download more
The embedded Google Maps will helpfully tell you what your charge level will be at your destination, and suggest charging stops along your route. But after years of getting us used to smartphone mirroring apps, to drop them is a frustrating choice by GM.
Second-row occupants also get a touchscreen for adjusting climate settings, while other amenities include air vents, map pockets, a pair of USB-C outlets, and a 110V power outlet.
There's plenty of room, and the floor is flat aft of the first-row seats. There's the choice of a three-seat bench or individual captain's chairs, the latter of which will be standard fitment in Australia.
With the captain's chairs, you can easily scramble to the third row via the middle. Alternatively, there's a button on each seat that sees it tilt and slide forward.
At 180cm tall, my knees were just touching the second-row seatbacks when I sat in the third row. However, someone my height in the second row was able to move their seat forward ever so slightly and still enjoy plenty of space, while also freeing up more for me.
I had plenty of headroom, with the fixed glass panel – which is available with a shade – actually providing me with more space for my noggin. Toe room wasn't a problem either.
This makes the third row more spacious than, say, that of a Kia EV9. Amenities back here include air vents, cupholders and padded armrests on each side, as well as a pair of USB-C outlets.
Cadillac quotes 431 litres of boot space behind the third row, expanding to 1218L with the third row dropped and 2272L with the second and third rows dropped.
To see how the Cadillac Vistiq stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
What's under the bonnet?
There's just one powertrain available in the Vistiq.
Cadillac publishes two different range figures for the Vistiq in the US, both based on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test cycle. It has 491km of range, dropping to 483km when equipped with the optional 19.2kW onboard charger.
It separately advertises a 460km figure under the WLTP test cycle in Europe.
The European-market Vistiq is advertised as having a 91kWh NCMA battery, while the US-market Vistiq has a 102kWh capacity. Powertrain specifications are otherwise the same.
To see how the Cadillac Vistiq stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
How does the Cadillac Vistiq drive?
The Vistiq features multi-link front and five-link rear suspension with semi-active Chassis Damping Control dampers as standard.
Unlike the smaller Optiq and Lyriq, the Vistiq can be had with air suspension – something which typically promises a plusher feel.
You don't need to step up to an air-suspended Vistiq, however, to enjoy a comfortable ride.
A caveat here: we'll get the export chassis tune in Australia and not the American one we tested. Cadillac says export markets like Europe and Australia expect a sportier though not harsh or aggressive feel.
'[There's] not much of a difference. A lot of it's on-centre steering feel… and on-centre damper control,' lead development engineer Drew Mitchell told CarExpert.
'The way we calibrate damper current and firmness… We try to give you a little bit more on-centre stiffness, help a little bit with some of that motion control, so it's going to feel in the American variant a little softer.'
We had a relatively limited test route along mostly suburban roads, though I was able to take a detour or two to drive the Vistiq across some unsealed roads.
First, we drove a Premium Luxury riding on huge 23-inch alloy wheels and fitted with air suspension.
It didn't quite smother train tracks, but it gobbled up some rather jagged Michigan roads. It also settled quickly over rises, though we didn't find too many undulating roads along our route.
Driving Vistiqs back to back, we found those with air suspension had a touch more float but didn't feel barge-like by any means. Still, Cadillac says the standard suspension offers a sportier feel, though it's still very comfortable.
The Vistiq has a similarly classy feel to the Lyriq over the road, and this extends beyond a plush ride.
The propulsion sound is subdued, and throttle response is smooth and progressive; Cadillac says it worked hard on what's called 'lash controlling', with the aim of limiting the jerky feeling you get with some high-performance EVs.
As a result, the Vistiq won't rock you back in your seat, so if you want thrills like that you'll likely have to wait for a Vistiq-V… if Cadillac decides to build one.
You can press a red V button on the steering wheel to engage Velocity Max mode and give you quicker acceleration. This isn't tied to a drive mode setting, and pushing it changes only the pedal response, giving you maximum power and torque albeit while depleting the battery quicker.
There are Tour, Sport and Snow/Ice drive modes selectable via an anchored bar at the bottom of the touchscreen, with a custom My Mode allowing you to adjust settings for the steering, brakes, suspension, acceleration, and motor sound.
We mostly drove in Tour mode, and the Vistiq has light, manageable steering at low speeds. It's not completely vacant, mind you, but flicking the Vistiq over to Sport mode doesn't do much to change the steering weighting and feel.
Making the Vistiq more nimble is available rear-wheel steering. This sees the rear wheels turn in the the opposite direction of the front wheels, up to 3.5 degrees, at low speeds to improve maneuverability; at higher speeds, they turn with the front wheels to improve control.
Cadillac is planning to offer a 'Stealth' sound, getting rid of the artificial propulsion sound. But the regular sound is hardly obtrusive, and the Vistiq is blessed with a serene cabin. Very little wind noise makes its way in.
As with the Lyriq, Cadillac has included a 'regen on demand' paddle behind the steering wheel that effectively allows you to brake the vehicle without putting your foot on the brake pedal. You can also activate a typical one-pedal driving mode.
We saw energy consumption of between 22.2kWh/100km and 28.2kWh/100km, though again we must note this was a limited test route.
