General Motors (GM) continues to play hide and seek with its rivals.
The veteran carmaker has decided to gradually reveal a vehicle that is supposed to restore Cadillac, its premium brand, to its place in the select club of luxury cars.
The objective of the group, led by Chief Executive Mary Barra, is to restore Cadillac's nobility by reclaiming the tagline that made it famous and the hallmark of prestige: "Standard of the World."
Enter the Celestiq, a well-kept secret. This concept car is a means for Cadillac to deliver not just quality but high quality.
As a marketing matter, GM has chosen to tease consumers with images and photos.
“As Cadillac’s future flagship sedan, Celestiq signifies a new, resurgent era for the brand,” said Mark Reuss, GM's president, on June 15. “Each one will be hand-built by an amazing team of craftspeople on our historic Technical Center campus."
Cadillac
A Spectacular Design
The first photos of the Celestiq, described as an ultra-luxurious all-electric sedan, were published in 2020.
From photos released in June, we could see a front wing of the Celestiq. The concept car seemed to have a long wheelbase based on the visible wheel and rim at the left front end. The wings seem particularly wide. We can also distinguish the rear light signature.
Cadillac
GM has just unveiled new images of the Celestiq, giving us a slightly clearer picture of what's to come. They show us a truly spectacular design and interior.
Very long and sitting on gigantic 23-inch wheels, the Celestiq reflects certain elements of the Lyriq in a hatchback format with an ultra-aerodynamic silhouette. The smart glass roof, divided into quadrants with opacity adjustable by the car occupants, will be an industry first. In addition, lighting is abundant, both outside and inside.
Cadillac
The passenger compartment marvels with an almost entirely red leather decor (even in the trunk), numerous screens and a galaxy of LED light points on the doors, where there are controls for the multiple settings.
The driver's digital interface runs the full width of the car. We also have a glimpse of the retro style of the interior, with four captain’s chairs, front seatback display screens and red leather upholstery.
The cargo area seems to have a flat load floor with polished metal cargo rails.
When Is the Full Reveal of the Celestiq?
Cadillac's interior design manager, Tristan Murphy, has promised that the Celestiq will have materials and a finish you don't see even in a Bugatti.
“The Celestiq exterior and interior were designed together to reflect a holistic vision of what American luxury can be,” Murphy said last month. “With Celestiq, we’ve created an even higher level of craft, allowing us to add that beautiful sense of movement through the cabin.”
The Detroit automaker also just announced that it will reveal the Cadillac Celestiq on July 22. GM did not provide further information.
The Celestiq will be a very niche and exclusive product, GM says, with each unit hand-crafted and customized for each buyer at dedicated facilities in Warren, Mich. Its base price could be around $300,000.
Cadillac
The auto maker intends to build fewer than 500 Celestiqs annually as a way to showcase its technology, boost rarity value and generate buzz for Cadillac.
Production will be based on GM's Ultium modular platform for EVs.
Earlier this month, GM said it was investing more than $81 million into the GM Technical Center in Warren so it can build the Celestiq.
Besides Mercedes-Benz (DDAIF) , and Porsche (POAHY) , Cadillac seeks to compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
The Celestiq will be Cadillac's second electric model. The first model is the Lyriq, an SUV/crossover. The brand aims for an all-electric portfolio by 2030.
