Continuing a 120-year legacy, Cadillac has established a new milestone in the era of electrification with its first pure electric SUV, the ‘Lyriq’. I encountered the Lyriq on the 29th at the House of GM in Gangnam, Seoul.
The Lyriq is Cadillac’s first electrified SUV, having debuted as a concept model in 2020, followed by sales beginning in North America in 2022. It became the best-selling model in the North American EV market in the first quarter of this year.
Built on GM’s electric vehicle-focused platform, ‘Ultium’, the Lyriq showcases Cadillac’s vision for future automotive design with its front logo, black crystal panel, and vertical headlamps. The straight LED lamp that extends from beneath the rear windshield emphasizes the unique characteristics of the Lyriq.
Measuring 4,995 x 1,980 x 1,640mm in size, the roofline slants dynamically from the A-pillar to the C-pillar, showcasing the Lyriq’s distinctive athleticism. The wheelbase spans 3,095mm, providing ample space in the second row without needing to estimate knee space. There’s enough headroom for a fist and a palm laid flat above, and there is no center tunnel, allowing for greater comfort even when sitting in the center of the second row.
A 33-inch curved LED display integrates the driver’s instrument cluster and center display, allowing passengers to immediately check the vehicle’s status.
The Lyriq features motors on both the front and rear axles, offering an impressive output of 500 horsepower and maximum torque of 62.2kg.m. It showcases its prowess by accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds.
Equipped with a 102kWh large-capacity lithium-ion battery, the Lyriq can travel up to 465 km based on South Korea’s Ministry of Environment standards, which is not significantly different from the American certification of 307 miles (494 km).
The Lyriq also boasts excellent charging performance. With Level 2 charging (AC 17.6KW), it can increase its range by 69 km per hour. In just 10 minutes of fast charging (DC 190KW), the vehicle can gain an additional range of 120 km.
It introduces the industry-first ‘Variable Regeneration on Demand’. With pressure-sensitive paddle switches located behind the steering wheel, drivers can decelerate and halt with precision. Enhanced one-pedal driving allows for active acceleration and deceleration using only the accelerator pedal.
Depending on driving conditions, four drive modes are available: Tour, Sport, Snow, and My Mode. Moreover, a next-generation active noise cancellation system creates sound waves that cancel out interior noise through monitoring with an onboard microphone. The vehicle includes 19 AKG audio speakers, delivering rich stereo sound tailored for electric vehicles.
The Cadillac Lyriq is offered in a single Sport trim with a price of 106.96 million won.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr
