Cadillac CELESTIQ Showcar Unveiled
We’ve been waiting a long time for a true Cadillac flagship product. This is our first look at a hand-built, ultra-luxury sedan that Cadillac will actually build soon.
Prior to this, we have been teased by many concepts from the Cadillac Sixteen, Elmiraj, Ciel, Escala, among others. However, this CELESTIQ is a near-production preview of the car of the same name that will enter production soon.
Based on GM’s Ultium battery-electric platform and technology - this car throws out the GM parts-bin that has limited other offerings. The CELESTIQ will have more 3D printed parts than any other GM product ever. It will bring industry leading technologies to market, like a 4-zone, variable glass roof, that will allow any of the occupants to block as much of the sun as they like; a 55” LCD display that dominates the dash will also allow the front-seat passenger to watch video content while preventing it from distracting the driver; as well as unprecedented safety features.
Rear seat passengers will share a center-mount control display for comfort and convenience features. Each passenger will have a large infotainment display mounted to the backs of the front seats.
Additionally, the production CELESTIQ will debut GM’s new Ultra Cruise self-driving technology. Ultra Cruise will offer full hands-free, door-to-door autonomous driving on all paved roads in the US and Canada. This builds on GM’s award-winning Super Cruise technology available on several Cadillac models. Super Cruise wins against all other self-driving technologies currently offered in the industry with its combination of features and intelligent monitoring of driver attention (allowing hands free operation as long as the driver is seen to be paying attention to the road ahead). Ultra Cruise should be an exciting luxury feature in the new CELESTIQ that will set it apart.
It remains to be seen exactly what other features and specifications the production CELESTIQ will offer. Range, performance, and price are all notably absent in today’s announcement.
Rumors do have this hand-built, luxury sedan’s pricing deep in the 6-figure range with some rumors placing the price in the $300,000 range. Time will tell if Cadillac can make a dent in the Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Maybach market. But, it is an exciting time to be a Cadillac fan.
July 22, 2022 - Today, Cadillac unveiled the CELESTIQ show car, a vision of innovation and purpose that previews the brand’s future handcrafted and all-electric flagship sedan.
Conceived to lead Cadillac’s electric future and inspired by the brand’s 120-year heritage, it serves as a touchstone for the Cadillac design and engineering teams, who continue to develop CELESTIQ as it moves closer to production.
“The CELESTIQ show car is the purest expression of Cadillac,” said Magalie Debellis, manager, Cadillac Advanced Design. “It brings to life the most integrated expressions of design and innovation in the brand’s history, coalescing in a defining statement of a true Cadillac flagship.”
In developing the show car, the design and engineering teams immersed themselves in the artisanship and customization that defined early Cadillac sedans such as the bespoke V-16 powered coaches of the prewar era, and the hand-built 1957 Eldorado Brougham. The CELESTIQ is the culmination of that heritage, brought to life with innovative production methods and new technologies.
“Those vehicles represented the pinnacle of luxury in their respective eras, and helped make Cadillac the standard of the world,” said Tony Roma, chief engineer. “The CELESTIQ show car — also a sedan, because the configuration offers the very best luxury experience — builds on that pedigree and captures the spirt of arrival they expressed.”
Designers drew further inspiration from classic architecture such as the mid-century masterpieces of architect Eero Saarinen, along with other iconic American designs, which made era-defining statements when introduced and endured with distinctive timelessness.
Realizing and infusing those influences within an Ultium-based EV architecture resulted in a clean-sheet expression for the CELESTIQ show car that considers the entirety of travel as a curated experience — one intended to evoke an emotional response. The result is a vehicle that makes a magnetic first impression and cultivates a permanent personal connection.
“We’ve combined the beauty of function with the beauty of form,” said Laetitia Lopez, creative designer, Cadillac Color and Trim. “We had to reconsider all aspects to immerse the customer, all of their senses, and create a connection with the vehicle through the finest genuine materials, exceptional detailing and advanced technology.”
The show car previews some of the materials, innovative technologies and hand-crafted attention to detail harnessed to express Cadillac’s vision for the future. Highlights include five high-definition, advanced LED interactive displays, including a 55-inch-diagonal advanced LED display, along with expected industry firsts such as a variable-transmission Smart Glass Roof and Ultra Cruise1, General Motors’ next evolution of available hands-free driver assistance technology which Cadillac plans to offer on CELESTIQ.
The Smart Glass Roof features Suspended Particle Device (SPD) technology that allows for four zones of variable lighting, enabling passengers to fine-tune their cabin experience for completely personalized comfort and visibility. Additionally, the 55-inch-diagonal advanced LED display introduces a passenger display with electronic digital blinds, an active privacy technology, which is designed to allow passengers to enjoy video content while blocking it from the view of the driver.
While they are previewed on the show car, these technologies and more will make CELESTIQ the most advanced vehicle ever from Cadillac. Availability for the production version of CELESTIQ will be announced at a later date.