The Vistiq comes standard in the US with Super Cruise, allowing for hands-free driving across over a million kilometres of roads in North America – typically divided highways. This feature is unlikely to come here.
While GM vehicles equipped with Super Cruise haven't offered a lane-centring function for use on roads on which the system doesn't function, the automaker is introducing what it calls hands-on centring assist on certain vehicles for 2026.
It's unclear if we'll get this feature in Australia; we should hope so, given how unusual it is that the Lyriq lacks such a feature in our market.
To see how the Cadillac Vistiq stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
What do you get?
Cadillac hasn't confirmed precisely what the local Vistiq lineup will look like, but it has confirmed it'll only offer high-end trims. In the US it's offered in four different trim levels, and we'd expect only the top two to be offered here.
2025 Cadillac Vistiq Luxury equipment highlights:
21-inch alloy wheels
Continuous Damping Control
Vehicle-to-home (V2H) functionality
19.2kW onboard charger
LED headlights with LED cornering lights
Illuminated front grille and badge
Illuminated door handles
Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors with driver's auto-dimming
Rain-sensing wipers
Panoramic sunroof
Power tailgate
Privacy glass
Remote start
7-seat configuration
33-inch curved display
Digital rear-view mirror
Power-adjustable front seats
Heated second-row seats
Heated steering wheel
Power tilt and telescoping steering column
Five-zone climate control
Active Noise Cancellation
AKG 23-speaker sound system with Dolby Atmos
Wireless phone charging
Illuminated front door sill plates
Ambient lighting
Alloy pedals
The Sport features darker exterior elements.
The Premium Luxury adds:
22-inch alloy wheels
Adaptive air suspension
Active Rear Steering
6-seat configuration with second-row captain's chairs
Front passenger seat memory
Augmented reality head-up display
Night Vision
Sueded microfibre headliner
The Platinum adds:
Black roof
Brembo front brakes
Body-colour wheel arch mouldings
To see how the Cadillac Vistiq stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
Is the Cadillac Vistiq safe?
The Cadillac Vistiq has yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, or American safety authorities such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Standard safety equipment across the range includes:
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
Blind-spot assist
Driver attention monitoring
Rear cross-traffic assist
Safe exit warning
Surround-view camera
Traffic sign recognition
Super Cruise
8 airbags
To see how the Cadillac Vistiq stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
How much does the Cadillac Vistiq cost to run?
Cadillac Australia hasn't released local servicing and warranty information for the Vistiq. However, the Lyriq is currently backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty.
The Lyriq also comes with five years of free roadside assistance and free scheduled servicing, with visits to a service location required every 12 months or 12,000km.
To see how the Cadillac Vistiq stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
CarExpert's Take on the Cadillac Vistiq
While most luxury brands have been focusing on large, two-row electric SUVs, Cadillac has developed a three-row SUV that offers spacious and comfortable accommodation across all three rows.
It might share much with the Lyriq, but Cadillac has also given the Vistiq a significantly different visual identity inside and out. Cadillac's new EVs all have a classy look and feel inside out, and the Vistiq builds on the Lyriq base with new features like rear-wheel steering, air suspension, Night Vision, and a head-up display… though the removal of smartphone mirroring grates.
There are some question marks here. We don't yet know how much it'll cost in Australia – it likely won't be cheap, especially if Cadillac is bringing only up-spec models, but just how much pricier will it be than, say, a Volvo EX90?
It also remains to be seen how much of a difference in feel the global suspension tune will bring.
Cadillac's dealer network is also tiny in Australia at the moment – one Experience Centre in Sydney, another one opening soon in Brisbane, but nothing yet locked in for Melbourne.
However, based on our short time with the vehicle, we found an impressive mix of performance, practicality, style and comfort that should make the Vistiq worth considering if you need a three-row electric SUV.
