Story | William Ha Photography | Cadillac
Before SUVs became popular, the quintessential luxury vehicle was a long, wide sedan or coupe offering a V8 engine, a magic carpet ride, remarkable styling, vast interior space and high-tech features. Cadillac was a leader in building these memorable land yachts, and their golden era from the late 1940s to the late 1970s cemented the brand’s big, bold identity.
Cadillac CELESTIQ
In the decades since, Cadillac has had to face stiffer competition and a gradual loss of loyalists from the Silent and Baby Boomer generations. What they must do now is capture the hearts and dollars of Generation X and Millennials, especially with the large transfer of generational wealth happening.
One approach is to be a style leader in electric vehicles (EVs) within the right segments, which Cadillac has achieved with a line-up that includes the compact Optiq, mid-size Lyriq and incoming three-row Escalade IQ. The Optiq is their newest launch, featuring a 300-horsepower all-wheel drive powertrain capable of delivering up to 482 kilometres of range. The Optiq also provides class-leading rear leg room, cargo capacity and a vast 33-inch LED driver display.
2025 Cadillac OPTIQ.
Close-up of the 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ’s 33-inch-diagonal interface and display with 9K resolution.
View of driver’s seat in 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ with Sky Cool Gray interior.
View of the 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ rear cargo area with the rear hatch opened, showing its segment-best cargo capacity.
View of the 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ interior in Autumn Canyon, featuring the 33-inch-diagonal interface and display with 9K resolution.
View of the 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ steering wheel with standard Super Cruise and steering wheel light bar activated.
The other more exciting approach is returning to their precision manufacturing roots by offering a bespoke build program along the lines of what Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Porsche already have in place.
Seeing Celestiq at Cadillac House
To see and learn more about this bespoke build practice, we visited Cadillac House in Michigan as guests of Cadillac Canada.
The Celestiq is Cadillac’s four-door halo vehicle that can be custom-built to the customer’s wants. Qualified buyers can visit Cadillac House to build their Celestiq with an expert consultant, where they can see all available colours and swatches, feel a variety of materials and see their virtual build on a large screen.
As a four-passenger hatchback, Celestiq features a long, graceful silhouette and a dramatically sloped rear that gives it a distinct look. Its all-electric drivetrain produces an estimated 600 horsepower (0 to 96 km/h in 3.8 seconds) and up to 480 kilometres of range. Inside, 55 total inches of pillar-to-pillar screens impress, with beautiful hand-finished materials throughout and a 38-speaker sound system.
Cadillac CELESTIQ
Some of our favourite features include the hands-free electrically operated doors (drivers can also close their door hands-free with a tap of the brake pedal) and the choreographed lighting animation on the front grille as you approach the vehicle. The electrochromic glass panel roof is also unique, as it is divided into four squares for each passenger and can be adjusted from transparent to opaque.
The front 55-inch pillar-to-pillar screen.
The Cadillac CELESTIQ trunk.
The interior leather stitching on the Cadillac CELESTIQ seats.
Celestiq gets full marks for exterior styling, but inside, we hope they’ll avoid using switchgear that look like those found in production Cadillacs, and ensure all knobs and buttons operate smoothly. For example, its transmission shifter stalk looks like the one in the Optiq, and when turning the jeweled centre knob, the tactile notches did not feel as tight and smooth. Maybe we were observing a prototype, but these details will matter in a vehicle commanding at least Cadillac Optiq, available in early 2025 $350,000.
Cadillac CELESTIQ multi-function controller and screen.
Let the Sun Shine
The pièce de résistance of Cadillac’s design portfolio is the SOLLEI concept, a full-sized, sun-themed luxury convertible with a majestic presence that evokes memories of the brand’s past glory. Its magnificent hand-painted Manila Cream paintwork (an actual colour offered in the late 1950s) is even more striking in person than in photos. Inside, its Sola Yellow interior and end-to-end screens dazzle, while the sunburst motif hand-cut wood patterns visually delight. power-operated beverage chiller compartment with a decanter adds to the interior’s uniqueness.
Cadillac SOLLEI concept vehicle
Cadillac SOLLEI concept vehicle interior.
Birds eye view of Cadillac SOLLEI concept vehicle.
The crystal multi-functional controller with Cadillac Goddess emblem in the Cadillac SOLLEI and front console cupholder door accent featuring Cadillac’s historical vehicle silhouettes.
On the Right Track
With new EVs in the right segments and a bespoke program, we believe Cadillac is on the right track towards driving more sales and reinforcing its brand prestige. The brand also deserves credit for developing a full lineup of excellent-driving vehicles, being a customer experience leader, taking innovation risks when other premium brands stand pat, and still offering exciting, niche vehicles like the 682-horsepower Escalade V and 668-horsepower CT5-V Blackwing sports sedan in a manual transmission.
SOME INTERESTING CADILLAC FACTS
1. Cadillac was founded in 1902, making the brand older than both Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce.
2. In 1912, Cadillac introduced electric vehicle starting and lighting that all other vehicles soon adopted.
3. In 1964, Cadillac introduced interior automatic climate control.
4. Some 1997 model-year Cadillacs were equipped with OnStar, which was one of the earliest connected-vehicle safety and security platforms on the market.
5. The Cadillac name has appeared in 46 movie titles, over 12,000 song lyrics, over 400 movie scenes and is the most tattooed luxury vehicle brand to-date.
