24-03-2025
2025 Cadillac Optiq SUV EV shocks with style, features and value
SAN FRANCISCO — The 2025 Cadillac Optiq EV is a road-hugging little SUV, sleek, low, wide and fun.
The 2025 Optiq compact SUV is equally at home carving cliffside roads, blasting down the highway and parking in a crowded city center.
Cadillac's smallest EV comes with full-time all-wheel drive, 300 horsepower and up to 302 miles range on a charge.
I enjoyed a day driving an Optiq from the heart of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge and up the Marin Coast.
It's as stylish and fun to drive as any small luxury SUV you'll find, and comes with unexpected goodies, including standard AKG audio with Dolby Atmos capability for a remarkable listening experience.
The Optiq is in dealerships now.
Luxury 1: $52,895
Luxury 2: $53,495
Sport 1: $55,095
Sport 2: $55,595
Source: Edmunds
Prices exclude $1,495 destination charge
The Optiq's steering is fast and direct, perfect for diving into a gap in traffic or holding the line and hitting cornering points on windy roads.
The twin electric motors deliver smooth, immediate power, while the combination of heavy battery mounted low in the chassis, a wide track and sticky tires keeps the SUV composed and stable.
The drivetrain offers two settings of one-pedal driving: conventional freewheeling and a bicycle-style lever on the steering wheel the driver can squeeze to apply varying amounts of deceleration, up to a significant 0.4 G-force.
Continental developed dual-compound tires to deliver good range and handling. The tires also contain a sound-deadening foam that contributes to the Optiq's quiet cabin.
The Optiq is easy to drive fast, quiet on the highway and practical in city traffic and parking.
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At 190 inches long on a 116-inch wheelbase, 84 inches wide and just 64 inches tall, with a steeply raked 24-degree windshield, the Optiq combines sporty looks with easy entrance and exit, and a surprisingly roomy rear seat.
For comparison, the base Optiq is 5.6 inches longer on a 4.7-inch longer wheelbase, with a 1.6-inch lower roofline than a Mercedes-Benz EQB compact electric SUV. The Optiq has 12 hp more, but 30 fewer pound-feet of torque.
The Optiq's lights enhance its sleek design. The lighted grille is low and slim. The front badge is also lighted, while Cadillac's signature vertical light blades adorn the front and rear. The rear badge also is lighted, and a fast rear window complements the windscreen.
The standard AKG audio system includes Dolby Atmos, which allows every element of a recording to be placed precisely in a virtual space around its listeners.
Twin electric motors deliver 300 hp and 354 pound-feet of torque to the front and rear axles. Surprisingly, Cadillac doesn't offer performance figures, but I never found myself wanting more muscle.
The 85 kWh battery can charge at up to 150kW DC, good for 79 miles range in 10 minutes under optimum conditions. Cadillac declines to offer the more widely used measure of time to charge from 10% or 20% to 80% or 90%, but the Optiq's quick charging should be fully competitive for the long highway drives where DC fast charging is paramount. Home charging at 240v ranges from 24 to 55 miles per hour, depending on the charger.
Cadillac offers NACS adapters to use Tesla DC chargers in addition to a built-in CCS port for other fast chargers. The Optiq is likely to be one of the first General Motors EVs to replace the factory-installed CCS port with NACS, later this year.
All-wheel drive
300 hp, 354 pound-feet of torque
Standard 19-speaker AKG audio with Dolby Atmos
NACS adapter available
Dual-compound Continental tires
33 inches of continuous screen across dashboard
The Optiq's interior is comfortable with supportive seats and surprising rear legroom.
It's trimmed largely in attractive, sustainable materials, included fabric door tops and instrument panel made from recycled polyester.
A sharp and responsive touch screen controls many features, but climate controls get welcome physical toggles. More toggles on the steering wheel handle some features, including cruise control and the Super Cruise hands-free driving system. Drivers who prefer multifunction rotary controls will find one on the center console.
There's also a physical volume dial.
Programmable ambient lighting and colorful trim panels complete the attractive layout.
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The 2025 Optiq is a sporty and luxurious compact electric SUV. It's priced competitively and matches or exceeds competitors' performance features. Contemporary and appealing looks, inside and out, complete the package.
All-wheel drive five-seat compact electric SUV
Base price: $52,895 (All prices exclude $1,495 destination charge)
On sale now
Model tested: Optiq Sport 2
Price as tested: $55,595
Power: One electric motor on each axle
Output: 300 hp, 354 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Battery: Lithium-ion, 10 modules, 85 kWh usable power
Maximum charging rate 150 kWh/400 volts
Maximum charging rates: Level 2, 7.7kW: 24 miles per hour of charging. 11.5 kW: 33 miles/hour. 150kW/400v DC fast charge: Up to 79 miles in 10 minutes.
EPA estimated range: 302 miles
Wheelbase: 116 inches
Length: 190 inches
Width: 84 inches (including mirrors)
Height: 65 inches
Passenger volume: 101 cubic feet
Cargo volume: 26 cubic feet cubic feet behind second rows; 57 cubic feet behind front seats
Curb weight: 5,192 pounds
Assembled in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@ Follow him on Twitter mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2025 Cadillac Optiq EV delivers big on performance, style, features
