Cadillac details rollout of rear- and all-wheel drive 2023 Lyriq EVs that start at $62,990.
The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq, an electric midsize SUV, will be available to order May 19 with a starting price of $62,990 and four colors to choose from, with deliveries to start this fall. This follows the sale of an undisclosed number of 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Debut Editions which are being built now in Spring Hill, Tenn. , as well as Shanghai, to get them into customer hands this summer. The limited run was sold out in less than 10 minutes, Global Cadillac Vice President Rory Harvey said.
Update, Friday, May 20, 2022: Cadillac sold out the 2023 Lyriq within hours of opening order books on May 19. GM is already looking at ways to increase production at its plants in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and Shanghai. While Cadillac is not giving specific order numbers, we know there were about 233,000 handraisers in March and 10 percent were expected to turn into orders, which had suppliers geared up for Cadillac to build about 25,000 Lyriqs this year. Cadillac is putting potential customers on a waitlist for additional 2023 model production, and after that they will be lined up to get 2024 models.
The Debut Editions are the same as the regular trims to come with one difference: The early adopters who reserved one secured their Lyriq for a bargain price of $59,990. Harvey said the debut price was designed to be attractive—this is a new nameplate and Cadillac’s first EV—and the plan all along was to modify the price for the vehicle lineup going forward.
This fall Cadillac will start delivering Lyriqs ordered with a single motor in the rear. The rear-drive Lyriq has an EPA-estimated range of 312 miles on a single charge and performance is rated at 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. Four color choices include the original Satin Steel Metallic and Stellar Black Metallic of the Debut Editions, and now add Opulent Blue Metallic and Crystal White Tricoat. For the 2024 model year, the Lyriq will be available with a full color palette.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq With AWD Starts At $64,990
Customers who want dual motors for all-wheel-drive capability must wait until early 2023 for delivery. They will still be 2023 models, with a starting price of $64,990. Horsepower is 500 but torque and range have not yet been released. It can tow 3,500 pounds.
The Lyriq will debut GM’s next generation of Super Cruise hands-free highway driving assist. With the Lyriq pulled ahead nine months, the hardware for Super Cruise will be installed in early-build Lyriqs but it will not be active until an over-the-air update at the end of the year. Those customers facing the delay will be offered 100,000 GM Reward points or a further year of free charging as a thank you for being an early adopter. All future new Cadillacs will have the enhanced Super Cruise known as Ultra Cruise.
Harvey said 70 percent of Lyriq Debut Edition customers are new to Cadillac, 68 percent are Gen X and Y, and a third are from the West Coast—all positive indicators. There are 250,000 handraisers for the Lyriq now, a much higher number than for past Cadillacs. Harvey would not venture a guess as to how many will translate into orders.
Charging The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq
Cadillac will give customers $1,500 towards installation, by Qmerit, of a Level 2 fast charger or a 240-volt outlet at their home, which is where 80-90 percent of buyers are expected to charge. The cost of the actual home charger is not covered. The Lyriq comes with a portable dual-level cordset charger that works with 120- and 240-volt outlets. For those who can’t or don’t want to take advantage of this offer, they can choose two years of unlimited public charging credits at EVgo charging stations. The charging offers are new but will be retroactively offered to buyers of the Debut Edition. Making charging simpler and more available is a priority, General Motors CEO Mary Barra has said repeatedly as the automaker rolls out a full portfolio of electric vehicles globally, across all four brands.
The Lyriq is the first EV for the Cadillac brand which will have an all-electric portfolio by 2030. Harvey says Cadillac will continue to be the leading brand when it comes to EVs—despite all the electric Chevrolet vehicles that have been announced including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, and the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV.
Cadillac has the flagship Celestiq, a limo-like sedan with a hatch, expected next year, to be followed by an electric crossover comparable in size to the Cadillac XT4.
