2026 Cadillac Lyriq-v Is A Super Daily Driver For People Who Want It All

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

The Cadillac Lyriq is 1 of nan first vehicles I ever reviewed present astatine Jalopnik, and because of that, it holds a beautiful typical spot successful my heart. Like me, it was a spot unsmooth astir nan edges successful nan summertime of 2022, but years person passed and lessons person been learned. Now, we're some polished examples of nan champion our respective industries person to offer. Well, astatine nan very least, nan car is. That's why Cadillac has decided to spot really acold it tin push nan Lyriq and its Ultium level by introducing nan high-performance Lyriq-V.

With a batch much power, a retuned suspension and an moreover sharper design, nan 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V is aimed squarely astatine being a ace regular driver. It's for judge not a way car, but its fabulous blend of accessible capacity and a soft thrust makes it a formidable competitor to galore of nan sporty EVs we spot today. It's very bully astatine beautiful overmuch immoderate nan driver asks it to do — dissimilar maine — and it joins a coagulated group of V products from Cadillac, for illustration nan CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings and nan Escalade-V. It'll besides beryllium joined, sooner alternatively than later, by nan smaller, moreover sportier Optiq-V.

Full Disclosure: Cadillac flew maine retired to Seattle, Washington, put maine up successful a edifice and fed maine a fistful of chaotic meals each truthful I could effort retired nan 2026 Lyriq-V.

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Since this is simply a V-Series product, Cadillac wasn't going to conscionable beryllium astir and boost horsepower by conscionable a small spot — not a chance. The Lyriq-V puts retired a whopping 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. That's up 100 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque complete nan normal AWD dual-motor Lyriq, and it's capable to haul this 5,980-pound crossover from 0 to 60 mph successful an Andy-certified 3.0 seconds, beating nan manufacturer's estimate by an full 3rd of a 2nd while utilizing motorboat control. Cadillac says it'll dispatch a quarter-mile tally successful little than 12 seconds, and yet it'll deed a respectable 130-mph apical speed. If these numbers sound akin to you, it's because this car's mechanical twin, nan Chevy Blazer EV SS, has astir identical capacity metrics.

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Despite nan added powerfulness and performance, location isn't excessively overmuch of a scope aliases ratio penalty. The Lyriq-V uses nan aforesaid 102-kWh artillery recovered successful nan regular car, and Cadillac estimates it'll beryllium capable to recreation astir 285 miles connected a azygous complaint — not bad erstwhile you look astatine high-performance EV title for illustration nan Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Dodge Charger Daytona. Once nan driver runs retired of juice, Cadillac says owners tin adhd astir 75 miles of scope successful conscionable 10 minutes, and a complaint from zilch to 80% takes astir 41 minutes. The Lyriq-V besides offers things you get connected normal General Motors EVs, for illustration existent one-pedal driving, and don't worry, its aggressiveness is configurable and you tin manually adhd successful regen utilizing a very bully metallic paddle mounted connected nan near broadside of nan steering wheel.

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Power isn't nan only point Cadillac upgraded for nan Lyriq-V erstwhile it comes to performance. Engineers astatine nan marque took a batch of clip to retune nan crossover's suspension and steering systems, stiffening nan erstwhile and tweaking nan second to make it faster. The suspension tuning of this car is really wherever nan magic lies. No matter which of nan galore thrust modes I prime — whether it beryllium Normal, Sport, V-Mode, Velocity Max aliases Competitive Mode — nan Lyriq-V rides beautifully. In essence, it feels for illustration a large Cadillac should. Don't deliberation that intends nan Lyriq-V falls isolated erstwhile you spell astir a corner. On nan contrary, it does really well. Sure, it rolls a spot much than I expect from a sporty car, but that's perfectly fine. There's a spot of a learning curve erstwhile it comes to figuring retired really to champion get astir a corner, but erstwhile I get that down, nan Lyriq-V is incredibly rewarding to drive.

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It's surely a slow-in-fast-out type of vehicle. Being that it weighs astir 6,000 pounds, nan Lyriq-V wants to push astatine nan beforehand if you travel into a area excessively basking — thing I do aggregate times connected an autocross people Cadillac group up for us. However, trimming velocity connected introduction intends nan beforehand tin settle. Once I scope nan apex, I tin springiness it a boot-full of power, and nan rear wheels travel astir alternatively nicely. The cardinal to this is enabling Competitive Mode erstwhile you're already successful V-Mode. It elevates stableness power thresholds to let for a batch much gaffe successful nan rear, which is easy to execute pinch truthful overmuch power. It besides uses brake torque vectoring connected nan beefy beforehand Brembos to thief tuck nan chemoreceptor into nan corner. It isn't conscionable connected nan autocross people wherever this strategy shines, either. It does conscionable arsenic good connected nan unfastened backroads extracurricular of Seattle.

What's really fabulous astir nan Lyriq-V is that erstwhile you've had capable tomfoolery for 1 day, you tin click it backmost into Comfort mode, activate nan modular Super Cruise and massaging seats, and descend into a Nappa leather-covered pillow of American luxury. All nan while, you cognize that if you've sewage to get astir someone, location are 615 horses nether your correct foot. Automakers will often talk astir cars having "split personalities," but it's exceedingly uncommon that they really do.

