The 2025 Cadillac Optiq is the luxury automaker’s new all-electric small utility vehicle. This nameplate, which slots below the Lyric in Cadillac’s lineup, was announced late last year, but on Wednesday, the company finally revealed all the vehicle’s important specifications, and they’re pretty impressive.
Dimensionally, the Optiq rides on a lengthy 116-inch wheelbase and its body is 190 inches from bumper to bumper. That makes this vehicle just shy of 7 inches shorter than the Cadillac Lyriq and its hub-to-hub span is about 6 inches less.
Even though it’s smaller than its siblings, this is still a handsome SUV. Just like other Cadillacs, the Optiq features a Black Crystal Grille that incorporates the brand’s signature vertical lighting and animated illumination. Additionally, stylish 20-inch wheels should be standard, with 21s on the options menu.
Closely related to the excellent new Chevy Equinox EV, every Optiq will feature two propulsion motors and all-wheel drive. Expect this vehicle to be graced with around 300 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, which should provide excellent acceleration in nearly any driving situation. The most this SUV can tow will be 1,500 pounds.
Storing energy is an Ultium battery array with 85-kilowatt-hours of usable capacity. This pack provides a GM-estimated 300 miles of range on a full charge, though that may change once the EPA does its own testing. As for DC fast charging, this battery should peak at 150 kilowatts, a good, but not stellar performance in 2024. The automaker has not listed a 10-to-80% charging time, but according to Cadillac, the Optiq can absorb just shy of 80 miles of range in 10 minutes.
Inside, this Cadillac features some extremely appealing technology. Dominating the dashboard is a single, 33-inch, 9K display that can recreate more than 1 billion colors. Both the digital instrument cluster and central touchscreen look great and should offer fantastic performance, just don’t expect Apple CarPlay with this Google-based infotainment system.
For better or worse, the Optiq also features a glass roof, and has a standard 19-speaker AKG sound system with Dolby Atmos baked right in. Naturally, one-pedal driving is supported and, as in other GM vehicles, there’s a regen-on-demand paddle, so drivers can tap that instead of the brake pedal if desired.
The Optiq will also come with Super Cruise, GM’s groundbreaking hands-free driving aid. This system currently works on some 400,000 miles of roadway in the U.S. and Canada, but that will expand to roughly 750,000 miles by the end of 2025, a gargantuan increase.
On paper at least, the 2025 Cadillac Optiq is enormously promising thanks to its strong range, good performance and passel of luxury amenities. But it gets even better because this SUV will also be a good value. The Optiq is expected to start at about $54,000 including destination fees, though this vehicle should be eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, which will make that price significantly more attractive.
Production is expected to commence later this year. Expect the new Optiq to land at dealerships in the fall, though this is also a global product; Cadillac will be selling them in some 10 regions around the world, including Europe.
