In a teaser video, Cadillac has revealed that it will unveil the upcoming Lyric electric luxury SUV on August 6 at 7 p.m. ET. The vehicle will be the first from parent company GM to use the automaker’s new Ultium battery technology.

Cadillac states that in addition to seeing the show vehicle, the automaker will also share "the next chapter for the brand." It will likely be about the move to electric vehicles and possibly include information about upcoming versions of the company’s hands-free driver assistance feature, Super Cruise.

Currently, details about the vehicle are sparse, but we do know that the Lyriq will use GM's Ultium battery architecture. The scalable system will ofter capacities from 50.0 kWh to an enormous 200.0 kWh. It's likely that the Lyriq's battery pack will fall somewhere near 100.0 kWh.

GM said during its Ultium battery announcement in March that its partnership with LG Chem would result in cheaper batteries that could eventually drive the cost of an EV to be on par with that of a gas-powered equivalent vehicle. Whether that will happen before the launch of the Lyriq is unknown, but we are expecting the luxury SUV to start at about $75,000.

Large dashboard displays have become synonymous with electric vehicles. We spoke with Bill Thompson, the senior design manager for UI at General Motors, about how the Cadillac Lyriq’s display will signal how the company handles digital dashboards for all its upcoming EVs. GM shared the first photo of the Lyriq’s screen, revealing a single 33-inch piece of curved glass in front of the driver.

The main message? Size matters. Thompson said:
The size of the Cadillac Lyriq display is a huge differentiator for us. The form factor is going to be very industry-leading. The huge 33-inch display is a very big differentiator for us, even among the other brands in our portfolio.

All this information and all this intelligence will get passed down to the rest of the company. It’s the platform itself that is all new.
Thompson explained that while the screen is one long piece of curved glass, it will be divided into three distinct zones. The display is five inches tall.

The zone to the left of the steering wheel will control interior features such as lighting and the heads-up display. It will flow into the region behind the steering wheel. That’s where you’ll find a traditional (digital) instrument cluster. And the screen will seamlessly continue to the center stack for navigation, cabin, and infotainment features.

Nonetheless, the Lyriq’s screen has the capability to do a full-screen takeover. In other words, when the vehicle is stopped, charging, or for other discrete functions, the entire piece of glass could be integrated into a single presentation. The Lyriq is the first GM vehicle to use a single piece of glass that’s nearly 3 feet wide.

The first image shared with Electrek gives a hint of how it could be used for EV navigation. The left side offers a chance to add a charging stop, with range and speedometer info in the middle, and turn-by-turn navigation on the right. The zones blend into one another.

Click on the image for a large version:
Thompson admitted that the approach was “derivative” of what’s already announced for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade. That’s a point of pride. Here’s the 2021 Escalade’s digital interface, which uses two overlapped pieces of display hardware.

Thompson believes the EV market has evolved to where the electric-ness doesn’t need to be emphasized.
Historically, when it came to an electric vehicle, the vehicle was electric first. The market has matured. With Cadillac Lyriq, it’s a Cadillac first, and it is meant to be a luxurious very high end-user experience.

We’ve built into the user interface to allow the customer to choose how much electrification information they want to have available to them at any given time.
The two zones on the outside will be touch-controlled, while drivers will use a rotary control for the instrument cluster in the middle. Thompson said the display is “brought higher up in the in the sightline.”

The Cadillac Lyriq luxury SUV launches in China in 2021 and in North America in 2022. There will be virtual launch of the Lyriq on August 6.

GM’s restraint from using the large screen to cinematic effect extends to the start-up welcome sequence. So while GM could have taken over the entire 33-inch landscape with some Byton-esque razzle-dazzle, the Lyriq will be more modest.
A lot of times, when you get in these vehicles, there’s a lot of pomp and circumstance with things like welcome animations, and things like that that aren’t necessarily rooted in the customer need.

When you’re welcomed into the Lyriq, having this large display once it recognizes you and invites you in, it tells you pertinent details of your trip, calendar events that you have coming up, and lets you know your range.

Instead of having the user go search for those kinds of things on their own, they’re presented to you in a very comforting way.
Fair enough, but there is nothing especially EV about it. I suppose that’s part of the point as well. That said, Thompson pointed to so-called intelligent routing tied to the remaining range. He said that range anxiety was less of an issue these days compared to previous years. However, he said the UI would “integrate those kinds of peace-of-mind features.” Moreover, he emphasized that Cadillac had made a great effort to “distill that information, so customers don’t have to go fishing for it.”

