2023 Cadillac Lyriq

General Motors has made a massive investment in battery-electric vehicles. And Cadillac went out on the furthest limb when it vowed to ditch internal combustion engines for all new models, starting with this Lyriq, which just rolled onto our long term test lot. So, let’s dive into the details.

This Cadillac Lyriq belongs to one of our associates who has generously allowed us to test it for one year. Painted Argent Silver Metallic, the Lyriq clearly follows the “long, low and wide” design mantra. Overall length is just shorter than the midsize XT6, but wheelbase is actually longer than the full-size Escalade. Wheels are 20-inchers wrapped in 265/50 all-season rubber.

Inside, there’s a 33-inch curved glass screen displaying info from the left side of the steering wheel all the way over to the far end of the center console. It is a touchscreen but the infotainment can also be controlled remotely. Speaking of control, this Lyriq comes equipped with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance. A 19-Speaker AKG sound system can make things loud and even quiet with Cadillac’s Active Noise Canceling system aimed at mitigating road noise.

The second row is split 60/40, and when in their upright position, cargo capacity is a great 28 cubic feet.

The Lyriq is available with two electric motors for all-wheel drive, but this one is rear-wheel drive with just a single motor spinning up 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. A 102-kWh battery pack provides the juice for 312 miles and DC fast charging can replenish as much as 76 miles in just 10 minutes.

After we get a few charges under our belt we’ll have our first official update. Until then, if you have any questions or comments about this Cadillac Lyriq, reach out to us at MotorWeek!

It’s time for the first Long Term update on this full battery-electric 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ, owned by one of our associates. With about 1,000 miles on the odometer, the results so far are music to our ears.

The initial high note is the powertrain itself. The rear-wheel-drive single electric motor quietly hums to the tune of 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque; not as extreme as some other EVs, but extremely pleasant and plenty for daily workouts.

Driving this LYRIQ on a daily basis, the first thing we notice is, ironically, something we barely notice at all: road noise. It’s really quiet in here. In addition to sound deadening materials, Cadillac uses active noise cancellation. So, they fight sound with sound and it does a really nice job of adapting to various frequencies to keep road noise consistently low.

Also low is our range anxiety, reaching the advertised 312 miles of range from the 102-kWh battery. The onboard Super Cruise suite takes even more stress out of commuting, and the bliss of electric propulsion lives up to the ethos of luxury motoring, as do the exceptional materials and 33-inch curved screen, adding to the inviting atmosphere. That screen is home to just about all vehicle functions, and above it is a crystal-clear rear camera mirror. Digitally, this cabin is top rate; and like Baltimore’s own Lyric Opera House, the Cadillac LYRIQ is built like a work of art inside and out.

It’s been a couple months since we last brought you an update on our long-term 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ. But that’s not because we’ve been shy behind the wheel.

Quite the contrary actually: Our digital odometer reads 8,500 miles, about 7,500 more since our last plug. We did take it to the dealership about a thousand miles ago for a tire rotation and a software update; but beyond that, we haven’t had to do a thing maintenance-wise.

We’re still finding the 340-mile range to be accurate, but one piece of kit we recently picked up was a charging adapter, converting the LYRIQ’s CCS plug to a Tesla-style NACS port. With the proper software update, this adapter opens up a world of Superchargers for us to enjoy, even further cutting down on any range anxiety.

Not that we feel much behind the wheel…

“The LYRIQ continues to be very pleasant to live with. This is the single motor, rear drive version so we’re not exactly getting thrill-ride-acceleration when we get into that right pedal, but it’s more than enough for this upscale daily driver. Admittedly we still haven’t come around on having to go through the center touch screen for some of the basic functions, but we can’t deny that it does add a certain level of futurism to the cockpit.”

An example of a “basic function” hidden by menu diving is the garage door opener. Things like that may be better left to physical controls, or at least less digital navigation, but that’s about the extent of our complaints so far. Needless to say, we’re rather happy with the LYRIQ.