The Cadillac Optiq EV Is The Beginning Of The Brand’s European Push

It’ll arrive in the UK later this year to challenge the likes of the Audi Q4 e-tron and next-gen BMW iX3

30 May 2024

There are few car manufacturers as quintessentially American as Cadillac, but that hasn’t stopped it trying to crack Europe a few times before, and not with much success. In recent years, the brand’s output has improved significantly, and it’s now ready for another European push. This includes right-hand drive UK sales for the first time in around 15 years, sales that will be spearheaded by this: the all-electric Cadillac Optiq.

It’s a bit tricky to gauge the size of the Optiq from these images, but it’s being pitched as a competitor to mid-size electric crossovers like the Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX3 (which is being reborn next year on a bespoke platform). It’s smaller than the Lyriq EV that’s already offered in certain parts of Europe.

Packing an 85kWh battery, it gets a standard dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup that Cadillac estimates is good for 300bhp and 354lb ft of torque. A ballpark range of 300 miles is also given, although all these figures are still subject to official testing.

Cadillac has gone in hard on tech and equipment, with standard-fit features including a 33-inch wide LED display encompassing the instruments and infotainment, a 19-speaker AKG Audio system with in-built Dolby Atmos surround sound, and GM’s Super Cruise advanced driver assistance programme. The interior features fully recycled fabrics and a veneer made from a combination of wood and recycled newspaper.

Cadillac still sells some snarly V8 models in the US, and the petrol XT4 crossover in parts of Europe, and recently walked back its commitment to go EV-only worldwide by 2030. Despite that, it plans for its big European push to be focused solely on EVs, and the Optiq and larger Lyriq will be the first models offered in the UK with right-hand drive.

It’ll be the first time General Motors has had any mass-market presence in Europe since it sold its Vauxhall and Opel brands to PSA (now Stellantis) in 2017. As part of this push, the American giant has established a European HQ in Switzerland and a design studio in Warwickshire fronted by ex-Lotus, Audi and JLR stylist Julian Thomson.

The Optiq will go on sale before the end of 2024, and is forecast to start at around $54,000 – around £42,500 – in its home market. As is always the case with these things, expect that number to go up when it actually goes on sale in the UK.

The first full sentence spoken by an infant Mike was a review of the ride quality of a Volvo 850. It was “Daddy’s car goes bumpy-bump on a bumpy road,” so would probably need proofreading a bit, but it was a start.