Interested in buying a Cadillac Vistiq? Get in touch with one of CarExpert's trusted dealers here
Pros
Smooth and comfortable to drive
Spacious interior
Stylish inside and out
Cons
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In case you haven't noticed, Cadillac now sells cars in Australia. General Motors' luxury brand has made a low-key entrance Down Under, where it's opened just one 'experience centre' (another one is coming this year) and introduced just one model, while deliberately avoiding talking about sales targets. For all the talk of 'exclusive volumes', however, it's the Cadillac Optiq here that represents the brand's best chance at taking a slice of the luxury electric vehicle (EV) market in Australia. Due for release here in 2026, when it will slot in under the Lyriq already on sale, the Optiq will serve as an entry point to the Cadillac lineup that will also grow next year to include the large, three-row Vistiq and sporty Lyriq-V. 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That's handy, as the Optiq is missing physical shortcut buttons for features like the camera or drive mode selection. GM is pushing buyers, at least in the US, to use the embedded Google Maps in vehicles like the Optiq which use Google built-in. Thankfully, we're getting both wireless smartphone mirroring and the functionality that comes with Google built-in. This includes smart routing. When you put in a destination, Google Maps will calculate when and where to make charging stops, and will tell you what the battery charge level will be when you arrive at your destination. Additionally, the battery will pre-condition itself as you near a charging stop. At first I was disappointed that Google Maps doesn't extend across the whole display like in, say, a Genesis vehicle, but then I realised you could have two different views. Perhaps it's a bit obsessive-compulsive of me, but it does bother me somewhat that each map display is a different shape… And while Google Maps is typically vastly better than embedded navigation in many cars, it's not perfect – it managed to get bamboozled by Chicago's twisted web of motorways on a couple of occasions. As it features Google built-in, the infotainment system therefore includes Google Assistant and an array of Google apps, with more downloadable via the Google Play Store. Still, there's no access to messaging apps, and it is a bit disappointing to see a company get us so used to having smartphone mirroring and then take it away. Fortunately, this won't affect Australian buyers – apart from the absence of Super Cruise (more on that later), we're arguably getting a better suite of technology than Americans. At the bottom of the touchscreen, always visible, are shortcuts for the one-pedal drive mode; glove box; the map, media, home and charging menus; as well as information like the time, temperature and signal for the 5G hotspot. The infotainment system worked well, apart from one instance where the screen went blank as I neared a much-needed charging stop in the dead of night in regional Michigan. It did sort itself quickly, however, without my having to restart the vehicle. Unlike in the Australian-market Lyriq, there's a head-up display. Behind the steering wheel you'll find a combination wiper/indicator stalk, the Mercedes-Benz-style gear shifter, and the Regen on Demand paddle. The steering wheel is tactile and wrapped in leather, with solidly constructed metallic switches plus touch-capacitive ones with haptic feedback. The black bar at the top tells you the status of Super Cruise, which is handy, but it does feel a little creaky and plasticky. There were no build quality issues with the Optiqs we drove, but if we're nit-picking, the stalks on the column could be better-damped. There's gloss black on the steering wheel, and on the door-mounted seat controls, and small splashes elsewhere in the cabin. It looks great, but it'll attract smudges and dust more than any other interior surface known to humankind… While the Cadillac's interior doesn't look like a Mercedes-Benz's, as mentioned there are a handful of design elements that take inspiration. Not included among these is the ambient lighting – it's colour-adjustable like in a Benz, but it's a helluva lot more subtle. It appears from behind the white or blue contrast trim, with a chequered appearance. There's also subtle back lighting for the door pockets, storage shelf, and the open and deep centre stack storage cubby. Step into the rear and there's sufficient headroom, though at 180cm my hair brushed the headliner when I sat upright. There's an expansive fixed glass roof, which features a power sunshade that fortunately does do a good job of blocking out the sun. The Optiq's rakish roofline does mean visibility out the back is compromised, with a narrow and steeply raked rear window. However, there's a digital rear-view mirror. Cadillac has also included rear-quarter windows. You might not see them from the outside, as they're concealed behind that 'Mondrian' pattern and only visible in certain lights, but you can see out of them easily. There's a comfortable rear bench with plenty of leg- and knee-room and an almost completely flat floor. The centre console does eat into the centre-seat occupant's legroom a little bit, but it includes a pair of USB-C outlets, an open cubby, air vents, and a power outlet. While the soft-touch trim of the front doors carries through to the back, the front seatbacks are hard – not that you'd know it at first, given their prominent stitching elements. They do feature soft map pockets, however. Open the power tailgate and you'll find there's enough room for a large suitcase and a large duffel bag, but don't try stacking suitcases here – the raked tailgate compromises vertical load space. A cargo cover conceals the area. What's under the bonnet? We drove an MY25 Optiq, but for MY26 there have been some significant mechanical changes to Cadillac's entry-level electric SUV. For starters, the Mexican-built Optiq is now available with a single-motor powertrain – with rear-wheel drive, not front-wheel drive like in the Chinese-built Optiq – producing 232kW of power and 450Nm of torque. That's not far off the outputs of the dual-motor all-wheel drive MY25 Optiq we tested, which produces 224kW and 480Nm. But dual-motor versions have received a massive power bump for MY26, to 328kW and 675Nm. There's also an even hotter Optiq-V packing 387kW and 880Nm plus other enhancements like the addition of Continuous Damping Control adaptive dampers. Whether we're talking MY25 or MY26, the Optiq has an 85kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NCM) battery. Range is 486km on the stricter US EPA cycle for the MY25 AWD, 482km for the MY26 RWD, and 