When Cadillac first confirmed early pictures of its CELESTIQ EV in 2022 we have been intrigued to be taught extra, merely from the design alone. Three years later and now Cadillac has manufacturing examples on the highway – we obtained invited to expertise the primary wave of Cadillac CELESTIQ automobiles and discovered precisely what the ultra-high high quality, bespoke-built EV has to provide.
Cadillac is positioning the CELESTIQ as one thing of a relic of its roots; it’s much less for a purchaser centered on their every day commuter, extra for an unique clientele in search of one thing particular. The technique theoretically references the traditional days of Cadillac relationship way back to the Forties and ’50s when the model was extra synonymous for the elite and prosperous. It’s controversial that mentality has been misplaced with the Cadillac automobiles of the 2000s and after, however the hand-built CELESTIQ is actually a pivot again in direction of the extra visually beautiful, superlatively constructed automobiles that selective prospects count on, particularly on the unbelievable value level required to buy one.
Beginning off with the design, there’s merely nothing just like the CELESTIQ on the highway. The very first thing you’ll simply discover is the extraordinarily lengthy wheelbase and silhouette (130 inches and 18 toes, respectively), accented much more so with the lengthy hood and sloping rear “hatch.” There’s a little bit of station wagon/sportback to the rear, which in all honesty is the most important level of rivalry with the CELESTIQ – it’s a design that’s daring and dangerous, however undeniably putting. Different parts of the daring design embrace the headlight association, with its vertical headlamps accented by a patterned entrance fascia that provides a little bit of aggression. We additionally appreciated the usage of chrome which, for luxurious automobiles solely, give off a way of status and sophistication. On all the things else nevertheless, we’d delete it for one thing much less shiny.
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Climbing inside and the CELESTIQ is much more spectacular. Neglect your run-of-the-mill luxurious automobiles you see throughout you – the CELESTIQ is constructed to admire, and made to order based mostly on something you’ll be able to think about. Our instance had a wild vibrant blue all-leather inside, two-tone accented with orange; assume the New York Mets. Very similar to its European opponents, all creations are accomplished with the Cadillac Design Crew and concierge, who would stroll you thru your bespoke customization expertise each step of the way in which. Past easy leather-based, the staff additionally supplies strategies for supplies for all contact factors, such because the sprint, the stitching, door panels, metallic {hardware}, even the coat hooks and overhead handles. Throughout our session, the staff reassured us that something we are able to create shall be assured one-of-one; the staff will notify prospects ought to, by some means, they re-create a construct that’s actually been finished earlier than.
Our favourite bits of the inside undoubtedly included the trick roof, which is what Cadillac name its Fastened Sensible Glass Roof with Suspended Particle Gadget Expertise. The enjoyable comes from it being four-zone separated, permitting for every occupant to regulate the quantity of overhead daylight to come back in. It additionally gave us the flexibility to create a checkerboard look, a celebration trick every of the media company indulged in. Button-activated door opening and shutting – inside and outside – meant you by no means want to tug a deal with, as a result of that might be far too unsophisticated apparently.
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As for the drive, the CELESTIQ is what you’d count on from an opulent EV, and a few. The electrical output equals to 655 horsepower and 646 lb-ft of torque, in line with GM. Naturally the ability feels plentiful, because it ought to because the automobile is so massive and heavy at over 6,600 lbs. Then again, rear-wheel steer permits for the automotive to really feel nimbler at velocity and for low-speed turns, in addition to U- and 3-point turns. Visibility was surprisingly straightforward given its intensive size, however then once more there’s a lot know-how within the Cadillac platform of driver help that we by no means actually fearful about our environment. General, the CELESTIQ is able to being a automotive to drive, whereas simply being a automotive to be pushed in.
The Cadillac CELESTIQ is coming into the market poised to offer prospects a substitute for the Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Maybachs and Maseratis which will or is probably not synonymous with bespoke, ultra-luxury vehicles. Pricing begins within the mid-$300,000 USD vary, with whole price doubtlessly going north of the half-million USD mark with the proper choices. Cadillac is taking inquiries for CELESTIQ builds now.
