The striking new Celestiq concept is a preview of Cadillac’s first electric saloon, which will draw on the legacy of era-defining models like the Eldorado and Brougham.
Due within the next two years, the Celestiq will be the US marque’s second electric production model after the Lyriq SUV. It will use the same Ultium platform as that car and a range of EVs from sibling brands Chevrolet and Hummer – and, soon, newly partnered Honda.
The Ultium platform is to General Motors what MEB is to the Volkswagen Group. Modular in its conception, it houses a uniform battery charging and management system and a range of motors and inverters – with varying outputs according to model – known as Ultium Drive.
The new Hummer EV pick-up is the first production car to use the architecture, employing a double-deck battery pack for a mammoth 212.7kWh of capacity and upwards of 300 miles of range. The Cadillac Lyriq uses just one battery, at 100kWh, but is much lighter so offers a similar range – and the eventual Celestiq production car is expected to be similar.
Common styling cues between the Lyriq and Celestiq include a blacked-out grille, LED headlights and vertically mounted rear lights, but the interior of the saloon is unlike anything the US firm has shown to date.
The Celestiq will feature five advanced LED displays, including a 55.0in diagonal advanced LED display, and industry-first features such as what GM calls a ‘variable-transmission smart glass roof’ and Ultra Cruise – the latest iteration of General Motors’ cruise control.
According to Cadillac, the Celestiq will exemplify “the artisanship and customisation that defined early Cadillac sedans such as the bespoke V16-powered coaches of the pre-war era, and the hand-built 1957 Eldorado Brougham.”