- Cadillac has revealed a new electric SUV called the Optiq, and it’s coming next year.
- The Optiq features similar styling as the Lyriq but is a smaller, more affordable offering.
- We expect the Optiq to share components with other GM electric SUVs such as the Chevy Equinox EV and Blazer EV.
Cadillac’s electric lineup will continue to expand next year with the addition of the 2025 Optiq, a compact luxury electric SUV. This new model will slot in below the mid-size Lyriq and should compete with vehicles such as the Audi Q4 e-tron, Genesis GV60, and Mercedes-Benz EQB. Its name, ending in “iq,” also aligns the Optiq with Cadillac’s other electric models, including the Escalade IQ and Celestiq flagship.
The Optiq looks quite striking in the bright-orange hue displayed in these initial photos, and it features elegant-looking headlights and taillights and lots of chrome and gloss-black trim. The overall look is similar to the Lyriq’s, but scaled-down for the Optiq’s smaller proportions. We haven’t yet seen the interior, but we expect it to also share its basic design principles with the Lyriq’s cabin.
We know next to nothing about the Optiq’s specs so far, because Cadillac is being mum on details. But we assume that it will use General Motors’ Ultium battery packs, and it stands to reason that it will ride on the same platform as the Chevy Equinox EV, which is a similar size.
If the Optiq adopts the Equinox EV’s drivetrain configurations, that could mean a standard single-motor setup with a 210-horsepower electric motor powering the front wheels and an optional dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup bumping output to 290 hp. Range estimates could sit somewhere near 300 miles in the longest-range configurations.
Pricing should start in the mid-$40,000 range and go up from there. Look for more information to come in 2024 as Cadillac prepares to roll out the Optiq to U.S. dealerships.
Senior Editor
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.