Cadillac unveiled Friday a buzzier version of its future flagship EV, the six-figure Celestiq sedan slated to set the direction for the brand’s electrified portfolio.
The show car model of the eagerly-awaited Celestiq represents the 120-year-old luxury brand’s most advanced vehicle yet, the company said. The one-off car previews what Celestiq could be when it goes on sale in 2025.
The show car’s cabin features five high-definition, interactive LED displays, including a 55-inch-diagonal screen that wraps around the dashboard, and electronic digital blinds designed to let rear passengers watch video content in private.
A Smart Glass Roof uses Suspended Particle Device technology to divide the roof into four quadrants so that passengers can adjust their own lighting by controlling the transparency of the glass.
Cadillac said the technology in the show car represents what the production version will offer once the hand-built Celestiq enters production in late 2023. That includes the show car’s Ultra Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology. GM said that the premium alternative to its Super Cruise system can handle “nearly every road including city streets, subdivision streets and paved rural roads, in addition to highways.”
Cadillac will likely provide more details about its flagship EV, such as the car’s battery range and price, when it debuts the show car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August.
Early reports indicate that the EV could start around $300,000, an eye-popping price tag for any mainstream luxury automaker. That price would push Cadillac’s halo car well above the top variants from other luxury EVs, including the Lucid Air Dream Edition, Porsche Taycan Turbo S and Tesla Model X Plaid.
The show car’s infotainment and advanced driver assistance features represent a leap into the future, but its exterior is designed to evoke the past. General Motors’ luxury brand said that the design harkens back to a bespoke period in Cadillac’s history. Designers drew inspiration from early Cadillac sedans, including V-16 powered, prewar coaches and the hand-built 1957 Eldorado Brougham.
