OPTIQ, Cadillac’s secret weapon?

In the shadow of its much larger sibling LYRIQ, the Cadillac OPTIQ made a noteworthy debut in Paris at the Mondial de l’Auto.

Despite all its qualities, the Cadillac LYRIQ is too big, too expensive, too equipped,… in short, far too American to have a real chance of success in Europe. It will certainly attract an affluent clientele looking for a different way to travel in the Premium class, but this niche alone cannot guarantee record sales. Especially when our American has to face the high-end offerings from BMW, Audi, or Mercedes on their home turf.

But the LYRIQ at least had the merit of proving to the most skeptical that Cadillac has indeed made its electric transition and still knows how to make very good cars. A good way to reassure the skeptics before shining the spotlight on a model much better equipped to tackle the old continent. And this model is a mid-size electric luxury SUV with a modern style. Here is OPTIQ, a car much more capable of resonating with a new generation of clients.

Cadillac does not do things by halves

To attract electric drivers willing to spend over 50,000 euros, it paradoxically needs to demonstrate a genuine awareness of environmental issues. A few years ago, it was enough to go over 250 km/h and include as much animal leather as possible in the cabin, but that was before. With OPTIQ, the focus is on virtuous innovation with fabrics made from 100% recycled materials or tulip wood veneers and recycled newspaper. Our American is a good student.

But our OPTIQ is also at the forefront of onboard technology with standard radars, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors, along with a 33-inch diagonal LED screen paired with a 19-speaker AKG studio system. To manage all this efficiently, the OPTIQ is built on the latest generation Ultium platform. With an 85 kWh battery, the OPTIQ offers an estimated range of 480 km according to Cadillac, and rapid DC charging allows for up to 120 km of range recovery in about 10 minutes. Its standard dual-motor all-wheel drive system provides up to 300 horsepower and 481 Nm of instant torque. There you have it, you’ve finally understood that our American didn’t cross the Atlantic just for show, right?

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