Packed with tech features and offering fun, exciting driving performance in a compact crossover body style, the 2025 Cadillac Optiq is the latest luxury EV to join Caddy’s growing battery-electric lineup. Now, GM’s luxury marque has revealed a wealth of new details about the USDM version of the brand’s smallest and most affordable EV.
GM revealed that the 2025 Cadillac Optiq will be offered in two trim levels, including Luxury and Sport, with many premium features standard on both models and an estimated starting MSRP of $54,000 for the entry-level Luxury trim.
Beginning with the exterior, Cadillac’s designers gave the 2025 Cadillac Optiq an aggressive, dynamic stance by moving the wheels closer to the front and rear of the vehicle. The overall body shape embodies “the visual agility of a fastback with distinctive Cadillac crossover EV styling.” The vehicle also features a fixed glass roof, providing an interior feel of spaciousness.
The front of the vehicle leads with a black crystal grille detailed with subtle laser etching and flanked by vertical Cadillac lighting signatures. Also eye-catching is the rear quarter panel window, which incorporates Caddy’s signature “Mondrian” geometric design based on the avant-garde style of the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. The windows are made of acoustic laminate glass to keep the cabin quiet.
The crossover also senses the keyfob’s approach when parked and welcomes its owner with a choreographed light display, similar to the Cadillac Lyriq.
The 2025 Cadillac Optiq’s cockpit features a large 33-inch LED display with 9k resolution and, according to GM, over one billion colors. The upholstery is accented with fully recycled fabric, while the trim pieces are made from a mix of tulipwood and recycled newspaper. The interior will also offer roomy back seats and plenty of cargo space.
The Optiq includes GM Super Cruise semi-autonomous driver assist technology as a standard feature, with 36 months of service included with the purchase. The vehicle is fully equipped with camera and radar sensors providing data to several advanced safety systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Zone Steering Assist, Enhanced Automatic Parking, Forward Collision Alert, and more.
As for propulsion, the 2025 Cadillac Optiq is powered by dual GM Ultium Drive electric motors, one on the front axle and one powering the rear, creating standard all-wheel drive for both trim levels. The Chinese-market Optiq is available in single- and dual-motor configurations, but the U.S. version is exclusively dual-motor. The Optiq features a wheelbase that is six inches shorter than that of the Cadillac Lyriq, making it more agile and improving handling.
John Cockburn, the vehicle’s chief engineer, says the Optiq’s electric drivetrain offers “near-instantaneous torque,” which leads to “a unique and spirited driving experience” with “thrilling performance” and “a sensation of isolated precision.” Regarding raw numbers, the 85 kW battery pack will enable the Ultium motors to develop 300 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque.
Like many current GM vehicles, the Optiq includes several available drive modes. The default Tour mode is supplemented by a steering-boosted Sport mode, a Snow/Ice mode for the colder months, and a user-customized My Mode.
Range and recharging are also important EV characteristics, and the Cadillac Optiq will offer a GM-estimated 300 miles of range on a full charge. According to Cadillac, a Level 3 fast charger can add 79 miles of range in 10 minutes, while 240-volt charging restores between 24 and 55 miles per hour, depending on the output.
Other charging details include a Regen on Demand paddle on the steering wheel, one-pedal driving that enables slowing or stopping using only the accelerator pedal, and a dual-level charge cord usable with 3-prong or 4-prong outlets.
Already on sale in China, U.S. order books for the 2025 Cadillac Optiq will open later in 2024, and production of the vehicle will begin this Autumn. You can also view a video about the Optiq’s debut here.
Global Cadillac vice president John Roth says the crossover “will be an important gateway to attract luxury EV intenders to Cadillac as we look to offer a fully electric portfolio by the end of the decade.”
