Published: Last Updated:
Readtime: 12 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
We’re unsure how many people realise that General Motors sells factory right-hand drive vehicles here in Australia. You can walk into a dealership right now and buy a brand-new right-hand drive Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and if you want the perfect two-car solution, you can package that with a locally converted full-size pick-up truck in the Silverado 1500 ZR2. Today, you’ll even be able to get your hands on a brand-new all-electric Cadillac made in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Order books for the new MY25 Cadillac LYRIQ SUV have opened, and we travelled halfway around the world to test drive it before its Australian arrival. This vehicle presents a cut-price, high-quality alternative to European brands in the luxury electric SUV segment, but is it any good? Let’s take a closer look.
UPDATE 16/10/2024: Every Cadillac LYRIQ sold in Australia will come with one year of free public charging (via Chargefox) as standard and then either an additional two years of free public charging or the complimentary supply and standard installation of a standard 7.4kW (via JET Charge) home charger. This is big news for anyone embarking on the EV journey for the first time with the LYRIQ.
RELATED: 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance Review.
What Does the Cadillac LYRIQ Cost?
Compared to other vehicles in its class, the Cadillac LYRIQ is very competitively priced and costs from AU$117,000 plus on-road costs for the Luxury model and AU$119,000 plus on-road costs for the Sport model.
- Cadillac LYRIQ Luxury – from AU$117,000 plus on-road costs
- Cadillac LYRIQ Sport – from AU$119,000 plus on-road costs
This sharp pricing significantly undercuts European EV SUVs like the Audi Q8 e-tron (from AU$140,600) and the BMW IX (from AU$136,900). However, it also undercuts the Genesis Electrified GV70 (from AU$127,800) and the new Polestar 3 (from AU$132,720) by a significant margin, which is probably its closest competitors in terms of ride comfort, interior quality, and appointments.
To find a price competitor to the LYRIQ, you have to look at smaller vehicles like the Tesla Model Y (from AU$55,900), Genesis GV60 (from AU$103,384), Ford Mustang Mach-e GT (from AU$104,990), and the upcoming Audi Q4 e-tron (from AU$84,900).
You could also look at plug-in hybrid petrol models, as they remain viable for those who can’t transition to electric vehicles. These could include the Audi Q8 60 TFSI e (from AU$148,375), the Volkswagen Touareg R (from AU$129,990), and the Volvo XC90 Recharge Ultimate (from AU$128,390).
You can have your Cadillac LYRIQ in the following exterior colours:
- Stellar Black Metallic
- Argent Silver Metallic
- Celestial Metallic
- Nimbus Metallic (Sport only)
- Opulent Blue Metallic (Sport only)
- Crystal White Tricoat*
- Radiant Red Tintcoat*
- Carrageen Metallic* (Luxury only)
Once you’ve decided on exterior colours, it’s time to think about interior colours:
- Noir with Santorini Blue accents and Inteluxe seat trim with perforated inserts
- Sky Cool Grey with Santorini Blue accents and Interluxe seat trim with perforated inserts
- Oxford Stone with Garnet accents and full Leather seat trim with perforated inserts*
- Juniper with Sky Cool Grey accents and full Leather seat trim with perforated inserts*
*Extra cost option
Just How Big is the Cadillac LYRIQ?
When we think of Cadillac, our minds are instantly cast to the land yachts of the 1970s. However, this Cadillac LYRIQ is no 6.5 metre Fleetwood 75. No, the LYRIQ is a large electric SUV similar in size to electric European SUVs like the Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW IX, and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
Here’s how the Cadillac LYRIQ compares in terms of length, width, and height:
- Cadillac LYRIQ: 4,996mm long, 1,976mm wide, and 1,623mm high.
- Audi Q8 e-tron: 4,915mm long, 1,935 mm wide, and 1,633 mm height
- BMW IX: 4,953mm long, 1,967 mm wide, and 1,696 mm height
- Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV: 4,863mm long, 1,940mm wide, and 1,686mm height
- Genesis Electrified GV70: 4,715mm long, 1,910mm wide, and 1,630mm height
- Kia EV9 GT-Line (7-seater): 5,015mm long, 1,980mm wide, and 1,780mm height
You can see from the size comparison that the Cadillac LYRIQ is marginally longer than an Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW IX, and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. This is especially impressive, given the price point.
What’s the Interior of the Cadillac LYRIQ Like?
