Cadillac Looks To Its Electric Future With Retro-Inspired Celestiq

The Cadillac Celestiq is a car of contradictions. It mines elements of the brand’s storied past, but it’s also starkly futuristic. In a time when buyers are lapping up SUVs and clamoring for affordable EVs, it’s a $300,000 bespoke sedan, though it is all-electric. It’s easy to be skeptical about Cadillac’s “comebacks,” but after checking out the Celestiq in the metal at Monterey Car Week, it’s clear that the company’s designers have been working on a genuine showstopper.

The idea for Celestiq has been developing for years, but it was formally announced at the 2021 CES electronics show. It’s still not officially here: The first look in California was a show car, though camouflaged pre-production cars are now testing on public roads in Michigan. The nice thing about a semi-bespoke car at this price, however, is that the transition to production might mean a less watered-down final product than typical show car-to-showroom transitions.

Although Cadillac hasn’t built anything this exclusive in decades, the Celestiq’s intent recalls the V-16s of the 1930s and the 1950s-era Eldorado Brougham. Like them, the Celestiq is a hyper-expensive halo car meant to set the tone for future products and unapologetically look to outcompete everyone from Lucid to Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

The second all-electric vehicle from Cadillac wants to establish a design mix going forward that emphasizes premium luxury and battery-powered modernity, but doesn’t forget the American brand’s roots. The Celestiq will queue what’s next for an electrified Cadillac lineup.

As GM CEO Mary Barra said at the Celestiq’s first full reveal during Monterey Car Week, the Celestiq “is setting the tone of luxury and electric for the world.”

It’s trying to cover a lot of bases. A long, spacious sedan, it channels Cadillac’s “longer, lower and wider” era as well as long-ago fastback designs. But it also packs in a smart glass roof, a pillar-to-pillar dashboard display, touchscreens throughout and advanced driver-assistance technology. It’s focused on the passenger experience with an ample back row and plush materials and features but also wants to be a driver’s car, with a low center of gravity, the rush of instant-torque acceleration and lots of range.

Like other recent GM EVs, including the Cadillac Lyriq, the Celestiq will use the company’s Ultium platform. That will provide familiar mechanical components and battery technology, but the real appeal for the 500 lucky customers who’ll be able to buy one each year are all the details of the body that rides on top.

Celestial Design 

GM’s Barra knows this Cadillac is not like the others. She said the design and engineering team set out “to do things differently.” While the production vehicle will undoubtedly have some design changes, the Celestiq is noticeably swoopy with an extreme fastback design. It’s almost comically long, with a backside that seems mismatched with its front.

It appears to be channeling other wind-cheating designs like the 1970s Citroën CX and the experimental 1981 Mercedes-Benz Auto 2000 concept, but some inspiration no doubt came from Cadillac’s own fastback designs of the 1930s and 1940s. Even more modern takes from BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Genesis slip in, but the details are all modern Cadillac. It’s stunning in that it can leave the onlooker a bit stunned.

With an emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency, the Celestiq’s lopped off backside is more than just a styling quirk. The Celestiq also has a unique door-opening experience that seems prone to failure. With no traditional door handles, the door pops open at the push of a button, keeping the sides clean and flush. Side mirrors and backlighting are still conceptual and will have to be modified to comply with road regulations, but make for overly pronounced features on the show car.

The trunk behind the extreme slope will likely change, but as is, it opens into a cavernous hatch, barely separated from the rest of the vehicle. The opening is too big and angled and the cargo hold too open, which could be commentary on the purpose of this car. It’s not a family vehicle to be loaded and filled, but a premium passenger experience.

A four-quadrant suspended-particle-device smart glass roof will let each passenger select the transparency of their overhead section, adding to the customization of the ride. The moon roof aggressively puts the “celestial” in “Celestiq,” which has the same nod to “intelligence” (the “IQ” ending) from the Lyriq.

Bringing It Back

While the fastback shape references older fastback themes, the Celestiq also bear-hugs the “longer, lower and wider” ethos that Cadillac was famous for in the 1950s to the 1970s. The low beltline and horizontal surfaces make the Celestiq look huge but not visually heavy, and the big wheels lend it some sportiness.

There are also small retro elements from 1960s Eldorados and Coupe DeVilles all the way through to the now-departed CT6. While no tailfins made it onto the new EV, the goddess hood ornament (first introduced in 1930) is back as a glowing fender graphic.

Other details like guitar strings embossed into the center console give it a unique and different feel, as does its red leather interior (on display in the show car) with angular vents at the neck of the front seats. The backside badging reiterates the modernity despite the throw-back profile with an illuminated “CELESTIQ” and Cadillac logo.

While going up against other high-end electric sedans like the Lucid Air and Tesla Model S, the Celestiq is a class above those EVs and more likely to bump into future electrified options from Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

Looking Forward

While emphasizing its electric design with a flat, open interior thanks to the low-lying battery at the bottom of the car, the Celestiq is also a showcase for GM’s autonomous plans and Ultifi software platform. This car will go beyond the Super Cruise hands-free driving system and introduce Ultra Cruise. 

The Level 3 autonomous system will allow for door-to-door hands-free driving, not just on highways. More sensors, including light-measuring LiDAR, will be built into the vehicle.

Technology is sprinkled throughout the interior, with back seat entertainment screens for the pair of executive-style seats. In between the seats, another touch screen offers comfort settings, as does a center display in the front console. It’s overloaded with screens, especially with the front display dominating the cabin.

Bryan Nesbitt, General Motors head of design, emphasized the battery powertrain powering the newest Cadillac. “It’s moving us into an all electric future.” That future is already on display with the Ultium battery platform in the Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV.

Celestiq will be the first luxury sedan, and the most expensive vehicle, to use the platform. Ultium is capable of 19 different drive and battery configurations, and on the Celestiq, will be powered by two electric motors. The modular architecture can go up to 200 kWh, provide an estimated range of up to 400 miles and the car should be capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 3 seconds.

When Will the Cadillac Celestiq Be Available? How Much Will It Cost?

The new flagship is expected to start production in 2023 and be available by 2024. Cadillac plans to produce only 500 cars each year as a limited run with custom features and materials. While official pricing will have to wait until closer to the sedan’s on-sale date, insiders at GM told the Wall Street Journal earlier this year that the price tag could run beyond $300,000, depending on the options and features.

At the reveal event, Barra acknowledged the Celestiq’s higher class standing compared to other EVs from GM. “Cadillac will lead the way for electric vehicles and luxury.”

After years of trying to play catch up with German and Japanese competitors, the point of shooting for the stars with the Celestiq is to lead. Let’s hope the production version lives up to what we saw in Monterey.