451km for the MY26 AWD. The maximum DC fast-charging rate is unchanged at 150kW. In the MY25 Optiq we drove, we saw energy consumption of 18.3kWh/100km while driving around Detroit, and in highway driving this rose to as much as 21.4kWh/100km. Over a total of 1100km of driving, much of which was on the highway, we saw energy consumption of 19.4kWh/100km. The Optiq's energy consumption, charging rate and range therefore are far from class-leading for a mid-size electric SUV. The Model Y Long Range AWD, for example, has 526km of range on the US EPA cycle (600km on the WLTP cycle), and has a maximum DC charging rate of 250kW. How does the Cadillac Optiq drive? It wasn't just a steering wheel on the left-hand side and a lack of smartphone mirroring that made our Optiq test car different to the vehicles we'll get here. As mentioned, the dual-motor all-wheel drive Optiq has received a significant bump in power for MY26, which is likely to carry over to the Australian-market version. Australia will get a global suspension tune, too, though GM says it won't be too different from the American tune. That's a good thing, as this is one plush, comfortable EV. It may not have adaptive dampers but it scarcely needs them. Cadillac says its 'Passive Plus' system, which includes an extra valve in the damper, gets it close to the ride comfort of adaptive systems without the cost of all the electronics. It's not just marketing hype. The Optiq manages to soak up crappy surfaces without impact harshness, while managing crests and dips without losing body control. It felt smooth at train crossings, too. In short, ride comfort proved excellent across pockmarked roads – particularly the poorly surfaced, badly damaged ones in Illinois. The steering is nicely weighted – light enough that steering around town and parking remains entirely manageable, without feeling so light that you don't have confidence in the vehicle. But there's no hiding that long wheelbase in really tight parking garages, where the Optiq can be a bit of a handful. One downtown Chicago parking garage turned into a stressful ordeal with 180-degree turns on its ramps. Sadly, we didn't get to drive the Optiq on too many windy roads – we were in the American Midwest, after all, where the terrain is mostly flat and the roads are mostly grids. When you get excited for a highway on-ramp, you know there's not a lot of great driving roads around… On these on-ramps, the Optiq could be steered confidently and presented well-managed body roll. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it feels more nimble than the larger Lyriq, which we have driven on twisty roads and found to generally handle well. Push the accelerator and you'll find throttle response is nice and progressive. Cadillac engineers were conscious of what is referred to as lash, and as a result the Optiq gets up to speed gracefully without rocking you back in your seat… or feeling sluggish, either. You can pop it in Sport mode, which gives it a little bit more squirt while adding some noticeable weight to the steering without making it burdensomely heavy. However, we expect if you want thrills from your EV, the Optiq-V – not yet confirmed for Australia – will deliver more of them. The steering may be good in this car, but for a lot of my driving I wasn't steering at all. Instead, I was letting the car do it. That's because the Optiq comes standard in the US with Super Cruise, which allows for hands-free driving across over a million kilometres of roads in North America. Sadly, it's not coming here due to the cost of engineering this system for our roads. And that's a bloody shame, as Super Cruise made highway driving a breeze, slowing down and speeding up where appropriate, and keeping the car centred in its lane while managing heavy rain, construction zones, and other complications. You still need to keep your eyes ahead, but the system never made an alarming move, and if you're approaching an unmapped stretch of road or you're not paying attention, the car will warn you via a large light on the steering wheel. There's even an automatic lane-change feature, and the Optiq is actually a bit impatient like a human when it comes to being stuck behind cars on the highway. The seat vibrates your left or right butt cheek when it's about to perform a lane change, so as not to alarm your passengers. And if you do feel like taking back over from Super Cruise, you can put your hands back on the wheel and it doesn't feel like you're wrestling with the system. The transitions are seamless. Our tester was an MY25 vehicle, so it didn't have the latest Super Cruise advancement that sees the vehicle automatically change lanes to keep you on the route you've set in Google Maps. However, even in MY26 vehicles with Super Cruise, the mapping still doesn't include typical urban streets, and the system can't detect traffic lights or stop the vehicle at them. Unlike Tesla, GM says it isn't looking to add this functionality to its semi-autonomous driving tech. While we won't get Super Cruise in Australia, we hope GM's new Hands-on Lane Centring Assist function – launching in certain MY26 vehicles in the US – is made available here. Without this, the Optiq will be left with just lane-keep assist, as in the Australian-market Lyriq, which is insufficient for a luxury car in 2025. The Optiq's speed sign recognition system didn't throw up any false alerts. Let's see if the Australian-market system is as well-calibrated. The embedded Google Maps, once you punch in a destination, will tell you your estimated battery percentage at the end of your journey and suggest charging stops along the way if necessary. Battery pre-conditioning is also linked to Google Maps, with the Optiq getting its battery ready for charging as you get closer to your destination. All of this worked well for the most part, apart from one leg of the journey when the estimated charge level at my destination bounced around a bit before settling. A serene cabin also made the Optiq an excellent highway cruiser. Tyre roar is well suppressed, and there's just a little bit of wind rustle around the mirrors but nothing objectionable. There's a choice of two artificial propulsion sounds and neither is obnoxious. My Mode allows you to configure your preferred steering, brake and acceleration feel, and propulsion sound settings. There's a one-pedal drive mode which works well, plus Cadillac's Regen on Demand feature that allows you to brake the vehicle by squeezing a paddle. If there's a way to make the park brake automatically engage when you put it in park, I couldn't find it. At least the park brake button is conveniently located next to the door. We'd like a physical button for selecting drive modes or activating the