Cadillac Celestiq revealed - GM’s electric flagship

Let’s get things straight - what we see here is a show car. The production car is expected to go on sale some time in 2024 and it apparently is going to be nearly identical. It yet to be confirmed what Cadillac means by "nearly", though.

With that issue addressed, let’s feast our eyes on this incredible creation. It’s not a car, it’s an absolute work of art, a design masterpiece. It’s not a toothless tiger either - despite Cadillac staying tight lipped on numbers, we can expect blazing performance. And honestly - we should, at a starting price of $300,000 this work of art better move faster than Mona Lisa running away from Leonardo.

From the front the Celestiq is unmistakably a Cadillac, the light show of LEDs surrounds one of the best grilles we have seen so far on an EV. The vertical day running lights shouting from afar that this is in fact a Cadillac. The lights perform a dance routine when the car senses the owner approaching.

Taking a few steps back reveals the inspiration behind the design. Walk towards the rear quarter and then immediately you’ll see the classic shape of Jensen Interceptor. Looking from the rear towards the front you see this low slung line just inches off the front wheels with a minimal overhang, long and low bonnet finished with a fairly steep windscreen.

The roofline gently falls off towards the rear and joins the bumper that is indistinguishable from the rear. It’s like the glass just melts into the body which then wraps under the car. And the tiniest of the rear spoilers ever is part of the glass which is surrounded by a thick black edge. The designers of Celestiq had a poster of the Interceptor hanging in their room when they were growing up, that’s for sure.

I can imagine myself spending hours in the garage just staring at this thing and taking in all the details. This design will never get old.

This onslaught on our senses continues on the inside. Open the door and you are immediately transported to the glorious 50s but with a twist worthy of Jetsons. The interior looks exactly like the best science fiction from the 50s - opulent reds are complemented by polished aluminum and glass black accents. The dashboard is just one screen running across its entire length.

Steering wheel is one of the best takes on a classic two-spoke design harking back to the best days of Cadillac. There is a smaller center screen between the seats and a big round dial that controls the car. This setup is repeated at the rear.

The four individual seats look like the original Eames Lounge Chair from 1956 but in plush red. There are aluminum accents breaking up the sea of red, the backs of the seats are made out of dark wood that looks like Ash and front seats feature built-in screens for the rear passengers. The glass roof completes this amazing interior.

The trunk hasn’t been forgotten, it is actually so annoyingly pretty that it’s almost a shame to imagine someone trying to put any luggage in. Sacrilege! I can’t help but think the trunk and the idea for the backs of the rear seats came from the Ferrari FF but is even better executed here. There should be no luggage allowed in this trunk at all, under a threat of heavy penalty.

Cadillac is also making sure that no one in the whole world can accuse Celestiq of being all show and no go. The Ultium platform that it is based on is capable of 1,000 horsepower - GMC Hummer takes advantage of it already. The platform can deliver over 400 miles of range with up to 200 kWh battery capacity. We can be sure Celestiq will be a full blood stallion.

Design apart the Celestiq is going to be a showpiece of GM’s best technology. It will have the Ultra Cruise autonomous driving which will cover 95% of US roads and which is a step up from the current Super Cruise. It won’t be a Level 3 as the Mercedes EQS but it’ll be highly advanced Level 2.

Cadillac Celestiq will be manufactured in Warren, Michigan at the Global Technical Center that GM is improving to the tune of $81 million. It will be the first car to use 3D printing for production of many components including structural items. Cadillac plans to manufacture only 500 units per year and each will be highly customisable with a possibility that no two cars will ever be the same.

It won’t have an easy run though, by the time it comes to the market it will have to compete with Rolls-Royce Spectre and most likely the all-electric Bentley will be out by then as well. It’s not a bargain at $300,000 either, but it makes a lot more sense than the Lightyear One that goes for the same money - I know which one I’d rather drive.

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