My dealer, Andrews Cadillac in Brentwood, TN has been allowed to have a pre-pro Lyriq to show to customers today (Friday May 13th). Since the factory is just in the next county, this is easier for them to secure than other places.
My impressions:
The Lyriq is a handsome vehicle with lower height and sleeker than the XT5 I drive now. That also means less headroom but I don't think this will be a problem for most drivers. There is also enough legroom for me, which as an extremely tall guy, this really matters. Perforated heated/cooled seats are comfy and I think the leather quality is better than that of my 2018 XT5. My wife who was also there noticed the speakers in the headrests.
Steering wheel controls are familiar but different for this application. Cruise control, heated wheel and Super Cruise controls are to the left, music and phone controls are to the right. There are lots of dials in the interface touch points with diamond pattern grips. HVAC vents all have stalks to control airflow with the same diamond pattern grips. The center console features a dial for the interface as well as buttons to navigate the menus if you don't care to use the expansive touch screen. One gripe....I would like Cadillac to spend a little more money on the dial. This really needs to be something heavy and a more premium feel, like a high end piece of audio equipment. It doesn't feel cheap, but it could be better. Real HVAC controls are very appreciated.
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Otherwise, fit and finish looks competitive for the class. No customers are allowed to drive the thing yet but they are taking people out for tours around the block. My wife who is a Chevy Bolt owner of 5 years took the passenger front seat and I sat behind her. The rear seat has more room than the XT5 which my kids would appreciate since they as large teens often complain about my car. The car, like most EVs moves silently and swiftly. Current version is RWD with the AWD version due sometime in the future. Dashboard interface is based on Google's Android car auto system with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Missing is a storage cubby below the front HVAC controls...I'm told it will be there in the final car. There is no passenger side glove box, just a knee air bag.
I was a little surprised to not find rear seat climate controls (although the vents are there). My XT5 has them. There are two USB-C ports for charging and a 110V household outlet as well.
The rear hatch sports decent room with a privacy screen found in other Cadillacs. There is a lower bin that held charging cables and other accessories. We did get a chance to pop the hood only to be presented with a large piece of plastic covering the mechanicals. If you pry open the plastic shield you get to see the inverters and other drivetrain bits. There is enough room that if GM wanted to, you could have put some storage up here, but I was told that the extra space will be taken up by the front motor eventually. Still, I think it's a missed opportunity.
Overall, I think it'll see well. The longtime owner told me they'd already sold 60 of the launch versions.
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![Car Land vehicle Wheel Vehicle Tire]()
![Car Vehicle Hood Automotive design Automotive lighting]()
![Car Motor vehicle Vehicle Grille Hood]()
![Wheel Car Tire Vehicle Land vehicle]()
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My impressions:
The Lyriq is a handsome vehicle with lower height and sleeker than the XT5 I drive now. That also means less headroom but I don't think this will be a problem for most drivers. There is also enough legroom for me, which as an extremely tall guy, this really matters. Perforated heated/cooled seats are comfy and I think the leather quality is better than that of my 2018 XT5. My wife who was also there noticed the speakers in the headrests.
Steering wheel controls are familiar but different for this application. Cruise control, heated wheel and Super Cruise controls are to the left, music and phone controls are to the right. There are lots of dials in the interface touch points with diamond pattern grips. HVAC vents all have stalks to control airflow with the same diamond pattern grips. The center console features a dial for the interface as well as buttons to navigate the menus if you don't care to use the expansive touch screen. One gripe....I would like Cadillac to spend a little more money on the dial. This really needs to be something heavy and a more premium feel, like a high end piece of audio equipment. It doesn't feel cheap, but it could be better. Real HVAC controls are very appreciated.
Otherwise, fit and finish looks competitive for the class. No customers are allowed to drive the thing yet but they are taking people out for tours around the block. My wife who is a Chevy Bolt owner of 5 years took the passenger front seat and I sat behind her. The rear seat has more room than the XT5 which my kids would appreciate since they as large teens often complain about my car. The car, like most EVs moves silently and swiftly. Current version is RWD with the AWD version due sometime in the future. Dashboard interface is based on Google's Android car auto system with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Missing is a storage cubby below the front HVAC controls...I'm told it will be there in the final car. There is no passenger side glove box, just a knee air bag.
I was a little surprised to not find rear seat climate controls (although the vents are there). My XT5 has them. There are two USB-C ports for charging and a 110V household outlet as well.
The rear hatch sports decent room with a privacy screen found in other Cadillacs. There is a lower bin that held charging cables and other accessories. We did get a chance to pop the hood only to be presented with a large piece of plastic covering the mechanicals. If you pry open the plastic shield you get to see the inverters and other drivetrain bits. There is enough room that if GM wanted to, you could have put some storage up here, but I was told that the extra space will be taken up by the front motor eventually. Still, I think it's a missed opportunity.
Overall, I think it'll see well. The longtime owner told me they'd already sold 60 of the launch versions.
