Cadillac Lyriq 2026 review: V | Audi Q6 e-tron rival tested

When the Cadillac Lyriq launched in Australia, it was met with mixed opinions from the road testers of this publication. The style, the price, the apparent target market - question marks above the latter in particular. Would anyone bite?

Now, Cadillac’s first EV in Australia has been updated and it brings a new model grade into the fold. This is the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V. 

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Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive system boasts 459kW and 880Nm instead of ‘just’ 384kW/720Nm, useful for launching near-2.7 tonnes of US-sourced EV (built there in right-hand drive) to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds.

You’d expect to be paying a fair chunk for that then, especially given the Lyriq originally launched at more than $120,000 (though now $90,000). Not quite - Cadillac has managed to keep even the quicker version of the Lyriq under the six-figure mark at $99,000 before on-roads.

What features and range does the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V have?

One way it’s managed this is keeping a fairly identical specification between the Sport and the V when it comes to the features and interior.

It shares a 92kWh Lithium-ion battery with the Sport grade, now the only other Lyriq available with the Luxury grade gone, though the extra power at hand in the V means a 471km WLTP range instead of the 503km in the Sport.

Cadillac says with its 7.4kW AC charging you can add around 32km of range an hour, or 98km per hour of charging with three-phase 22kW AC charging.

When using its max 130kW DC charging, ten minutes will add 107km of range, though the brand doesn’t supply a charge time for the standard 10-80 per cent charge. We’d estimate about half an hour.

Inside, the inclusions run almost the same as the Sport:

• Electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with massage function
• Heated rear seats
• Nappa leather upholstery
• Heated steering wheel
• Ambient interior lighting
• Acoustic windshield
• Tri-zone climate control 
• 33.0-inch curved multimedia touchscreen with 9K capability
• Rotary multimedia control
• 23-speaker AKG sound system with Dolby Atmos
• 3 USB-C ports
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Wireless phone charging

How is the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V different from the Lyriq?

Where it differs is one of the five drive modes - V-Mode with performance settings and launch control. There’s also a set of adaptive dampers rather than the passive single-mode set on the Sport, plus the brakes are painted red. Sporty!

The styling also features darker 22-inch wheels instead of silver 21s, and body-colour trim instead of the Sport’s chrome. Of course, there’s V-badging and interior trim elements too.

Black Nappa leather and a combination of chrome, silver and wood-style trim makes the Lyriq’s interior feel more classically upmarket than high-tech, but that seems to suit the brand.

There’s a wide screen that incorporates the driver display and multimedia touchscreen which is low and doesn’t impact visibility while also fitting in nicely with the interior, plus there are plenty of physical buttons for controls including the climate and the multimedia. The latter includes a panel of buttons in the centre console and a scroll wheel, which feels like BMW or Mazda was the inspiration - not in any way a criticism as those systems were some of the best.

There’s also a Dolby Atmos feature in the already excellent sound system, though the highest quality audio can only be accessed through the native Amazon Music app and not via a phone mirroring player, which is a shame.

2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V safety and ownership

It shares the Sport’s set of safety features including the six airbags, a little on the low side for a car this size with no front-centre airbag, plus adaptive cruise with lane centering and lane-keep, intersection auto emergency braking (AEB), cyclist alert, front and rear park-assist and automatic park assist.

It doesn’t have an ANCAP rating, but its advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) don’t interfere much so it’s a case of swings and roundabouts.

The five-year/unlimited km warranty and free roadside assist period is five years, which is now about standard for a premium brand. There's also the usual extra warranty on the high-voltage battery, eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

Service intervals are a very comfortable 24 months or 24,000km, whichever comes first, but Cadillac’s servicing costs are case-by-case, with no published estimated pricing or capped-price offers.

Essentially, despite a couple of missing pieces, Cadillac has fulfilled the premium brief of the Lyriq. But what about the performance brief of the V?

2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V on the road

A week behind the wheel including one long drive in the twisty surrounds of Melbourne revealed a car that’s a little more nuanced than expected.

The standard Lyriq was already fairly brisk for a mid-size SUV at almost 2700kg with its 4.9sec sprint to 100km/h, but the extra power afforded to the V means people watching you take off from the lights are genuinely surprised, especially given the Cadillac’s luxury lean.

The acceleration isn’t brutally instantaneous, not shoving you back into your seat as much as quickly spooling into play, and there’s a paddle for ‘regen on-demand’ which can be pulled as firmly as needed to engage the regenerative braking at the desired strength.

The SUV’s weight comes into play during enthusiastic driving, but its adaptive suspension does a decent job of balancing comfort on rough roads with control in tight cornering. There’s less body roll and pitching than you might expect from something this comfortable on a highway drive, though the Lyriq-V is still not a super-focused sports car.