It is official: Cadillac to launch in Australia from 2024

Luxurious automobile maker Cadillac – owned by US automobile big Normal Motors – has introduced it is because of start promoting in Australia from 2024 at fastened costs via its web site or from two retail areas to be established in Melbourne and Sydney.

As with its sister manufacturers Chevrolet and GMC, distribution of the autos is because of be managed below the Normal Motors Specialty Autos (GMSV) banner regionally – although the Cadillac line-up is ready to be completely electrical for the Australian market, they usually will not be offered in GMSV sellers.

The battery-powered 2025 Cadillac Lyriq massive SUV is deliberate to be the primary mannequin to go on sale, manufactured in right-hand drive from the manufacturing unit within the US.

It could be adopted by a collection of different fashions – the Optiq mid-size SUV, Celestiq sedan, Escalade IQ full-size SUV, and a future mannequin often called the Vistiq – although these have but to be introduced by the automaker.

It marks the corporate’s return to Australia after an absence of greater than half a century – and 15 years since the newest credible try to carry Cadillac again to Australia fell via in 2009 after the onset of the World Monetary Disaster.

Gone are the times of massive lazy V8 engines which have lengthy been related to the model, with the brand new Cadillac Lyriq set to be the primary fully-electric car offered in Australia by a Normal Motors model.

The Cadillac Lyriq relies on GM’s ‘Ultium’ electric-car structure – the identical know-how that underpins the GMC Hummer EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV – with all Australian fashions at launch to initially include all-wheel drive.

Not like the entry-level US-market Lyriq – which makes use of a single electrical motor sending 255kW and 440Nm to the rear wheels – the Australian launch mannequin is deliberate to make use of twin electrical motors to supply 373kW and 610Nm, powered by a 102kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

The Lyriq will be recharged utilizing a 190kW DC quick charger, or a 19.2kW AC charger.

Dimensionally, the Lyriq is 5005mm lengthy, 2207mm huge (with mirrors), 1623mm tall, and has a 3094mm wheelbase. Weight is listed at 2774kg.

Cadillac claims there may be additionally an Australian reference to the automobile, with the long-lasting sound of a didgeridoo “layered into the Lyriq’s exterior sound”.

At this early stage, GM hasn’t confirmed driving vary for Australia, nor has the corporate locked in remaining trims and specs for Australia forward of the mannequin’s launch in late 2024.

Nevertheless, whereas native certification is deliberate be accomplished previous to its Australian launch, US EPA testing – which is extra stringent than the WLTP testing utilized in Europe, and customary in Australia – lists a driving vary of 494km for the all-wheel-drive variant.

Unbiased testing by US publication Automobile and Driver discovered the AWD Lyriq was solely capable of attain a distance of 354km whereas driving at a sustained 120km/h.

Native testing and analysis by Normal Motors engineers is scheduled to start nearly instantly, although the corporate has dominated out an area suspension tune.

Cadillac says a nappa leather-based inside is slated to be customary throughout all launch fashions, with heated, ventilated and massaging entrance seats, heated rear seats, tri-zone local weather management, ambient lighting, a panoramic glass roof with energy sunshade, and a 16.5-inch 9K LED infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with an identical 16.5-inch digital instrument cluster to make a 33-inch double-wide show.

Australian-market autos are additionally deliberate to be fitted with a 19-speaker AKG Studio encompass sound system with lively noise cancellation.

As with the Chevrolet Corvette, right-hand-drive fashions are scheduled to be manufactured by Normal Motors within the US, although on the firm’s Spring Hill plant in Tennessee.

In the meantime, the Chevrolet Silverado pick-up – in addition to the forthcoming GMC Yukon – will proceed to be remanufactured to left-hand drive to right-hand drive by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne, after the autos are shipped to Australia.

Pricing for the Cadillac Lyriq might be introduced nearer to the mannequin’s scheduled launch subsequent 12 months, although it is anticipated will probably be a direct competitor to the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQC, that are priced from roughly $130,000 and $140,000 respectively earlier than on-road prices.

Talking to a media roundtable on the announcement, firm executives would not be drawn on right-hand-drive manufacturing numbers or gross sales targets, nonetheless they did affirm market analysis was carried out in Australia to gauge data and curiosity within the model prior a choice being made in regards to the firm coming into the native market.

Drive first broke the information of Cadillac’s possible return in December 2022 after trademark filings for the Lyriq had been found, and simply two months earlier than a right-hand-drive prototype was spied within the US.

Nevertheless executives from the corporate instructed media the choice to enter the Australian market was being mentioned as early as 2015.

As talked about, Normal Motors says it intends to undertake a ‘direct-to-consumer’ mannequin for the Cadillac mannequin vary, which implies reducing out dealerships and promoting autos – at fastened costs – both by way of its web site or at one in every of two retail areas situated in Melbourne and Sydney.

Particulars of aftersales assist and servicing have not been introduced but.

If all goes as deliberate, this would be the third time Normal Motors has tried to relaunch the Cadillac model in Australia lately – after exiting the native market in 1969.

In 2008, Cadillac was on the verge of saying its return right here when Normal Motors pulled the plug on account of monetary stress attributable to financial downturn – with 89 right-hand-drive autos already within the nation being shipped to New Zealand to be offered, and dealership signage despatched to Detroit. Although Drive understands a really small handful of Cadillac CTS sedans had been offered to Australian clients on the time and weren’t exported.

It is understood GM was once more planning to launch Cadillac in Australia by 2020, with these plans had been considered postponed on account of dwindling gross sales and the eventual axing of the Holden model.

The 2025 Cadillac Lyriq is because of go on sale in 2024, with the primary buyer deliveries anticipated late within the 12 months.