We thought we were going to kick off this Cadillac Lyriq review with the bad news that the brand’s special Kiwi pricing offer was now finished and it was back to full whack. Like, we missed the boat a bit with our review timing.
Not so. Cadillac’s initial offer to pay the GST on the car for customers (it’s just a novel way of giving a discount, really) was supposed to end in September, but it’s now carrying on to November 30… as long as you take delivery of the car by the end of this year. So yeah, the company is concentrating on clearing the cars it has close-to-hand.
But it still means our Lyriq Luxury test car benefits from a $16,043.48 discount at the point of purchase, resulting in a retail price of just $107,614.65. Yep, they’re weirdly specific with these dollars and cents.
That’s a lot of luxury EV for the money. Truth be told, the Lyriq is a lot of luxury EV for full price. It’s a properly large luxury car (nearly 5m long) with a monster 102kWh battery, dual motors with 388kW and an undeniably sumptuous interior. Fully loaded, as we like to say in the States.
On paper, it’s a real rival for the likes of the BMW iX or Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, but to match or better the Caddy’s performance and specification with European EVs like those, you’re talking $200k.
Our Lyriq Luxury test car benefits from a GST-themed $16,043.48 discount at the point of purchase, resulting in a very specific retail price of just $107,614.65.
Even without the GST-themed discount, the Lyriq Luxury would be $123,658.13 and the Sport (same car, just with less chrome and more black trim) $125,658.13.
Lyriq is the start of a range of Cadillac EVs coming our way, all factory built for right-hand drive. Stay tuned next year for an even more high-performance version, the Lyriq V (reportedly the fastest Cadillac ever made), the smaller Optiq and the larger, more family-oriented Vistiq 7-seater.
Americans are often good at clever design touches, especially in SUVs. The more time you spend with Lyriq, the more you notice.
None of the above are likely to be quite as plush as this car. It looks really striking on the outside and yes, you’d go Sport if you can’t handle all that chrome. But shiny stuff seems right on a Caddy, especially when it’s so well executed.
Inside, Lyriq is a beautiful blend of traditional touches with a twist – the massive virtual battery-charge indicator that runs along the widescreen displays looks like a 1950s grille – and all the high-tech stuff you expect from a luxury EV. It feels special, not sterile. But understated, not over-the-top.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the forthcoming Lyriq V will stick with the smooth/silent treatment, or whether there will be more sound and fury.
Americans are often good at clever design touches, especially in SUVs. The more time you spend with Lyriq, the more you notice. The flush doorhandles pop out what seems like the wrong way, hinged at the rear like a coach door; but they’re much easier to grab than front or centre-pivots, or even the ones that slide straight out. Why doesn’t everybody do them this way?
The wireless phone charger is a vertical holster in the centre console, which is a tight (but tightly padded) fit that ensures the phone actually charges and it can’t fly away when the car’s considerable acceleration is deployed. Which does happen in some fast EVs.
The digital instrumentation and infotainment is pretty intuitive, with proper physical switchgear for often-used stuff like the climate controls. Many EV makers put seat-massage controls inside the infotainment screen; the Lyriq’s are rotary controls on the doors, next to the actual seat-adjustment controls. Simply twist for instant oohs and aahs.
We did get a bit stuck on finding the trip computer, but it was located in a virtual knook on the far right of the instrument panel, accessible by a Tinder-style sideways swipe; not immediately apparent, but once you know it’s there it makes perfect sense.
Possibly the Lyriq’s most nifty feature is a dynamic one. There’s a paddle on the left-side of the steering column that’s not for gears (the Caddy EV only has one, after all), but rather regen.
Not unusual, but it works in a very clever way; essentially, it’s a “hand” brake, and the harder you pull it the more the car slows, using the drag of regen. Pull it all the way and it activates autohold. It’s so intuitive and responsive, you can use it instead of the conventional brakes, so it’s like one-pedal driving… but so much smoother.
In fact, the overall driving experience is unashamedly smooth and comfort-oriented, not withstanding the Lyriq can rocket to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds. But it even feels dignified doing that, and the electric AWD ensures effortless traction and chassis composure on roads that aren’t massive freeways… sorry, motorways.
The car does take up a lot of said road though, and you have to remember it’s a hefty machine if you’re planning to throw it around too much: nearly 2.7 tonnes. There’s little in its demeanour that encourages you to do that, but given the sheer acceleration on tap it’s easy to imagine arriving at a corner way too fast. The brakes and suspension are up to it, though; the Caddy will look after you.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the forthcoming Lyriq V will stick with the smooth/silent treatment, or whether Cadillac will engineer-in a bit more sound and fury for its top performer. It’s going to be a Formula 1 brand next year, after all.
It’s not the latest thing by any stretch, this car. Lyriq was introduced in the US back in 2022, so it’s taken a while to get here.
It’s far from a new brand for us either, but Cadillac is somewhat new in that it’s returning to NZ after a long time away (and a failed relaunch last deacde). So many might be struggling to absorb this idea of Cadillac as a thoroughly modern EV brand.
You’ve probably gathered from the special offers that it’s been a challenging sale for the local operation; it sold just 10 year-to-date to August, before it kicked off the Kiwi promotion.
But even at full retail price, this is one deeply impressive luxury car. Sans $16k, it should be impossible to ignore.
How much is the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury?
What a tricky question. According to the Cadillacl Lyriq website, the full price of the Luxury would be a very specific $123,658.13, but until November 30 there's a GST-themed discount in effect that makes it $107,614,65... as long as you can take delivery before the end of the year.
What are the key statistics for the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury?
The massive 102kWh battery feeds two electric motors (AWD), making a total of 388kW/610Nm.
Is the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury efficient?
It offers a decent range at 530km, but then Lyriq has a massive battery. And if you're going to use all that capacity, you'll need to plan your charging and make use of DC fast chargers that can deliver 190kW. Otherwise you'll be there for a while.
Is the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury good to drive?
It's absolutely a luxury car: smooth, quiet, comfortable and composed. But the AWD chassis and brakes can certainly handle the substantial power output if you choose to use it all.
Is the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury practical?
It's a superbly spacious and practical luxury SUV, as it should be for the dimensions: Lyriq is nearly 5m long and rides on a 3m-plus wheelbase.
What do we like about the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury?
It really stands out in a crowded market. It's smooth, spacious and super-luxurious, but also boasts some truly clever feel-good features.
What don’t we like about the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury?
Many Kiwis are still struggling to understand new-gen Cadillac and what it stands for. The shiny look of the Luxury model might not be to all tastes (but there's always the slightly more expensive, slightly toned-down Sport).
What kind of person would the Cadillac Lyriq Luxury suit?
A luxury EV buyer who isn't wedded to the usual premium brands and appreciates the Lyriq's combination of huge talent and huge value for money.