This is a detail of the Lyriq’s screen from the single teaser image:



Thompson explained that the company had also evolved its thinking about presenting information about Super Cruise, it’s hands-off, self-driving feature. Cadillac will continue to use a brightly lit color-coded bar on top of the steering wheel to denote the assist level and readiness of Super Cruise. But now it can use the monster screen as well.
When these alerts pop up, what your instructions are, whether you have to take over the wheel or override controls, or whatever the case may be, the messaging in terms of the language is very human and very clear. It feels less engineered and more human-centered, leveraging that large display in front of you.

The cluster for Lyriq is going to provide you a much more human-centered message as well as a larger graphic that illustrates the conditions of the vehicle you’re trying to meet.
He didn’t provide more details about the iconography. But he said that it would be “more human-sounding.” In the previous version, the text might have read, “Take over steering wheel now!” With the Lyriq (and future models), the language would be friendlier such as: “It’s time to take over the steering wheel.” That doesn’t sound like much of a difference. But to be fair, I think it needs to be seen with the icons in a driving context.

Thompson is in charge of UI for all GM vehicles. And the Lyriq is the first of a wave of new EVs to get introduced. So his team is using the large screen to establish its approach for all those upcoming EVs. He said the Lyriq’s approach would “get cascaded and inform other brands.”

I asked how the GMC Hummer EV’s screen would be different. He replied:
The Hummer’s display form factor, the location, the placement of those things, the overall interior design, and sculpture of all of those interiors are going to be drastically different. They’ll have different DNA.

The Cadillac brand DNA is very evident in the Lyriq interior. The display for Hummer is a very different thing.
Beyond that, GM said we would have to wait for Hummer to reveal its spin on digital screens later this year.

Cadillac LYRIQ: The Journey Continues Aug. 6

Inspired by craftsmanship and driven by innovation, Cadillac LYRIQ represents the first in an upcoming portfolio of battery-electric luxury vehicles from Cadillac.

The journey began back in 2019, when Cadillac announced it would spearhead General Motors’ shift to an all-electric future and released the first images of a crossover built on GM’s next-generation battery electric architecture.

The story continued earlier this year with the announcement of GM’s new Ultium batteries, proof that Cadillac’s all-electric future is bright. With Ultium at its core, Cadillac will deliver a full portfolio of luxury electric vehicles.

On Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020 at 7 p.m. ET, Cadillac will take the next step in this journey with a virtual reveal of the Cadillac LYRIQ, which will be broadcast on Cadillac’s media site. Following the reveal, GM leadership and the team behind the Cadillac LYRIQ will host a live Q&A. A question submission link will be available during the reveal.

Until then, explore the photo gallery to see Cadillac’s journey to date and for a glimpse at Cadillac’s first all-electric crossover.

The Lyriq, a midsize crossover, includes a massive diagonal 33-inch curved LED screen on the interior, advanced lighting technology on the exterior and GM’s Super Cruise driver-assist system. It is heavily based off a rendering the automaker showed last year when it announced Cadillac would lead its all-electric vehicle efforts.

“It further positions Cadillac as a technology spearhead for General Motors,” Carlisle said.

The Lyriq is expected to arrive in U.S. showrooms in late 2022. The vehicle will first launch in China, the world’s largest electric vehicle market, shortly before the U.S. release, Carlisle said.

‘Our goal is to lead’

The range of the vehicle is estimated to be more than 300 miles on a single charge, according to GM. That’s lower than the 400 miles or more the company has said its next-generation electric vehicles could be capable of, but it’s within what GM has called the “sweet spot” for customers.

Tesla’s Model Y crossover is capable of up to 316 miles on a single charge, according to an EPA estimate on Tesla’s website. The company’s longest-range vehicle is a version of the Tesla Model S sedan at more than 400 miles.

“Our goal is to lead. No excuses, no apologies,” Carlisle previously told CNBC.


Cadillac Lyriq show car
GMThe Lyriq will be offered in both rear-wheel-drive and performance all-wheel-drive systems. The performance model will not offer a front truck, also known as a “frunk,” that many new all-electric vehicles have thanks to there being no engine.

GM declined to release charging time, pricing and other specifications for Lyriq but said it will be competitive with other all-electric luxury crossovers.

The vehicle, according to the company, will be produced at plants in both China and North America, according to GM.

Coming to life

The most noticeable thing on the exterior of the Lyriq is the front of the vehicle, which includes an illuminated Cadillac crest and dozens of light bars that form a black “grille” around the logo. It also features vertical lighting similar to headlamps and long rear brake lights of current Cadillac vehicles.

The headlights and other lights on the vehicle will “recognize” when a driver is approaching, initiating a choreographed lighting sequence while also preparing cabin features such as the driver’s seat, mirrors and climate systems.


The illuminated Cadillac crest on the Lyriq show car.
GM“Basically, this is all about the car recognizing the owner,” said Andrew Smith, Cadillac executive director of global design, color and trim. “As you walk up, you’ll see the car will come to life and recognize you.”

On the interior, the vehicle’s 33-inch driver information center and infotainment screen extends across nearly the entire instrument panel of the cabin. GM says the display has the highest pixel density available in the automotive industry and can display over 1 billion colors.

“It really is an amazing piece of engineering and, frankly, industrial design,” Smith said. “We wanted to make it feel like a piece of jewelry, so it does kind of float.”

The vehicle also features a new “dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display” that projects driver information and navigation onto the windshield in front of the driver. The vehicle will also have remote self-parking.


A 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED display integrates a single, large screen that spans the viewing area for the driver and incorporates driver information details, infotainment controls and camera views.
GMGM unveiled the Lyriq as a “show car” with the caveat that a vast majority of the vehicle’s features will make it to dealer lots. Show cars are typically production-intent vehicles compared to concept cars, which are meant to portray a “vision” for the company.

Profitable

GM has said its next generation of all-electric vehicles will be capable of fast-charging, at least 300 miles to 400 miles on a single charge and, unlike today, will be profitable from the beginning of production on a per-unit basis.

The Detroit automaker, despite the coronavirus pandemic, has not wavered from a plan to invest $20 billion in all-electric and autonomous vehicles from 2020 through 2025.


GM CEO and chairman Mary Barra speaks during an “EV Day” on March 4, 2020 at the company’s tech and design campus in Warren, Mich., a suburb of Detroit
GMGM’s next-generation EV architecture is a modular “skateboard,” or flat, design. The company has said it can be used for a variety of different vehicles – from sports cars to pickups – thanks to its design and packaging of proprietary flat pouch battery cells.

The first vehicle to arrive on dealership lots with GM’s next-generation “Ultium” battery system is expected to be the GMC Hummer EV pickup late next year.

The Lyriq, a midsize crossover, includes a massive diagonal 33-inch curved LED screen on the interior...

Cadillac has begun pre-production of the Lyriq electric crossover, due to go on sale later this year as a 2023 model, opening a new chapter in the brand's electrification efforts. Based on the Ultium platform, the production version of the Lyriq has stayed quite close to the concept first shown in 2020, with GM keeping most of the futuristic exterior along with a versatile and upscale interior.

Cadillac opened reservations for the Lyriq in September promising 300 miles of range courtesy of a 100-kWh battery, with the single-motor, rear-wheel drive version offering 340 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel-drive versions will be on the menu as well with this version slated to arrive in early 2023, after orders open towards the end of this year."15 months ago we announced a $2 billion investment into Spring Hill to build fully electric vehicles," GM President Mark Reuss wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

"Our teams have worked tirelessly on the LYRIQ, bringing the launch up nine months ahead of schedule and working in parallel to convert the plant and start production. This is an important proof point in our path to EV leadership as we introduce more high-volume EVs across price points and lifestyles."

The Debut Edition of the Lyriq sold out in just over 10 minutes on a single day last September, even though Cadillac did not say just how many of the pricier Debut Edition examples were offered. The regular versions of the Lyriq, on the other hand, will start at $59,990.Overall, the model will be the first non-truck and non-van application of the Ultium battery and drivetrain, after the start of production of the BrightDrop EV600 and the GMC Hummer in late 2021. The Cadillac crossover will see plenty of competition, some of which will be from foreign automakers that have been on the market for quite some time, while other will be new to this segment.

"Our teams continue to prove that we can do remarkable things when we share a vision," GM CEO Mary Barra added in the same LinkedIn post. "Thank you to the Spring Hill and Cadillac teams for all their hard work to make this milestone possible. I can't wait for customers to experience how the Cadillac LYRIQ truly redefines expectations for luxury electric vehicles."

Curiously enough, the base price of the Lyriq will place it into competition with something a little unexpected: the Tesla Model Y, whose base price has ballooned to $60,190 just a few weeks ago. Just how much of a truly luxury offering the Model Y happens to be is a matter of perspective at this point—certainly many Tesla fans are convinced that it is—but it's worth noting that Lyriq pricing will begin pretty much where Model Y pricing begins as well.

The all-wheel-drive variant of the Cadillac Lyriq will have an estimated 500 horsepower (373 kilowatts), according to a question-and-answer session from the automaker on Instagram. In addition, this model can tow up to 3,500 pounds (1,588 kilograms).

Cadillac hadn't previously offered any specs for the all-wheel-drive Lyriq. Production of this variant starts in late 2022 and deliveries should begin in 2023.

The 500-hp output is a healthy upgrade over the rear-drive version that makes 340 hp (254 kW). It's not clear whether the AWD Lyriq shares the 100.4-kilowatt-hour Ultium battery pack with the less powerful model. The EPA-range estimate isn't available for the RWD variant yet, but Cadillac puts the figure at over 300 miles (483 kilometers).

The Lyriq's DC fast charger operates at up to 190 kilowatts. This lets the electric crossover regain 200 miles of range in about 30 minutes.

Cadillac received 233,000 expressions of interest in the Lyriq. It's worth noting that this isn't the same as actually placing an order for one. Still, the brand is expecting high demand. The "engineering and manufacturing teams are working very hard to increase capacity to meet this demand," a spokesperson previously told Motor1.com.

Cadillac will begin taking orders for the Lyriq on May 19. It'll have a base price of $59,990 including destination. Deliveries of the rear-drive Launch Edition will begin in the summer.

The Lyriq's cabin features a massive 33.0-inch-diagonal LED display. The single screen runs from behind the steering wheel to the center of the dashboard. The available interior amenities include active noise cancellation and a 19-speaker audio system. Buyer can also get an augmented-reality head-up display and the Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system.

Following the launch of the rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Lyriq, there's a possibility about Cadillac creating a performance-focused V-Series variant of the crossover. Right now, the brand is only evaluating whether the model is the right fit for the lineup. Presumably, this sporty example would have even more power than the AWD's 500 hp.

According to GM Authority sources, pricing for the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury RWD trim will start at $62,900, while pricing the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury AWD trim will start at $64,900. Both figures include the destination freight charge (DFC).

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury RWD will be available in the fall and will offer similar features as the Lyriq Debut Edition, including a single electric motor, a 19.2-kW charging capacity good for up to 52 miles of range per charging hour, and DC Fast Charging capabilities good for 76 miles of range per 10 minutes of charing. Outside, the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury RWD will feature 20-inch alloy wheels as standard (22-inch wheels are optional) while Illuminated door sill plates, a Hands-free power liftgate, and the Rear Camera Mirror are all equipped as standard. The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury RWD won’t offer the trailering package, while the exterior paint colors will be limited to Satin Steel Metallic (paint code G9K) and Stellar Black Metallic (paint code GB8), just like the Debut Edition.



Meanwhile, GM Authority recently reported exclusive details regarding the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq AWD, which will feature a charging capacity of 11.5 kW, adding upwards of 37 miles per hour of charging, plus DC Fast Charging for 76 miles per 10 minutes of charge. The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury AWD trim level will also roll on 20-inch alloy wheels, while 22-inch rollers will not be offered. Exterior paint options will be limited to Satin Steel Metallic (paint code G9K) and Stellar Black Metallic (paint GB8). The Trailering prep package and Non-illuminated door sill plates will be included as standard, as will be an Auto-dimming rearview mirror and a Power liftgate without hands-free operation. The Rear Camera Mirror will not be offered.



The Cadillac Lyriq incorporates GM Ultium battery and GM Ultium drive motor technology, while under the skin is the GM BEV3 platform. Cadillac Lyriq production is underway now at the GM Spring Hill plant in Tennessee.