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I don't precisely cognize really to picture it, but successful my eyes, nan Lyriq is nan astir Cadillac-looking Cadillac nan institution presently offers. It conscionable looks right, for illustration nan afloat look of that Arts and Science taxable Cadillac's designers person been chasing since nan early 2000s. The Lyriq-V is nary different. It gets a unsocial little beforehand fascia and broadside skirts, assemblage colored little trim pieces and capable "V" logos to singing a very circumstantial alphabet. The 22-inch wheels that travel modular are besides very handsome, though I wish they weren't truthful dark. It besides gets a modular achromatic roof, which helps to make nan car look shorter overall. I cognize nan Lyriq-V (and nan Lyriq successful general) aren't for everyone successful nan looks department, but if you inquire me, nan database of crossovers that look amended than this is highly short.

Inside, nan Lyriq-V isn't terribly different from nan regular car, and that's a very bully thing, because nan modular Lyriq's interior is simply a awesome spot to find yourself. The 33-inch diagonal gauge cluster/infotainment surface and excellent-sounding 23-speaker AKG audio system pinch Dolby Atmos are existent highlights of nan space. So is nan augmented reality head-up show that'll task navigation directions and warnings onto nan windshield.

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That 33-inch surface is arsenic bully successful this car arsenic it is successful each Cadillac merchandise it adorns. The personification interface is 1 of nan champion successful nan industry, and whether you usage nan touchscreen aliases iDrive-style bid knob, it's very easy to navigate. Google Built-in besides makes your navigation and media a breeze. If those aren't your style, though, Cadillac has near Apple CarPlay and Android Auto successful nan Lyriq lineup even though it's been taken distant from each different GM electrical vehicle. While CarPlay is useful successful cars pinch bad infotainment systems, Cadillac's does a really bully occupation of making it consciousness benignant of useless.

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Aside from nan tech, Cadillac besides did a awesome occupation of making nan Lyriq-V a comfy spot to be, acknowledgment mostly to nan seats that are adjustable successful each measurement you tin imagine... isolated from thigh support. This is my 1 large title astir this car: nan spot cushion is acold excessively short. Adding successful a thigh extender would spell a agelong measurement to making this already comfortable car that overmuch better.

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Overall creation and worldly choices are besides top-notch. There's plentifulness of existent metallic and wood to spell around, and you're going to beryllium hard-pressed to find crappy-feeling integrative successful high-traffic areas.

The Lyriq-V besides excels erstwhile it comes to space. This is firmly a midsize crossover, but it has nan interior abstraction of thing overmuch bigger, acknowledgment to clever packaging by GM engineers. At 6-foot-1, I'm capable to beryllium down myself pinch room to spare, and that cannot beryllium said for each "midsize" crossover. Of course, it would beryllium bully if nan Lyriq-V had a frunk, but moreover without it, Cadillac says it has 28 cubic feet of cargo room down nan 2nd row. If that's not enough, you tin driblet them and get astir 61 cubic feet.

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This won't travel arsenic a daze to you, but nan Lyriq-V isn't precisely a inexpensive proposition. To start, nan car comes successful astatine $80,090, including destination. That gets you a full bunch of niceties that we said astir earlier. If you're emotion fancy, you tin measurement up to nan Lyriq-V Premium. That gets buyers Nappa leather seats, an opening panoramic sunroof and a 19.2-kW-capable onboard charging module.

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Regardless of which trim level you spell with, location aren't a ton of action packages to take from. The biggest is almost surely nan $5,700 Exterior Carbon Fiber Package, which gives nan Lyriq-V a carbon-fiber beforehand splitter, rocker sheet inserts and little valance inserts. If you forego this package, these items will beryllium vanished successful glossy black.

The only free overgarment colour is called Argent Silver Metallic, and it's nan Lyriq-V's leader color. It's not excessively shabby, for sure, but I'd astir apt spell pinch nan $625 Emerald Lake Metallic greenish overgarment job. It's a spot of a subtle green, but successful definite lights it pops. There are a fewer different blues and blacks you tin opt for astatine nan aforesaid price, arsenic good arsenic a very beautiful reddish aliases achromatic that costs $1,225. To beryllium honest, nan Lyriq-V is specified an charismatic car that it makes each overgarment colour look good.

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Your mean Lyriq-V is going to sticker location successful nan $82,000-$86,000 range, which really undercuts its main title for illustration nan BMW iX M70 ($112,675 including destination) and Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV ($110,750). It's a 3.0-second as-tested 0-to-60 clip besides thumps some cars, pinch nan BMW boasting a 3.6-second sprint and nan Mercedes coming successful astatine 3.4 seconds.

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The Cadillac Lyriq is surely aging amended than I am, and pinch nan summation of this V-Series model, it's conscionable getting better, baby. There aren't excessively galore cars connected nan marketplace that tin blend a relaxing, daily-driver-focused cognition pinch genuine sporty pretensions. Sure, it costs nan amended portion of 90 grand, but truthful does everything these days. That's conscionable nan measurement nan world is, for amended aliases worse.

If you've worked hard, saved up immoderate money and are successful nan marketplace for an electrical luxury crossover that isn't a miserable bore to drive, it's difficult to do amended than nan Lyriq-V. It really could beryllium nan champion regular driver money tin buy.

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik