Big plans for American automaker as they debut their first Australian Experience Centre

This American automaker has exciting plans to bring a new range of high-performance cars to Australia.

Cadillac has officially arrived in Australia with major ambition to take on luxury rivals such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

The bold vision begins at their first Australian experience centre in Sydney, where the brand is offering direct-to-consumer sales as opposed to the conventional dealership model.

The opening of the heritage-inspired space at the trendy Rosebery Engine Yards is a major milestone for the brand but it’s not the only achievement.

Cadillac has also announced it will bring the high-performance Lyriq V-Series to Australia.

Manufactured in right-hand drive, it will be the first electric SUV to earn the V-series badge, Cadillac’s equivalent to Mercedes-AMG or BMW M.

Scheduled globally for sale in 2026, the V-series will offer a combination of performance, luxury and innovation.

The 123-year legacy brand debuted its heritage-inspired space at the trendy Rosebery Engine Yards. Picture: Supplied

The regular Lyriq is available to purchase in Australia with orders arriving from January 2025.

The SUV is the first model to be launched by the brand and is a bold statement of the brand’s intent to be a major player in Australia’s EV market.

General Motors Managing Director Jess Bala said the opening marked a major milestone for the brand and is excited for the future, noting it has seen an impressive response since the Lyriq went live.

“We’re very happy with the results, the moment the Lyriq became available online, we had sales come through instantly,” she said.

Bala is confident Cadillac is on track to meet targets.

With more than 7,500 Australians having registered interest, the Lyriq is set to be a serious contender in its segment.

GM’s Executive Vice President and President of Global Markets, Rory Harvey said the brand has already proven its success, especially in the U.S. where it currently holds 8.2 per cent of the market and beats all other rivals as the number one selling luxury SUV.

The country's first Cadillac Experience Centre occupies a stunningly designed open-plan space in the newly developed Rosebery Engine Yards retail and lifestyle precinct. Picture: Supplied

The Lyriq alone has attracted more than 50 per cent of its buyers as new customers to the brand, showing its appeal to a growing EV market.

Cadillac will offer a direct-to-consumer model, a concept the brand has successfully adopted in other markets like Europe

GMs Senior Vice President and President International Market, Shilpan Amin said an omni-channel approach is “critical” as it allows customers to experience the brand on their terms.

“How consumers want to buy is changing and we want to be directly connected with the consumer as well,

“This model allows customers to come into the store and gain information but then buy online,” he said.

The Lyriq Luxury is available to purchase from $117,000 inclusive of GST and LCT, but excludes government and on-road costs, while the Sport variant is $2000 more.

For Australians, the Lyriq comes with one-year free public charging as standard, and then owners are invited to choose between an additional two years of free public charging or the complimentary supply and standard installation of a standard 7.4kW home electric vehicle charger.

Bala said the partnerships with ChargeFox and Jet Charge is intended to make owning an electric Lyric “convenient and enjoyable”.

“Whether this is your first EV or your latest and greatest, we want to ensure the experience is a luxury one,” she said.

Cadillac plans on opening a Melbourne and Auckland experience centre, and a series of new models to follow the Lyriq.

It’s likely the brand will introduce the Optiq, a smaller electric SUV, and possibly the seven-seat Vistiq.