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Cadillac has revealed the 2025 Optiq, its most affordable EV and a serious contender in entry-level luxury electric SUVs.
The Optiq has a 6-inch shorter wheelbase than the Lyriq, but includes much of the technology inside and out. It’s built on the Ultium platform and combines dual motors with an 85kWh battery to deliver 300HP, all-wheel drive, and an estimated 300 miles of range.
Three years of Super Cruise semi-autonomous highway driving comes standard, as does a 19-speaker AKG sound system with Dolby Atmos spatial audio. You’ll find camera, radar, and ultrasonic sensors throughout the car.
Both the instrument cluster and infotainment share an extra-wide 33-inch display. The Optiq is based on Google built-in (aka Android Automotive), although Cadillac like other GM brands isn’t supporting either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
The automaker pitched the Optiq as its sportiest EV, with nimbler handling than the Lyriq. Even so, it reportedly has category-leading cargo space and second-row room.
Cadillac will sell the Optiq starting at $54,000 with destination charges included. Production starts this fall. There will be Luxury and Sport trim levels, although the company didn’t say what they’d offer.
The ‘starter’ model is part of a broader GM strategy to make its electric cars more accessible. It initially launched Ultium with high-end models like the Lyriq and GMC’s Hummer EV, and has only gradually dipped into more affordable options like Chevy’s $43,295 (eventually $34,995) Equinox EV. While GM has turned some of its attention to hybrids given a difficult EV market, the Optiq could make it more appealing to upscale buyers who are still watching their budgets.
There’s major competition in this segment, however. Cadillac is going up against Audi’s Q4 e-tron, Genesis’ GV60, and Mercedes’ EQB at very similar prices, and customers might cross-shop more expensive SUVs like the Acura ZDX. The American marque has advantages in range and trunk space, if not necessarily in technology or raw luxury.
