The first impression:
The future is bright, at least for Cadillac - the new model Lyriq comes with sparkling LEDs in the front end where chrome shone on previous models.
The rest of the design is elegant, slick and therefore quite interchangeable.
That's what the manufacturer says:
This car is the future of Cadillac, says chief designer Andrew Smith, and that's exactly how it should feel.
Similar to BMW with the revolutionary duo of i3 and i8, his team has built a kind of show car for the series that breaks with the current models of the brand from the digital key to the huge screen landscape.
"Customers should feel as if they are leading a piece of the future," he says.
Looking ahead is sorely needed, because the present is dreary for Cadillac.
The brand serves a niche in Europe, and the luxury division of the GM group also has a hard time in North America.
In terms of image and technology, it does not keep up with the German manufacturers, and when it comes to sales, the Toyota offshoot Lexus is ahead.
Everyone in Detroit has lost touch with Tesla.
A car like the Lyriq looks like an attempt at liberation, similar to what Ford is trying to do with the F-150 Lightning.
We noticed
that when you first try your seat in the Lyriq, you feel like you're out on the prairie somewhere - the cockpit feels spacious and expansive.
Fascinating things are happening in the field of vision: when the car reports that it is ready for action, a screen landscape lights up in the cockpit, which has immense proportions with a 33-inch diagonal.
Graphics appear on it that attract attention.
Of course, that's not all that should make an impression and pave the way for Cadillac to turn the tide.
There is the large panoramic roof, but above all the manufacturer uses the freedom that the electrical architecture grants him.
For example, the Lyriq lacks a bulky center tunnel on the floor and because there is no space for a V8 engine in the front, the axles are spaced so far apart that you can even sit in the second row first-class.
Driving is inconspicuous.
Like any electric car, stepping on the accelerator pedal puts traction control and tire grip to the test.
During kick-down, the combustion models in the rear-view mirror quickly become smaller.
Of course, it's all very quiet - especially because Cadillac uses insulating glass and suppresses the little bit of residual noise electronically.
The car is tuned in a typically American way, it can be moved with emphasis on comfort and little binding.
The way it seesaws over the bumps and floats through the curves on the GM test site, the Lyriq is only suitable for German country roads to a limited extent.
But since the steering and chassis are electronically controlled, the set-up should fit with new programming.
What you need to know:
The Lyriq is the first model in the GM portfolio to use the new Ultium architecture.
This platform is as important for General Motors as the modular electrical system (MEB) is for VW.
It is to be used in more than 30 new electric models by 2025.
Just a few months ago, CEO Mary Barra increased the budget again: With 27 billion US dollars, she wants to convert the US car giant into a CO2-neutral company by 2040 and say goodbye to the combustion engine completely by 2035.
In the US, the electric Cadillac starts at $62,990.
First with a 340 hp motor in the rear and a 102.4 kWh battery in the floor, which can be charged with up to 19.2 kW AC and with a maximum of 190 kW DC.
A full battery is then sufficient for around 520 kilometers.
An all-wheel drive version with two motors and 500 hp will follow in early 2023, with a range of less than 500 kilometers.
There is nothing official about the performance yet, but the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h on the test site takes just under five seconds and the top speed should be around 200 km/h.
It is unclear whether and when the Lyriq will also come to Europe.
"We're just repositioning ourselves and want to become an innovative mobility provider," says Mahmoud Samara, who heads GM's business in Europe.
Allegedly, the chances for the Lyriq are good.
Mainly because of the current e-boom in Europe.
"The market is growing faster here than anywhere else," says Samara.
In addition, the Lyriq has what it takes to free Cadillac from the stigma of the die-hard fuel guzzler brand.
In any case, the E-SUV does not have to hide from the Tesla Model X, nor from German models such as the Audi e-Tron, the BMW iX or the Mercedes EQE.
We won't forget
that: The first encounter with the Super Cruise assistance system.
It is the answer to Tesla's autopilot and allows the driver to sit with their hands on their lap, even turn around for a moment or take off their sweater.
Unlike the DrivePilot from Mercedes, the driver is always responsible, which is why cameras constantly monitor his attention.
Nevertheless, it provides maximum relief on boring tours over dead-straight highways or city freeways in permanent traffic jams.
Thomas Geiger is a freelance author and was supported in his research by Cadillac. Reporting is independent of this.