The Cadillac LYRIQ is packed with comfort and technology, making it a true competitor to European brands. Highlights of the interior include:
- Tri-zone climate control
- Heated front and rear seats, ventilated and massage-capable front seats
- Large panoramic fixed-glass roof with power sunshade
- 33-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android, up to 9K resolution
- AKG Studio 19-speaker sound system
We spent our time behind the wheel of a USDM vehicle in left-hand drive. However, we wouldn’t expect the quality of our vehicles to change too much, considering the Australian-delivered Cadillac LYRIQs will also be factory-built in right-hand drive in Spring Hill, Tennessee. There are no plans for Chinese-manufactured LYRIQs to be brought to Australia at this stage, but we wouldn’t rule it out.
Here are the precise interior measurements for the Cadillac LYRIQ:
- Passenger volume: 2,976-litres
- Cargo volume: 793-litres (behind rear seats) and 1,722-litres (rear seats folded)
- Front cargo volume: N/A
- Headroom: 980mm (front), 957mm (rear)
- Legroom: 1,124mm (front), 1,006mm (rear)
- Shoulder room: 1,497mm (front), 1,488mm (rear)
- Hip room: 1,436mm (front), 1,372mm (rear)
Jump inside, and you’ll be welcomed by comfortable leather seats that are heated (front and rear) and ventilated, with massage controls up front.
Rear passengers have ample legroom and headroom, as expected for a vehicle this size. Even with a large 6ft frame, we could comfortably sit in the back for long journeys. There are two USB-C points in the rear, air vents (no controls), and an AC port. Rear seats can also be folded with a button in the boot.
The 33-inch continuous touchscreen infotainment system takes pride of place on the dashboard. It’s rich in colour with deep OLED-like blacks while remaining bright enough to use in full sun with the shade on the panoramic glass roof open. That’s if the automatic dimming doesn’t dim the screen so much that you can’t see it, which can be an issue when driving into tunnels and through underpasses.
It houses Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are both wireless. However, because it’s so well integrated, you might simply use the built-in Google Maps system.
On the driver’s side of the screen, a smaller touchscreen control lets you configure the headlights, check trip information, and control the driver’s display.
The interior is visually impressive and certainly feels like a vehicle worth more than one hundred thousand dollars from the driver’s seat. Yes, it’s technology-heavy, but the layout of everything makes a lot of sense, which can’t be said for some cars that rely so heavily on touchscreen controls, e.g., BMW IX.
We also have to give special mention to the 19-speaker AKG sound system. It has three large 150mm x 225mm subwoofers, 40mm speakers in the headrests, a 150mm mid-woofer, and a 14-channel class-D amplifier, to name just a few speakers. It’s a great sound system with surround technology, EV sound enhancement, and road noise cancellation that works like noise-cancelling headphones.
The steering wheel is a good size, sits comfortably in your hands, and has small touchpoints, such as the indicator stalks, that feel high-quality. When you want to control things on the wheel, there are large buttons and toggle switches for track skip, volume, and manual overrides for all the driver assistance features.
Unfortunately, Cadillac’s Super Cruise is unavailable in Australia due to strict regulations on autonomous driving systems, which is unfortunate because it works very well.
While we were impressed by the interior of the Cadillac LYRIQ, like every car, some things were left a bit to be desired.
We’re not sure who decided that door handles needed to be reinvented, but the brand has decided to follow a trend set by Tesla where handles retract into the door and require both a thumb and finger to open—you push in with your thumb and pull with your fingers. It might help aerodynamics, but we’d rather have 10km less range and a basic handle. Even those pull-up handles on BMWs are easier to use.
It’s easy to criticize the fact that the glovebox can only be opened through the touchscreen, but we can’t remember the last time we accessed a glovebox while driving, so it’s not something that would bother us.
Finally, while everything you touch and feel seems high quality at first glance, the deeper you look, the more some plastic trims and touchpoints aren’t quite at the same level as those European alternatives we mentioned earlier. The BMW IX has beautiful crystal hardware controls throughout the cabin, and we much prefer the layout and controls of the Mercedes-Benz EQE AMG
What Powers the Cadillac LYRIQ and What’s the Range Like?