camera, though. The camera system boasts good if not class-leading (ie: BMW-grade) resolution. The cameras can also get a bit washed out at night and in rain, while the wide but not overly tall touchscreen means the camera projection isn't that large. What do you get? Cadillac has reshuffled the Optiq range for 2026, and it hasn't locked in what the local lineup will look like. 2026 Cadillac Optiq equipment highlights (in the US): Fixed panoramic glass roof Power tailgate Proximity entry and start Remote start 20-inch alloy wheels LED headlights Automatic high-beam Rear privacy glass Digital rear-view mirror with washer Heated exterior mirrors Super Cruise Semi-autonomous parking assist 33-inch curved display Google built-in 19-speaker AKG Studio sound system Heated front seats 8-way power driver's seat 6-way power passenger seat 'Inteluxe' leatherette upholstery Tilt and telescoping steering column Wrapped steering wheel Heated steering wheel Alloy pedals Dual-zone climate control 126-colour ambient lighting Stepping up through the range brings additional equipment such as: LED cornering lights Head-up display Ventilated front seats Heated outboard rear seats Is the Cadillac Optiq safe? The Cadillac Optiq is being launched in Europe but hasn't been tested by Euro NCAP yet, and there's no ANCAP rating available yet either. Cadillac's new entry-level EV also hasn't been tested yet by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US. Standard safety equipment in the US includes: Adaptive cruise control Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Blind-spot assist Driver attention monitoring Lane-keep assist Rear cross-traffic assist Safe exit warning Surround-view camera Traffic sign recognition 8 airbags How much does the Cadillac Optiq cost to run? Cadillac Australia hasn't yet released local servicing or warranty information for the Optiq. However, the Lyriq is currently backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty. The Lyriq also comes with five years of free roadside assistance and free scheduled servicing, with visits to a service location required every 12 months or 12,000km. CarExpert's Take on the Cadillac Optiq Cadillac's Optiq, Lyriq and Vistiq are all recognisably part of the Cadillac family, and yet each offers a unique look and feel. Together, they make for a compelling electric SUV trio. None of them will compete in particularly high-volume segments, mind you, but then Cadillac makes no bones about its plans to sell vehicles in 'exclusive volumes' in Australia. The Optiq is likely to be the most popular and, despite being Caddy's entry-level EV, it's an impressive all-round offering. But EVs from brands like Cadillac find themselves at risk of being squeezed in Australia. There's market-leader Tesla, which offers sharp pricing and established EV bona-fides; luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which offer a wider dealer network and arguably more luxury cachet; and then a growing number of Chinese models that offer impressive performance and range figures, plus bags of tech. The Optiq doesn't offer the best range, charge rate or efficiency among its mid-size electric SUV peers, but what it does offer is its own unique style. It's smooth to drive, and comfortable and well-appointed inside. With the right price, it shapes as a compelling alternative to electric SUVs from other luxury brands. Pros Smooth ride Comfortable, well-appointed interior Stylish inside and out Cons So-so charge rate Pricing remains unknown for Australia We won't get Super Cruise here
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
2025 Cadillac Optiq review
In case you haven't noticed, Cadillac now sells cars in Australia. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert General Motors' luxury brand has made a low-key entrance Down Under, where it's opened just one 'experience centre' (another one is coming this year) and introduced just one model, while deliberately avoiding talking about sales targets. For all the talk of 'exclusive volumes', however, it's the Cadillac Optiq here that represents the brand's best chance at taking a slice of the luxury electric vehicle (EV) market in Australia. Due for release here in 2026, when it will slot in under the Lyriq already on sale, the Optiq will serve as an entry point to the Cadillac lineup that will also grow next year to include the large, three-row Vistiq and sporty Lyriq-V. All of these are electric SUVs, and despite its entry-level positioning the Optiq isn't exactly small – measuring 4820mm long, 2126mm wide (including the mirrors) and riding a 2954mm wheelbase, it's 28mm longer than a Tesla Model Y and rides on a 64mm longer wheelbase. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert We had the opportunity to drive the Optiq, Vistiq, and a raft of other General Motors EVs at a recent drive day in Michigan. But I also nicked the keys to an Optiq and set off for Chicago for a weekend getaway. This was a model year 2025 (MY25) Optiq, mind you, and Cadillac recently announced some significant changes for MY26 which are expected to be largely reflected in the Australian-market model. More on that later. It's hard to predict how successful the Optiq will be as Cadillac has yet to announce how much it will cost in Australia, nor what the local lineup will look like. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert It will almost certainly come in under the Lyriq, which is priced from $122,000, but how close it'll come to other mid-size electric SUVs like the Audi Q6 e-tron and Polestar 4 remains to be seen. In the US, the MY25 Optiq range opens at US$54,390 (~A$84,000) for the Luxury 1 and tops out at US$57,090 (~A$88,000) for the Sport 2 tested here. For 2026, the lineup has been reshuffled and opens at US$52,395 (~A$81,000) for the rear-wheel drive Luxury, rising to US$58,595 (~A$90,500) for the Premium Luxury AWD. The new Optiq-V, which hasn't been confirmed for Australia, costs US$68,795 (~A$106,000). The Lyriq lineup, in contrast, is priced from between US$63,590 and US$72,490 (~A$98,000 to $112,000), though there are also more affordable rear-wheel drive variants not offered in Australia. These start at US$60,090 (~A$93,000). Even if it wears a sharp sticker, the Optiq is going to be hamstrung by Cadillac's limited dealer network. We're predicting a slow rollout like that of Genesis, and Cadillac is consciously avoiding sharing its sales targets. From a design point of view, Cadillac has nailed this interior. Not only has the brand managed to maintain an upscale appearance for its most affordable EV, but it's also avoided making it look just like a carbon copy of its larger, more expensive EVs. Instead, it has given it a more youthful feel. