Basic Motors has filed a trademark in Australia for the Cadillac Lyriq, its flagship model’s first electrical car.
There are two separate filings for the nameplate, each with a submitting date of November 14, 2022.
“The Cadillac Lyriq identify and emblem had been just lately trademarked, which has triggered hypothesis,” mentioned a spokesperson for GM Specialty Automobiles, which imports and distributes GM automobiles in Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s common follow for GM to safe key emblems globally. GM has a number of manufacturers registered, to guard them from unapproved utilization.
“Given the sturdy curiosity, it’s commonplace for some registrations to create pleasure.
“However we aren’t making any bulletins about Cadillac and our focus is on Chevrolet Silverado and Chevrolet Corvette.”
GM doesn’t presently have another native trademark filings for Cadillac merchandise. For instance, a search on IP Australia doesn’t reveal any listings for, for instance, the Escalade. Nor are there any listings for different GM automobiles utilizing the automaker’s Ultium electrical underpinnings.
Cadillac final formally offered automobiles in Australia in 1969, however 40 years later it got here extraordinarily near returning to the native market with the second-generation CTS.
It formally introduced the posh sedan’s launch in 2007 and obtained native certification for its sale, with a number of sellers signing as much as carry the model which might have been offered alongside Hummer and Saab fashions.
GM even imported a number of dozen CTS sedans, just for them to be diverted as the corporate cancelled plans to promote the model in January 2009 simply weeks earlier than they had been attributable to go on sale.
Since then, Cadillac hasn’t produced another right-hand drive automobiles and additional lowered its presence exterior of markets like North America, China and the Center East. For instance, it sells only one car in Europe, the small XT4 crossover.
However GM has now confirmed it intends to turn into a “substantial participant” within the European market as soon as once more, following its sale of the Opel and Vauxhall manufacturers in 2017.
Former GM Europe boss Mahmoud Samara mentioned in July “we really feel very assured we will probably be a considerable participant” albeit with out quoting any proposed targets or fashions. He has subsequently been changed by Jaclyn McQuaid.
The change on the high doesn’t seem to have altered GM’s plans for Europe, with the corporate noting at Ms McQuaid’s appointment GM Europe will turn into “a nimble, non-traditional mobility begin up, with an all electrical car portfolio at its core”.
“Chevrolet is a world model, Cadillac is a world model, Hummer is a world model, so we have now world manufacturers which might be match for function,” mentioned Mr Samara in July.
“What’s so stunning about transitioning to EVs is the pliability that we will ship with these platforms. It is going to be match for function in Europe.”
That doesn’t essentially verify gross sales of right-hand drive GM automobiles will resume, as GM has offered left-hand drive American imports within the UK earlier than.
Mr Samara notes GM Europe will act like a fast start-up, now that there’s no Opel/Vauxhall operation to function an anchor.
That means it may function a largely on-line retail mannequin, as with Tesla, Polestar and Genesis.
The Lyriq is on the market with a alternative of single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains, each mated with a 102kWh lithium-ion battery.
In North America, the US-built rear-wheel drive mannequin produces 255kW of energy and 440Nm of torque, and its all-wheel drive counterpart produces 373kW and 610Nm.
Specs are barely totally different within the Chinese language market, the place the Lyriq can be manufactured.
The rear-wheel drive mannequin has 502km of vary underneath the stricter US EPA take a look at cycle.
The luxurious SUV helps DC quick charging as much as 190kW, which might add about 122km of vary in simply 10 minutes. Cadillac may also supply consumers a 19.2kW house charger that may add 84km of vary per hour.
The Lyriq measures 4996mm lengthy, 2207mm broad (together with the mirrors) and 1623mm tall on a 3094mm wheelbase.
That makes it roughly the identical measurement as an Audi e-tron or BMW iX. It begins at US$62,990 (A$92,891), undercutting these rivals by hundreds of {dollars}, and aligning it with the Tesla Mannequin Y Efficiency.
The Lyriq would be the first of quite a few Cadillac EVs, with the corporate confirming three electrical SUVs and revealing the ultra-luxury Celestiq flagship this 12 months. A pair of extra inexpensive electrical sedans are additionally understood to be within the works.