- Power output: 388kW (528HP)
- Torque: 610Nm
- Drivetrain: All-wheel drive (AWD)
- 0-100km/h acceleration: around 5 seconds (no claimed figure provided)
- Battery capacity: 102 kWh, Lithium-ion NCMA cathode, blended graphite anode
- Range: 530km WLTP
- Charging capabilities:
- Max DC charge power: 190kW
- Max AC charge power: 19.2kW
- Fast added range: 200km range in 15 minutes
All variants of the Cadillac LYRIQ in Australia use the top-of-the-line AWD dual-motor electric drive system with 388kW (528HP) of power and 610Nm of torque. This helps the Cadillac LYRIQ accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in around 5 seconds (no claimed figure provided), which puts it on par with the competition.
Power is supplied by a 102kWh battery, which is good enough for a WLTP-claimed range of 530km. We could not verify that range claim during our limited time with the vehicle in Los Angeles. However, owners have reported an electric range between 250 and 260 miles, indicating that the Cadillac LYRIQ’s real-world range is between 420 and 450km. Of course, this is weather-dependent.
How Does the Cadillac LYRIQ Drive?
For this quick drive, we spent time behind the wheel of a left-hand drive California-spec vehicle in Los Angeles. It’s a different vehicle from the one we will receive in Australia, with a softer suspension tune and different throttle sensitivity. However, it still gave us a good impression of the Cadillac LYRIQ and what it’s trying to achieve.
Comfort is at the forefront of the driving experience, which aligns it with other electric SUVs at this price point, like the Genesis Electrified GV70.
Thanks to a 5-link suspension system, the LYRIQ’s ride quality around town and on the open highways is top-tier. You’ll only upset the LYRIQ when you push it outside its comfort zone, pushing the 2,774kg electric SUV through tight corners and long sweeping bends.
The Ultium battery enables a near 50/50 weight distribution, but it’s simply not as sporty to drive as the BMW IX, Audi e-tron, and Polestar 3. It begrudgingly accepted its fate when pushed through the Malibu Canyon roads.
Drive modes include Tour, Snow/Ice, Sport and a custom My Mode. We swapped between Tour and Sport, and the left-hand drive California-spec vehicle certainly needed improvements in Sport as there was still a large amount of body roll through corners, and the steering was still rather vague. We’ll wait and see how this is addressed for our Australian-delivered LYRIQs.
You would expect a wall of power from the 388kW (528HP) dual-motor powertrain, but it’s quite slow off the mark and has seemingly been tuned to ramp speed up as you go. The LYRIQ didn’t wake up until we reached 40km/h, but this may also be changed for our local vehicles. Again, more testing needs to be done.
How Safe is the Cadillac LYRIQ?
The Cadillac LYRIQ has not been tested by ANCAP, Euro NCAP, IIHS or the NHTSA. However, it has a long list of safety features you expect to find on a new vehicle. They include:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking
- Forward Collision Alert
- Front Pedestrian Braking
- Safety Alert Seat
- Rear Park Assist
- HD Rear Vision Camera
- Teen Driver
- Rear Seat Reminder
- Blind Zone Steering Assist
- Front Cyclist Braking
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- HD Surround Vision
- Rear Cross Traffic Braking
- Reverse Autonomous Braking
- Side Cyclist Alert
The cabin has eight airbags: front driver and passenger, front knees, sides, and curtains.
How Much Does the Cadillac LYRIQ Cost to Run?
- 5-year/unlimited KM warranty for the vehicle
- 8-years/160,000 KM warranty for the batteries
Both Cadillac model grades have a 5-year/unlimited KM warranty for the vehicle. The brand’s electric vehicle propulsion battery warranty covers the batteries for 8-years/160,000km. These warranties align with the competition and match BMW and Audi. However, Mercedes-Benz warrants its EQE and EQS batteries for 10-years/ 250,000km, whichever occurs first.
Man of Many’s Verdict on the Cadillac LYRIQ
It’s a volatile time for brands not made in China or called Toyota. However, General Motors seems up for the challenge, and it’s certainly putting its best foot forward with cars like the Cadillac LYRIQ.
The brand has created a well-rounded luxury all-electric SUV that challenges established brands for bragging rights in terms of looks, technology, comfort, and practicality.
However, above all else, it’s sharply priced, and if you’re looking to step up from brands like Tesla into something premium, we’d strongly consider the Cadillac LYRIQ. You could say the same to those looking to save a few dollars at the expense of having a luxury European name plastered on the front of their bonnet.
You’ll also like:
