What's the difference?
General Motors Australia & New Zealand (GMANZ) has recently expanded its full-electric Cadillac SUV range in Australia from one to three models, with the new Optiq and Vistiq joining the pioneering Lyriq in the company's local line-up of luxurious US-sourced SUVs and pickups.
The five-seater Lyriq is now the happy medium of the Cadillac trio, as it’s positioned between the smaller Optiq and larger Vistiq; the latter with a unique seven-seat design.
We recently spent a week aboard the Lyriq to see if its opulence, practicality, performance, driving range and price provide a compelling alternative to full-electric or combustion-powered rivals for high-end luxury SUV buyers.
The lonely Cadillac Lyriq finally has some company, with the iconic US brand tripling its range down under with the launch of the much bigger Vistiq (which we've already tested) and this entry-level Optiq, which Cadillac describes as the gateway to its electric family.
It's a medium all-electric SUV with plenty of equipment and – depending on whether you see it as an established premium player or another newcomer brand – pretty sharp pricing.
Cadillac says it has the German big three in its sights with the Optiq, so how does it stack up?
The Lyriq Luxury combines handsome styling and luxurious appointments with responsive yet supple ride quality, the choice of relaxed driving or exhilarating performance as desired and a decent driving range. Its lack of towing ability may be a deal breaker for some, but it's certainly worthy of consideration by prestige SUV buyers with a penchant for electric power and (for now at least) sub-$100K drive-away pricing.
A taste test, but so far so good for the Cadillac Optiq, which is already my favourite model in the Caddy range. More space than you think meets a lovely cabin experience and a punchy powertrain.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.
Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.