About Cadillac Celestiq
Cadillac introduced the Celestiq model at the end of 2023 as its flagship model, a luxurious electric vehicle built on the Ultium platform aimed at Rolls-Royce and Bentley's customers.
The American brand was not at its first attempt to create bespoke vehicles to compete against European high-end luxury car manufacturers. Back in the '30s and '50s, it produced the V16 Aerodynamic and the Eldorado Brougham limousines, respectively, and those cars enjoyed smaller or higher success. But both of them, just like the 2024 Celestiq, were custom-made. Moreover, the Eldorado Brougham was carefully hand-built to give customers an exquisite experience. Cadillac tried to re-create that with its new flagship electric vehicle, albeit the car wasn't completely hand-assembled anymore.
Cadillac created a new design language for its electric vehicles lineup, and the Celestiq shared it with the Lyriq SUV. The car's front fascia featured a horizontal slat above the panel that took up most of the front fascia. A set of oblique lines adorned it and created a pattern made to look futuristic. On the sides, the broad panel was flanked by the vertical LED headlights and the daytime running lights. The apron mounted on the lower side of the bumper sported a set of side scoops meant to create an air curtain around the front wheels, lowering drag resistance.
From its sides, the Celestiq revealed a long, aerodynamic shape, with a long nose and big, 23-inch wheels. The greenhouse started with a raked windshield and sported a sloped down rear end, resembling the 1933 Cadillac V16 Aerodynamic Coupe. The blackened B-posts created the image of a large coupe for the four-door vehicle, and the lack of visible door handles amplified that sensation of an elegant grand tourer. At the back, the automaker created a unique design for the taillights that were split into two areas: above and below the car's waistline. Both featured an L-shape pattern, making a powerful look for the vehicle from behind.
But the Celestiq's most exquisite part was on the interior. Cadillac installed a 55-inch HD display on the dashboard, the largest in the segment, where the side fronting the driver showed an 8k-like resolution for the instrument panel, while the rest of the wide display was for the rest of the infotainment system. In addition, on the center console, the automaker placed an 11-inch touchscreen that controlled several functions of the vehicle, including opening and closing the doors and the 38-speaker AKG sound system. Those seated in the back were spoiled with a couple of 11" touchscreens, one for each occupant, and a center-mounted 8" touch-sensitive display that controlled their side of the four-zone climate system and interior illumination.
Cadillac built the Celestiq around the Ultium platform used for the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the Cadillac Liriq. The twin-motor system provided 600 hp (608 PS) sent to all four wheels, enough to propel the vehicle from zero to sixty mph (0-97 kph) in less than four seconds. Thanks to the adaptive suspension and the all-wheel steering, the Celestiq tried to provide customers a unique experience, regardless of whether they were behind the wheel or on the two-seat bench seat at the back.