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CADILLAC AIMS TO RECLAIM ITS PLACE AS THE “STANDARD OF THE WORLD” WITH THE ALL-ELECTRIC CELESTIQ

BY HOWARD WALKER

Some trumpet fanfare is in order. Perhaps even a rousing rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner by Gaga. An enthusiastic round of applause, at least. The reason for all this jubilation? Cadillac is making moves to once again become the “standard of the world,” this time with a hand-built, all-electric fl agship that’ll start at $300,000.

The all-new Celestiq will be the most expensive, most technically advanced, most exclusive Cadillac ever. How exclusive? When it goes on sale toward the end of next year, it will go head-to-head with the likes of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes-Maybach. Fewer than 500 will be built annually.

Cadillac pulled the wraps off a prototype version of its new fl agship at a swanky private event during August’s Monterey Car Week in California, to which we got a coveted invite. General Motors CEO Mary Barra was there to watch the reveal. Lobster was for dinner.

While Cadillac had been teasing the car’s design since mid-summer, nothing prepared us for the visual drama of gazing at it for the fi rst time. It’s huge, almost as long as a long-wheelbase Escalade ESV. Up front, the styling is infl uenced by the automaker’s recently launched all-electric Lyriq crossover and dominated by a patterned grille fl anked by vertically stacked LED lights. There’s also a clamshell-style hood and a usable “frunk” with luggage space.

Glass is a big feature of the new Celestiq, with a high-lifting, wraparound, all-glass tailgate and a panoramic glass roof made up of four panels, one above each of the seats. Using SPD (suspended particle device) technology, passengers can lighten or darken their own space at the touch of a button.

The cabin showcases Cadillac’s tech innovations, with a dose of bespoke craftsmanship. The fascia, for example, boasts a full-width, 55-inch LED display, while the polished-metal, two-spoke steering wheel could have come

POWER FILE

PRICE: FROM $300,000 ON SALE: LATE 2023 POWER: TWIN ULTIUM ELECTRIC MOTORS RANGE: OVER 300 MILES 0-60: UNDER 3.0 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 155 MPH (EST.) WHY WE LOVE IT: BECAUSE IT SIGNALS CADILLAC’S INTENT TO RETURN TO ITS STANDARDSETTING STATUS.

out of a 1950s Eldorado. There’s also a retro theme with the seats, which, on the prototype, are trimmed in what looks like trombone-case red velour with red leather side panels. Caddyloving Elvis would have approved.

Things get even more exciting underneath the bodywork. The car will be built on GM’s fl exible Ultium EV platform, similar to the one used in the Lyriq and the new electric Hummer. With high-output electric motors on both axles to give all-wheel drive and Ultium battery power possibly as high as 200 kWh, range should be around 300-plus miles, with zeroto-60-mph acceleration in under 3 seconds.

For Cadillac to command such a lofty price tag and have any hope of attracting the attention of customers who might have a RollsRoyce or Bentley on their shopping list, the whole buying experience is going to have to be above and beyond. Which is why Cadillac is spending $81 million to develop a boutique manufacturing facility within its mid-century modern Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, designed by famed Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. It’ll include a commissioning studio where owners can personalize their Celestiq, picking from a multitude of exterior colors, wood veneers, and leathers.

Of course, the million-dollar question is whether super-luxury sedan buyers will fork over $300,000 and up for a Cadillac instead of an upcoming electric Rolls-Royce Spectre or Bentley EV. It’s not out of the question. Remember that back in 1957 Cadillac sold the hand-built Eldorado Brougham that bristled with groundbreaking technology and cost more than a Rolls.

I think that for many American buyers, there’s a deep-rooted love for Cadillac and a powerful desire for the brand to succeed. Count me among them. «

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