The Cadillac Celestiq is one of 10 EV models that General Motors will be bringing to the table by 2023. Having once sat on top of the food chain in the vehicle manufacture industry, General Motors hopes to reclaim the coveted spot by ramping up its innovation efforts in the EV vehicle scene. The company marked its entry into the electric vehicle scene with its reveal of the Cadillac Lyriq in August of this year.
The hand-built Celestiq will debut as the company’s Flagship, though at the moment there is little to go on about the vehicle, other than widespread speculation about its features. The company has been keen on not letting on any kind of specifics that stray too far away from the concept it announced, and with good reason, seeing as it's just dipping its toes into the world of electric vehicles.
Not entirely in the dark, however, we know that this model will be a fully electric, huge 4-seat luxury hatchback which we imagine will borrow lessons learned from the launch of the Lyriq. Stylistically, the Celestiq is similar to the Escala Concept.
The Celestiq will command a hefty $200,000 price tag and is expected to be the saving grace of Cadillac’s struggling line of Sedans. Since GM has not put out any official photos of the Celestiq, we will be referring to the Escala Concept photos from here on out. Here’s is what we know so far:
Cadillac Went All Out With The Design Of The Celestiq
In an already established electric vehicle industry with some veterans such as Tesla and Daimler, the design team at Cadillac had to dig deep for a design that would edge out the competition. From what we know about the vehicle, it is quite stretched, arguably to place it on a level playing field among other luxury sedans, the likes of the Maybach and BMW 7 Series. The Celestiq is also projected to be very wide, undoubtedly making for a very roomy vehicle.
The roof slides off with a fastback tilt angle, the aerodynamics of which cannot be understated. A large C Pillar sits behind the rear doors and features prominently enough to differentiate it from other Cadillacs. The Celestiq also beats out the CT6 with its large wheelbase and 23-inch tires.
Looking at it from the front, the Cadillac Celestiq is rumored to mirror the Lyriq, with the same distinctive design on the grille. The emblems on the vehicle are illuminated. Some lighting has also been worked into the grille as well since an electric vehicle typically would not mandate the presence of a mesh.
The Celestiq is said to have revolutionary L-shaped taillights, with the top part of the L leading into the turn signals, seamless integration into the C pillar. The lower portion of the L forms the brake lights and wraps them into the bumper.
Further augmenting the futuristic design is the glass roof on the vehicle, and the designers’ decision to leave out door handles.
Little Tidbits About The Celestiq’s Interior
The interior of the car is said to be designed for exactly 4 passengers, quite unlike your usual luxury sedan that tends to leave some space in the back row for a 5th passenger. The interior finishing is all luxurious leather and high-quality wood.
A huge pillar-to-pillar display which one would assume is OLED, makes up the infotainment system at the front of the vehicle. Picture the large screen at the front of the 2021 Escalade, but think even larger.
Between the two front seats is another touch screen next to a small storage facility. Backseat passengers will no doubt be thrilled by the presence of touch screens behind each front seat, and one more between the two rear seats.
Release Dates and Pricing Details
For the full Cadillac experience coupled with next-gen electrical vehicle functionality, you will need to bring your wallet in its best shape, and probably another wallet alongside it. Units will start at $200,000. Obviously, not everyone will be looking to match that stratosphere of a price, so the company has set its sights on selling only a few hundred units each year.
Customization will likely be available, or at the very least offered in a package deal, seeing as each Celestiq will be hand-built, and you will no doubt be paying a pretty penny for it. The Cadillac line of sedans is a pretty sad tale at the moment, and you can expect that they will be looking to impress with the level of technology they have sourced for this model. Anything less than extra-ordinary will spell very bad news for the ailing production line, especially given that EV manufacturers have been making some rather large leaps in innovation.
Cadillac has not dropped any hints at a possible debut date for the Cadillac Celtic, but we can be sure that the vehicle will be arriving on our roads by 2025.