Cadillac: Lyriq Crosses Crucial Development Milestone

Cadillac announced that its engineers recently completed the “80 percent” validation drive for the upcoming 2023 Cadillac Lyriq, ahead of production start in Q1 2022.

More than 80% of all components and technologies are confirmed as ready for production and as the ration increases toward 100%, engineers can now focus on fine tuning of the car.

Cadillac tests the pre-production Lyriq on various roads and in different weather conditions, including General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan and the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground in Wanaka, New Zealand (winter testing in August 2021).

“To facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of LYRIQ’s performance on different road surfaces and in varying traffic conditions, Cadillac developed a curated route that included freeway, urban and rural driving scenarios. Under these real-world conditions, engineers appraised LYRIQ’s drive quality, systems calibrations and other elements that directly impact the in-car experience.”

“The 80 percent drive resulted in performance evaluations of key LYRIQ driver-control and sensory elements, including a new interior audio signature developed to foster occupant comfort and confidence.” 

Jamie Brewer, executive chief engineer said:

“We have spent countless hours behind the wheel of our LYRIQ test fleet and in virtual testing environments to be sure we deliver our customers a comprehensive luxury experience expressed in an all-new electrified package. All the while we are remaining true to our brand promise by placing high priority on meticulous craftsmanship and intuitive integrated technologies.”  

“We’re now fine-tuning LYRIQ’s touchpoints. We’re making tweaks to a variety of areas as we do after every development drive, but we’re nearly there. Customers will love this driving experience and, we feel that it will redefine their expectations for electric luxury vehicles.”

Cadillac has set an ambitious goal to introduce on the market a luxury battery-electric vehicle, with an interesting design, very nice interior and of course very good performances. To do so, the company is using GM’s Ultium Platform.

According to Cadillac, this new platform enables to build an EV with a low center of gravity, exceptional chassis stiffness, and nearly 50/50 front-to-rear weight balance, as well as offers engineers unprecedented chassis-tuning flexibility.

Todd Bruder, lead development engineer said:

“LYRIQ has exceptional torsional stiffness. As a result, we were able to dial in exceptional responsiveness in the steering and suspension systems while simultaneously elevating the brand’s signature feeling of comfort to an entirely new plateau.”

The car will be equipped right from the start with a five-link front and rear suspension and frequency-dependent dampers, which should improve ride quality and responsiveness to a level, appropriate for a high-end luxury electric car.

“The five-link front suspension allowed engineers to tune the suspension bushings independently, enhancing ride quality while improving handling. The frequency-dependent dampers, standard on LYRIQ at launch, differentiate between smaller impacts and larger swells on the road surface. This gives drivers more precise control in variable road conditions and provides greater comfort on smoother surfaces.”

The production of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq will take place at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly facility – starting in Q1 2022 – alongside other Cadillac SUVs.

General Motors has invested $2 billion to support EV production at the site and an additional $2.3 billion in a nearby Ultium Cells battery cell plant (joint venture with LG Chem’s LG Energy Solution), currently under construction. Battery cell will be produced locally from late 2023.

The introduction of the Lyriq will start from a limited Debut Edition in Q2 2022, which is already fully reserved.

The Cadillac Lyriq Debut Edition starts at an MSRP of $58,795 (+$1,195 destination charge) and is promised to be exclusive well-equipped, including:

• Super Cruise, the industry’s first true hands-free driver-assistance technology for compatible roads
• A stunning 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED display with the ability to emit over 1 billion colors
• Cadillac’s next-generation Active Noise Cancellation system
• Slim-line LED headlamps with choreographed lighting sequence
• AKG Studio 19-speaker audio system with headrest speakers
• KeyPass digital vehicle access
• Dual level charge cord
• Standard 20-inch split six-spoke alloy wheels or optional 22-inch dynamic split-spoke Reverse Rim alloy wheels
• next-generation variable Regen on Demand technology4, along with the convenience of One-Pedal Driving

Customers will be able to select from Satin Steel Metallic or Stellar Black Metallic exterior colors, and Sky Cool Gray or Noir for the interior.

It’s a rear-wheel drive version (all-wheel drive version to follow later) with an output of roughly 250 kW.

The car will get a big, 100.4 kWh battery for up to about 300 miles (483 km) of range on a single charge. It will charge at up to 190 kW at a fast charger, while the on-board charger is 19.2 kW (maximum of the SAE J1772 standard).

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Cadillac Lyriq Debut Edition specs (preliminary):

• about 300 miles (483 km) of range, “GM estimated”
• 100.4 kWh battery
  12 modules
  Ultium Cells (GM-LG Chem joint venture)
  NCMA (nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum) chemistry, flat pouch cells
• rear-wheel drive
  Permanent magnet, bar wound electric motor
• system output of 255 kW (340 hp) and 440 Nm of torque
• AC charging up to 19.2 kW (240 V, 80 A)
  expected to add up to 52 miles (84 km) of range in about 1 hour
• DC fast charging up to 190 kW
  expected to add up to 76 miles (122 km) of range in about 10 minutes and up to 195 miles (314 km) of range in 30 minutes
• Base Curb Weight (Min): 2545 kg/5610 lbs
• Passenger Volume (cu. ft. / L): 105 / 2976
• Cargo Volume (cu. ft. / L) ^: 28.0 / 793 (behind rear seat) and 60.8 / 1723 (rear seat folded)
• Ultium Platform