The inside of the Cadillac Optiq, the American luxurious model’s new entry-level electrical SUV, has been revealed.
The Common Motors-owned model, which is able to re-enter the Australian market this 12 months, has confirmed the Optiq will seem at this month’s Beijing motor present, which begins on April 25.
We count on Cadillac to lastly publish specs for the brand new SUV at the moment, although we do know from an earlier Chinese language Ministry of Trade and Info Expertise submitting that it’ll supply 150kW or 180kW outputs.
The Optiq measures 4822mm lengthy, 1912mm huge and 1642mm tall on a 2954mm wheelbase, which makes it 72mm longer, 66mm narrower and 18mm taller than a Tesla Mannequin Y.
Earlier than the Optiq’s in-person debut, Cadillac has launched a raft of inside photos of its Mannequin Y rival.
The Optiq carefully resembles the bigger Lyriq inside, all the way down to the door-mounted energy seat controls and the digital instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen neatly built-in in a single wraparound meeting.
There are some key variations from its bigger sibling, nonetheless.
The pictured instance options daring, metallic blue trim working from one aspect of the sprint by to the centre. This matches the darkish blue textured inserts on the decrease half of the doorways.
The compartment underneath the centre stack controls doesn’t have a door like within the Lyriq, whereas the floating centre console has a unique form.
The Optiq debuted in November 2023, and whereas GM hasn’t formally confirmed it for our market, it has trademarked its title domestically.
It has additionally trademarked the Vistiq and Escalade iQ nameplates. These are bigger electrical SUVs becoming a member of the Cadillac steady.
The Lyriq will spearhead the model’s return to Australia late this 12 months, nevertheless it mightn’t be alone in Cadillac showrooms for lengthy.
Common Motors (GM) Australia and New Zealand managing director Jess Bala instructed CarExpert in March that bulletins of recent Cadillac fashions past the Lyriq will come “in direction of the tip of the 12 months, early subsequent 12 months”.
“We wish to get [the] Lyriq out and do an superior job with [the] Lyriq first as effectively,” mentioned Ms Bala.
“We do wish to clearly give that unbelievable automobile its time as effectively, but additionally wish to give everybody the arrogance realizing that it’s not only one entry, we have now extra wonderful automobiles coming.”
In response as to if the Optiq, Vistiq and Escalade iQ are the subsequent automobiles coming to Australia, Ms Bala mentioned “there are extra EVs coming, clearly we’ll verify what they’re at a later date”.
She stopped wanting confirming whether or not all these automobiles will come right here.
“I’ll say that simply from a course of standpoint, each time we, GM, have new automobiles coming in, trademark a reputation as a result of we’ve determined effectively upfront what our automobiles are going to be known as,” mentioned Ms Bala.
“We do typically exit globally and trademark them in all places as a result of within the occasion we do determine to convey a car someplace, we would like that consistency to be there from a model standpoint.”
Cadillac intends to stay with an electric-only technique in Australia. It’s aiming to be EV-only by 2030 globally.
The model will launch with three retail shops, or ‘Cadillac Expertise Centres’: Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand.
Executives have made a number of mentions of Cadillacs promoting in “unique volumes”, although Ms Bala has been keen about its possibilities.
“It’s going to do extremely effectively right here,” mentioned Ms Bala late final 12 months, saying Cadillac will attraction to luxurious automobile consumers who wish to stand out and who think about themselves trendsetters.
Regardless of all of the speak of “unique volumes”, Ms Bala mentioned pricing of its debut mannequin in Australia, the Lyriq, wouldn’t be lofty.
“It’ll be priced competitively inside that mid-sized SUV [segment],” mentioned Ms Bala, confirming the Lyriq will battle equally sized electrical SUVs from European luxurious manufacturers just like the BMW iX.
The corporate wouldn’t verify pricing, however the Lyriq begins on the equal of round A$90,000 within the US.
Along with promoting automobiles by separate retail areas, GM indicated there will probably be a unique after-sales expertise for Cadillac automobiles vis-à-vis these bought in GMSV showrooms.
“We’re all about offering an elevated luxurious expertise to that buyer from the minute they could enter their particulars in a web site or go to considered one of our Cadillac Expertise Centres, all through to buy and past that,” mentioned Ms Bala.
“As a result of we all know that your buy doesn’t finish the minute that we hand you the keys to your car, it’s an ongoing relationship that we wish to preserve and supply one thing that could be very constant.
“A really high-end buyer expertise, kind of like that ‘white glove’ that you’d count on as a luxurious buyer to get.”
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