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert Sure, there are some shared design elements, such as the 33-inch curved display, and the row of tactile physical climate controls underneath which have a satisfyingly clicky operation. You'll find other parts of the interior that are shared with more expensive Cadillacs, such as the power seat controls on the door – a rather Mercedes-Benz like touch – as well as the tactile metallic knobs for the air vents and the gorgeous metallic speaker grilles for the excellent AKG sound system. But the Optiq goes its own way in some respects, including with the very attractive recycled fabric upholstery covering the tops of the doors, onto the A-pillar, and then running across the (quite low) dash. While this is grey, it's a pale grey tweed-like material that manages to look upscale – this isn't like the grey cloth you'd find on, say, a Toyota Corolla's doors. It even feels nice, too. Other unique touches for the Optiq include patterned trim that runs above the climate controls, and on the doors. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert This can be finished in either white or bright blue; the white works, the blue is a bit questionable. It feels like Cadillac designers had more fun with the Optiq interior than its other vehicles, perhaps because it's aimed at younger buyers. You may also dislike the evidently recycled material that's used in the door pockets and on the centre console tray, to help prevent things from rolling around. These door pockets can accommodate large water bottles, while the tray is large enough for a handbag. Where the Lyriq has an opening but uselessly small compartment in the minimalist centre stack, the Optiq has an open compartment that's surprisingly deep and is softly lit at night. This helps make up for a tiny centre console bin, though there's no way to conceal this cubby. It's also not where the wireless phone charger sits, as this is in a little upright pocket ahead of the centre console bin. There are a couple of USB-C outlets next to the cubby, however. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert The centre console is split-level, comprising a large tray just above floor level, and a higher level with attractive woven metal trim and more of this fabric upholstery. On this, you'll find another little pocket at the very end, a pair of cupholders with textured metallic surrounds, a rotary dial for the infotainment system, a pair of haptic shortcut buttons, and a metallic volume wheel. If we were being fussy, we'd point out the soft-touch surface of the dash top ahead of the passenger isn't exactly flush with the harder trim at the base of the screen – likely a design issue and not an example of poor build quality, as we didn't experience any creaks in the cabin. Also, having to press a button on the touchscreen to open the glovebox – even if it's an anchored shortcut button – strikes us as ridiculous. Mind you, the technology in the cabin is hard to fault. The touchscreen has a row of anchored shortcut buttons and is part of a 33-inch curved display that also includes the digital instrument cluster and a separate, small touchscreen by the driver's door. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert This smaller screen can be used to control the headlights, view trip information and change the instrument cluster layout. It's all really slick technology, with attractive graphics and good configurability – for example, you can move all the icons around on the touchscreen. That's handy, as the Optiq is missing physical shortcut buttons for features like the camera or drive mode selection. GM is pushing buyers, at least in the US, to use the embedded Google Maps in vehicles like the Optiq which use Google built-in. Thankfully, we're getting both wireless smartphone mirroring and the functionality that comes with Google built-in. This includes smart routing. When you put in a destination, Google Maps will calculate when and where to make charging stops, and will tell you what the battery charge level will be when you arrive at your destination. Additionally, the battery will pre-condition itself as you near a charging stop. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert At first I was disappointed that Google Maps doesn't extend across the whole display like in, say, a Genesis vehicle, but then I realised you could have two different views. Perhaps it's a bit obsessive-compulsive of me, but it does bother me somewhat that each map display is a different shape… And while Google Maps is typically vastly better than embedded navigation in many cars, it's not perfect – it managed to get bamboozled by Chicago's twisted web of motorways on a couple of occasions. As it features Google built-in, the infotainment system therefore includes Google Assistant and an array of Google apps, with more downloadable via the Google Play Store. Still, there's no access to messaging apps, and it is a bit disappointing to see a company get us so used to having smartphone mirroring and then take it away. Fortunately, this won't affect Australian buyers – apart from the absence of Super Cruise (more on that later), we're arguably getting a better suite of technology than Americans. At the bottom of the touchscreen, always visible, are shortcuts for the one-pedal drive mode; glove box; the map, media, home and charging menus; as well as information like the time, temperature and signal for the 5G hotspot. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert The infotainment system worked well, apart from one instance where the screen went blank as I neared a much-needed charging stop in the dead of night in regional Michigan. It did sort itself quickly, however, without my having to restart the vehicle. Unlike in the Australian-market Lyriq, there's a head-up display. Behind the steering wheel you'll find a combination wiper/indicator stalk, the Mercedes-Benz-style gear shifter, and the Regen on Demand paddle. The steering wheel is tactile and wrapped in leather, with solidly constructed metallic switches plus touch-capacitive ones with haptic feedback. The black bar at the top tells you the status of Super Cruise, which is handy, but it does feel a little creaky and plasticky. There were no build quality issues with the Optiqs we drove, but if we're nit-picking, the stalks on the column could be better-damped. There's gloss black on the steering wheel, and on the door-mounted seat controls, and small splashes elsewhere in the cabin. It looks great, but it'll attract smudges and dust more than any other interior surface known to humankind… 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert While the Cadillac's interior doesn't look like a Mercedes-Benz's, as mentioned there are a handful of design elements that take inspiration. Not included among these is the ambient lighting – it's colour-adjustable like in a Benz, but it's a helluva lot more subtle. It appears from behind the white or blue contrast trim, with a chequered appearance. There's also subtle back lighting for the door pockets, storage shelf, and the open and deep centre stack storage cubby. Step into the rear and there's sufficient headroom, though at 180cm my hair brushed the headliner when I sat upright. There's an expansive fixed glass roof, which features a power sunshade that fortunately does do a good job of blocking out the sun. The Optiq's rakish roofline does mean visibility out the back is compromised, with a narrow and steeply raked rear window. However, there's a digital rear-view mirror. Cadillac has also included rear-quarter windows. You might not see them from the outside, as they're concealed behind that 'Mondrian' pattern and only visible in certain lights, but you can see out of them easily. