The Cadillac Celestiq is an nearly 5.4m-long, handbuilt electrical flagship which has set the most recent design route for Common Motors’ luxurious model… however it gained’t come right here.
“For the Celestiq particularly, that one’s not in our plan proper now,” stated GM Australia and New Zealand managing director Jess Bala.
“For those who look it up, there’s clearly an excellent motive why – it’s a really completely different [production] course of.
“[But] if you have a look at all of these superb design cues within the Celestiq, our prospects listed here are going to have entry to a variety of that as that flows by to the remainder of the portfolio.”
Every Celestiq might be personally commissioned, with shoppers working with a concierge to craft their mannequin.
They are going to be produced on the Common Motors World Technical Heart in Warren, Michigan in a high-security “clear room”-type setting known as the Artisan Heart. Not more than six automobiles might be assembled at any time.
The corporate has stated the Celestiq will obtain probably the most bold high quality program in its 120-year historical past.
It’ll be the primary automobile constructed on the Technical Heart, with GM investing US$81 million (A$128.96 million) within the facility to help manufacturing.
The value tag for patrons? North of US$300,000 (~A$450,000).
Just like the Lyriq, which is headlining Cadillac’s return to Australia later this yr, the Celestiq was designed by Magalie Debellis.
Quite a few design components of the flagship, just like the pinstriped grille space and split-level tail lights, function on each automobiles.
The Celestiq was designed first, with Cadillac’s different EVs being penned later.
“It’s acquired a little bit of the vanity and the chutzpah that Cadillac used to have, it’s not chasing the Germans that we maybe as soon as would have,” stated GM international design boss Michael Simcoe.
“The change to EV allowed us to give attention to a automobile like Celestiq and make it actual. [We had] belief and help [from GM management] for design, that automobile wouldn’t have turn into actuality [without it].
“You get an opportunity as soon as in a lifetime to do a handbuilt automobile, within the a number of hundred thousand {dollars} value after which provide it to prospects with a design help to do what they like.
“The look, the texture, the character, the floor, the graphics, and that new face within the EV world then begat Lyriq and Optiq and the whole lot else that can comply with.”
Mr Simcoe known as the Celestiq a “north star” for the model – to not be confused with Cadillac’s well-known Northstar V8 – which is meant to point out the market the model is dedicated to an electrical future.
“It’s not about promoting tons and plenty of merchandise, it’s about saying one thing in regards to the model… There’s somewhat piece of Celestiq in the whole lot we do,” stated Mr Simcoe.
The Celestiq is up to now Cadillac’s solely electrical passenger automobile, and is much and away the priciest member of the luxurious model’s lineup.
It encompasses a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain, with complete system outputs of 447kW of energy and 868Nm of torque and a 111kWh battery pack.
It boasts a claimed 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time of three.8 seconds, with claimed vary of 483km and DC charging functionality of as much as 200kW.
It’s the one Ultium-based automobile with 11.59:1 entrance and 11.63:1 rear gear ratios, which Cadillac says have been specifically calibrated to optimise vary and efficiency. As anticipated of a luxurious EV, there’s additionally regenerative braking and a one-pedal driving function.
The Celestiq rides on adaptive air suspension with a five-link set-up entrance and rear, and options Magnetic Experience Management 4.0.
That is the most recent model, additionally seen on the CT5-V Blackwing, of the magnetorheological damping know-how the model debuted on the 2002.5 Seville STS.
Different {hardware} contains Energetic Rear Steering, providing as much as 3.5 levels of out-of-phase rear steering, plus Energetic Roll Management and an lively rear spoiler.
It additionally rides on massive 23-inch wheels in ‘numerous’ completely different colors, wrapped in specifically labelled Michelin tyres.
Inside, a 55-inch show runs from pillar to pillar, containing two separate screens beneath a single panel of glass.
A crystal multi-function controller can be utilized to navigate on the first display screen, and the infotainment options Google built-in with Google Assistant and Google Maps.
Extra screens within the cabin embody an 11-inch entrance console-mounted ‘Command Heart’, an 8.0-inch display screen on the rear console, plus 12.6-inch screens on every entrance seatback.
There’s a set glass roof with no sunshade, nonetheless it options suspended particle system know-how with 4 adjustable zones, multi-colour ambient lighting and ‘lighting choreography’.
Hand-finished metalwork and hand-wrapped leather-based adorns the inside, whereas acoustic laminated glass retains sound out.
Commonplace tools contains four-zone local weather management, together with heating, cooling and air flow for all 4 seats plus heated armrests and a “neck scarf” function.
There are 41 audio system all up, together with a 38-speaker AKG Studio Reference Audio System for the inside… and three exterior audio system that present “curated propulsion sounds”. There’s additionally lively highway noise cancellation for the cabin.
As with the Lyriq, there’s an extended dash-to-axle ratio, whereas each metal-look floor on exterior is actual steel, together with the brushed aluminium physique aspect trim and the forged aluminium grille.
The fender ‘Goddess’ has a novel crystal ingredient with ‘premium’ LED lighting components therein, whereas carbon fibre can be used on the outside.
There are not any bodily door handles. As an alternative, the doorways are power-operated and open and shut with the push of a button.
The headlights and tail lights additionally provide charging standing indicators, as seen on the GMC Hummer EV.
A choreographed gentle sequence, fanning out from the entrance Cadillac crest, happens if you’re round 5m away from the Celestiq with the important thing fob.
Not like the Escala of 2016, a twin-turbo V8-powered fastback that previewed a flagship mannequin that by no means got here, the Celestiq has made the leap to manufacturing automobile.
Not solely that, it additionally carefully resembles the unique idea.
