Cadillac confirms plans to enter Australian market with all EV range

It’s preferred by presidents, revered by rappers and adored by actors. Now this legendary American brand is headed to Australia.

2024 Cadillac Lyriq

Famed American brand Cadillac says it will go head-to-head with luxury heavyweights BMW and Mercedes-Benz when it arrives in Australia later this year.

The brand – which will launch with a single vehicle, the large Lyriq electric SUV, later this year – says it will not undercut the Germans on price, but will offer “fully-loaded” models without a long list of expensive options.

While acknowledging that Australia “is one of the most saturated markets in the world”, local boss Jess Bala says there is “an amazing opportunity to really stand the Cadillac brand out on its own, through either the amazing vehicles that we have coming, or the customer experience”.

The Lyriq is scheduled to reach local dealerships before the end of the year and will compete with mid-sized electric SUVs such as the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV.

Cadillac plans to go head-to-head with the German luxury brands. Picture: Supplied.

It is likely to be offered in single and dual-motor configurations (250kW and 370kW), offering similar performance to luxury and mainstream rivals: a 0-100km/h time of less than six seconds for the single motor and less than five seconds for the dual-motor version. Range is expected to be about 500km.

CADILLAC LYRIQ: DRIVE IMPRESSIONS

Bala wouldn’t speculate on what vehicles may follow the Lyriq, other than to say it was looking at a “full portfolio” but it’s safe to assume a smaller SUV is on the cards.

“We listen to customers … we’re guided by the segments that are growing,” she says.

Bala says there are a variety of options that can be spun off parent company General Motors’ common EV platform.

Sharp styling should make the Lyriq stand out from the crowd. Picture: Supplied.

“GM as a company is evolving the Ultium platform, allowing us the flexibility to do vehicles built right hand drive in the factory,” she says.

While Cadillac is launching as EV-only brand, it hasn’t shut the door on offering plug-in hybrid vehicles that offer limited electric-only range, backed up by a petrol engine.

“I would say right now the plan is fully EV but we will continue to watch and see what the market’s doing.

“We know we’ve only announced Lyriq so far but I can promise you there are more in the pipeline and we will make more announcements in the not too distant future around other models that are coming,” Bala says.

The dash is dominated by a huge curved digital screen. Picture: Supplied.

Cadillac’s global chief marketing officer, Melissa Grady Dias, says the company planned to “follow its customers” as far as its EV rollout was concerned.

“If you look at the trajectory of the EV market, we’re going to be following and we’re going to give customers the choice,” she says

The company plans to open showrooms – or “experience centres” as the brand likes to call them – later this year and will host prospective buyers at a drive event in the coming months.

At this stage, the centres will be limited to eastern states but customers in other parts of Australia will be able to order online and have the vehicle delivered to their home town.

The Lyriq has a claimed range of 500km. Picture: Supplied.

It’s a similar model to that set up by Hyundai’s luxury offshoot, Genesis.

Cadillac is looking to set itself apart from other luxury brands by offering buyers the chance to tailor their car to suit their personal tastes.

“The way that we’re going to really go after this is allowing the customers to customise their vehicle more specifically in the design side. So maybe colours and things like that,” Bala says.