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert There's a comfortable rear bench with plenty of leg- and knee-room and an almost completely flat floor. The centre console does eat into the centre-seat occupant's legroom a little bit, but it includes a pair of USB-C outlets, an open cubby, air vents, and a power outlet. While the soft-touch trim of the front doors carries through to the back, the front seatbacks are hard – not that you'd know it at first, given their prominent stitching elements. They do feature soft map pockets, however. Open the power tailgate and you'll find there's enough room for a large suitcase and a large duffel bag, but don't try stacking suitcases here – the raked tailgate compromises vertical load space. A cargo cover conceals the area. We drove an MY25 Optiq, but for MY26 there have been some significant mechanical changes to Cadillac's entry-level electric SUV. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert For starters, the Mexican-built Optiq is now available with a single-motor powertrain – with rear-wheel drive, not front-wheel drive like in the Chinese-built Optiq – producing 232kW of power and 450Nm of torque. That's not far off the outputs of the dual-motor all-wheel drive MY25 Optiq we tested, which produces 224kW and 480Nm. But dual-motor versions have received a massive power bump for MY26, to 328kW and 675Nm. There's also an even hotter Optiq-V packing 387kW and 880Nm plus other enhancements like the addition of Continuous Damping Control adaptive dampers. Whether we're talking MY25 or MY26, the Optiq has an 85kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NCM) battery. Range is 486km on the stricter US EPA cycle for the MY25 AWD, 482km for the MY26 RWD, and 451km for the MY26 AWD. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert The maximum DC fast-charging rate is unchanged at 150kW. In the MY25 Optiq we drove, we saw energy consumption of 18.3kWh/100km while driving around Detroit, and in highway driving this rose to as much as 21.4kWh/100km. Over a total of 1100km of driving, much of which was on the highway, we saw energy consumption of 19.4kWh/100km. The Optiq's energy consumption, charging rate and range therefore are far from class-leading for a mid-size electric SUV. The Model Y Long Range AWD, for example, has 526km of range on the US EPA cycle (600km on the WLTP cycle), and has a maximum DC charging rate of 250kW. It wasn't just a steering wheel on the left-hand side and a lack of smartphone mirroring that made our Optiq test car different to the vehicles we'll get here. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert As mentioned, the dual-motor all-wheel drive Optiq has received a significant bump in power for MY26, which is likely to carry over to the Australian-market version. Australia will get a global suspension tune, too, though GM says it won't be too different from the American tune. That's a good thing, as this is one plush, comfortable EV. It may not have adaptive dampers but it scarcely needs them. Cadillac says its 'Passive Plus' system, which includes an extra valve in the damper, gets it close to the ride comfort of adaptive systems without the cost of all the electronics. It's not just marketing hype. The Optiq manages to soak up crappy surfaces without impact harshness, while managing crests and dips without losing body control. It felt smooth at train crossings, too. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert In short, ride comfort proved excellent across pockmarked roads – particularly the poorly surfaced, badly damaged ones in Illinois. The steering is nicely weighted – light enough that steering around town and parking remains entirely manageable, without feeling so light that you don't have confidence in the vehicle. But there's no hiding that long wheelbase in really tight parking garages, where the Optiq can be a bit of a handful. One downtown Chicago parking garage turned into a stressful ordeal with 180-degree turns on its ramps. Sadly, we didn't get to drive the Optiq on too many windy roads – we were in the American Midwest, after all, where the terrain is mostly flat and the roads are mostly grids. When you get excited for a highway on-ramp, you know there's not a lot of great driving roads around… On these on-ramps, the Optiq could be steered confidently and presented well-managed body roll. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it feels more nimble than the larger Lyriq, which we have driven on twisty roads and found to generally handle well. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert Push the accelerator and you'll find throttle response is nice and progressive. Cadillac engineers were conscious of what is referred to as lash, and as a result the Optiq gets up to speed gracefully without rocking you back in your seat… or feeling sluggish, either. You can pop it in Sport mode, which gives it a little bit more squirt while adding some noticeable weight to the steering without making it burdensomely heavy. However, we expect if you want thrills from your EV, the Optiq-V – not yet confirmed for Australia – will deliver more of them. The steering may be good in this car, but for a lot of my driving I wasn't steering at all. Instead, I was letting the car do it. That's because the Optiq comes standard in the US with Super Cruise, which allows for hands-free driving across over a million kilometres of roads in North America. