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First Look: Cadillac's all-electric LYRIQ show car

Cadillac has just revealed its first all-electric prototype, and it's a super-luxe SUV filled with impressive features like an over-300-mile range, Super Cruise (which Cadillac describes as "the first true hands-free driving assistance feature for compatible highways"), and remote self-parking. The LYRIQ show car aims to be the brand's touchstone for future EV design, featuring a very sophisticated and detailed design language that coalesces into something pretty slick.

LYRIQ makes a bold statement that introduces a new face, proportion, and presence for the brand's new generation of EVs. Defined by taut lines and clean surfaces, LYRIQ is assertive and modern, characterized with a low, fast roofline and wide stance. Riding on 23-in. wheels, it's agile and confident. Additional details such as a flow-through roof spoiler express the careful attention paid to aerodynamics to optimize efficiency on the highway.

A distinctive "black crystal" grille in the front is one of the LYRIQ's most noticeable design elements. It is also a dynamic feature, because it lights up to greet the driver before entering the vehicle. LYRIQ also prepares the cabin for the journey before the driver gets in, making individual seat, mirror, and climate system adjustments.

Inside, the airy and minimalistic LYRIQ is all about space and sound. For the first time, Cadillac will introduce a new road-noise cancellation technology. It takes active noise cancellation to the next level by introducing more microphones and accelerometers, which improve noise cancellation abilities. With this new system, Cadillac's performance and audio engineers can target the frequency range of tire cavity noise, reducing the noise level in the vehicle and allowing for a quieter in-cabin experience.

At the same time, the car offers a 19-speaker AKG Studio audio system that delivers exceptionally crisp and precise sound reproduction. Cadillac designers said they wanted occupants to feel like they are inside a high-end sound studio.

LYRIQ is also brimming with subtle, luxurious details such as backlit speaker grilles, curved screens with hidden storage, and, like the exterior, orchestrated lighting features. You can't miss the 33-in.-diagonal advanced LED display, which artfully integrates a single, large screen that spans the viewing area for the driver and incorporates driver information details, infotainment controls, and camera views. This new display has the highest pixel density available in the automotive industry today and can display over 1 billion colors -- 64 times more than any other car on the market.

Additional technology and interactive highlights include:

• Battery and charging monitoring conveyed by easy, at-a-glance graphics. The system identifies the vehicle's energy needs at home and on the go, according to owner preferences, while also monitoring and forecasting energy consumption and providing charging suggestions.
• New dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display that employs two planes: a near plane indicating speed, direction, and more, and a far plane displaying transparent navigation signals and other important alerts.
• Super Cruise. LYRIQ will offer the enhanced version of the hands-free driver assistance feature, including lane change on demand. Super Cruise functions with services like OnStar, precision LiDAR mapping, in-vehicle cameras, radar sensors, and GPS to help detect every curve, helping to make long drives and commutes comfortable and more convenient.
• Supervised remote parking that uses ultrasonic sensors to help the LYRIQ park itself in parallel or perpendicular parking spaces -- whether the driver is inside or outside the vehicle.

Within the LYRIQ, the Ultium battery system is a structural element of the architecture, integrated in ways that contribute to ride and handling, as well as safety. Cadillac says the lower center of gravity and near 50/50 weight distribution enabled by the placement of the battery pack built into the floor of the car results in a vehicle that's sporty, responsive, and allows for spirited driving.

The Ultium battery system offers approximately 100 kWh of energy to deliver its 300-plus-mile range. Ultium's state-of-the-art NCMA (nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum) chemistry uses aluminum in the cathode to help reduce the need for rare-earth materials such as cobalt. GM engineers reduced the cobalt content by more than 70 percent in LYRIQ compared to current GM batteries.

The advanced battery chemistry is packed in large, flat pouch cells that enable smart module construction to reduce complexity and simplify cooling needs. Additionally, the battery electronics are incorporated directly into the modules, eliminating nearly 90 percent of the battery pack wiring compared to GM's current electric vehicles.

When it comes to charging, LYRIQ offers quick and convenient charging options whether at home or on the go. At home, it's Level 2 (AC) charging at rates up to 19 kW. Out and about, with DC fast charging the LYRIQ can charge at rates over 150 kW.

The LYRIQ is driven primarily by the rear wheels, with a performance all-wheel-drive option available. The placement of the drive motor at the rear of the vehicle contributes an even greater feeling of balance and agility. It also enables the system to channel more torque to the pavement without wheelspin for exhilarating acceleration and greater cornering capability.

Vehicles equipped with performance all-wheel drive go a step further, with a second drive unit placed at the front of the vehicle, which allows for a significant amount of tuning flexibility, enhancing vehicle dynamics and performance for drivers.

Since LYRIQ is a prototype, some of the features and design elements may not end up in an actual production model (but we bet most will), and it may not keep the LYRIQ name. Cadillac is aiming for model year 2023 for the release of its first all-electric offering. No pricing has been given.

Check back at cadillac.com/showcar/lyriq for future updates.

What do you think of LYRIQ's design? Does it "sing" or fall flat for you?

Source: Cadillac

Published August 2020

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