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert Sadly, it's not coming here due to the cost of engineering this system for our roads. And that's a bloody shame, as Super Cruise made highway driving a breeze, slowing down and speeding up where appropriate, and keeping the car centred in its lane while managing heavy rain, construction zones, and other complications. You still need to keep your eyes ahead, but the system never made an alarming move, and if you're approaching an unmapped stretch of road or you're not paying attention, the car will warn you via a large light on the steering wheel. There's even an automatic lane-change feature, and the Optiq is actually a bit impatient like a human when it comes to being stuck behind cars on the highway. The seat vibrates your left or right butt cheek when it's about to perform a lane change, so as not to alarm your passengers. And if you do feel like taking back over from Super Cruise, you can put your hands back on the wheel and it doesn't feel like you're wrestling with the system. The transitions are seamless. Our tester was an MY25 vehicle, so it didn't have the latest Super Cruise advancement that sees the vehicle automatically change lanes to keep you on the route you've set in Google Maps. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert However, even in MY26 vehicles with Super Cruise, the mapping still doesn't include typical urban streets, and the system can't detect traffic lights or stop the vehicle at them. Unlike Tesla, GM says it isn't looking to add this functionality to its semi-autonomous driving tech. While we won't get Super Cruise in Australia, we hope GM's new Hands-on Lane Centring Assist function – launching in certain MY26 vehicles in the US – is made available here. Without this, the Optiq will be left with just lane-keep assist, as in the Australian-market Lyriq, which is insufficient for a luxury car in 2025. The Optiq's speed sign recognition system didn't throw up any false alerts. Let's see if the Australian-market system is as well-calibrated. The embedded Google Maps, once you punch in a destination, will tell you your estimated battery percentage at the end of your journey and suggest charging stops along the way if necessary. Battery pre-conditioning is also linked to Google Maps, with the Optiq getting its battery ready for charging as you get closer to your destination. All of this worked well for the most part, apart from one leg of the journey when the estimated charge level at my destination bounced around a bit before settling. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert A serene cabin also made the Optiq an excellent highway cruiser. Tyre roar is well suppressed, and there's just a little bit of wind rustle around the mirrors but nothing objectionable. There's a choice of two artificial propulsion sounds and neither is obnoxious. My Mode allows you to configure your preferred steering, brake and acceleration feel, and propulsion sound settings. There's a one-pedal drive mode which works well, plus Cadillac's Regen on Demand feature that allows you to brake the vehicle by squeezing a paddle. If there's a way to make the park brake automatically engage when you put it in park, I couldn't find it. At least the park brake button is conveniently located next to the door. We'd like a physical button for selecting drive modes or activating the camera, though. The camera system boasts good if not class-leading (ie: BMW-grade) resolution. The cameras can also get a bit washed out at night and in rain, while the wide but not overly tall touchscreen means the camera projection isn't that large. Cadillac has reshuffled the Optiq range for 2026, and it hasn't locked in what the local lineup will look like. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert 2026 Cadillac Optiq equipment highlights (in the US): Fixed panoramic glass roof Power tailgate Proximity entry and start Remote start 20-inch alloy wheels LED headlights Automatic high-beam Rear privacy glass Digital rear-view mirror with washer Heated exterior mirrors Super Cruise Semi-autonomous parking assist 33-inch curved display Google built-in 19-speaker AKG Studio sound system Heated front seats 8-way power driver's seat 6-way power passenger seat 'Inteluxe' leatherette upholstery Tilt and telescoping steering column Wrapped steering wheel Heated steering wheel Alloy pedals Dual-zone climate control 126-colour ambient lighting Stepping up through the range brings additional equipment such as: LED cornering lights Head-up display Ventilated front seats Heated outboard rear seats The Cadillac Optiq is being launched in Europe but hasn't been tested by Euro NCAP yet, and there's no ANCAP rating available yet either. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert Cadillac's new entry-level EV also hasn't been tested yet by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US. Standard safety equipment in the US includes: Adaptive cruise control Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Blind-spot assist Driver attention monitoring Lane-keep assist Rear cross-traffic assist Safe exit warning Surround-view camera Traffic sign recognition 8 airbags Cadillac Australia hasn't yet released local servicing or warranty information for the Optiq. However, the Lyriq is currently backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty. The Lyriq also comes with five years of free roadside assistance and free scheduled servicing, with visits to a service location required every 12 months or 12,000km. Cadillac's Optiq, Lyriq and Vistiq are all recognisably part of the Cadillac family, and yet each offers a unique look and feel. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert Together, they make for a compelling electric SUV trio. None of them will compete in particularly high-volume segments, mind you, but then Cadillac makes no bones about its plans to sell vehicles in 'exclusive volumes' in Australia. The Optiq is likely to be the most popular and, despite being Caddy's entry-level EV, it's an impressive all-round offering. But EVs from brands like Cadillac find themselves at risk of being squeezed in Australia. There's market-leader Tesla, which offers sharp pricing and established EV bona-fides; luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which offer a wider dealer network and arguably more luxury cachet; and then a growing number of Chinese models that offer impressive performance and range figures, plus bags of tech. The Optiq doesn't offer the best range, charge rate or efficiency among its mid-size electric SUV peers, but what it does offer is its own unique style. It's smooth to drive, and comfortable and well-appointed inside. With the right price, it shapes as a compelling alternative to electric SUVs from other luxury brands. 2025 Cadillac Optiq Credit: CarExpert MORE: Explore the Cadillac showroom Smooth ride Comfortable, well-appointed interior Stylish inside and out So-so charge rate Pricing remains unknown for Australia We won't get Super Cruise here
