Cadillac surpasses Rolls-Royce with $300,000 Celestiq electric sedan

Three months ago Cadillac announced and a “show car” version of the Celestiq, the brand’s ultra-luxury battery-powered sedan. Today I have to spend time with the production model and yowza, this is a very nice looking car and has a very high price tag.

Sure, paying north of $300,000 for a car isn’t out of reach for most of us, but Cadillac is going after 1 percent to 1 percent here with the 2024 Celestiq, offering customization beyond the scope of uber-luxury brands like Bentley. and even Rolls-Royce.

As with other handcrafted vehicles, customers can opt for custom paint, leather and rim colors, but General Motors takes customization to a whole other level. With countless 3D-printed parts, 115 to be exact, the company can offer more options for personal flair. Want your signature on the steering wheel? No problem! How about a custom cross line pattern on an interior piece? With the 3D printed metal finish, it’s easy to modify computer files for a totally unique look.

One thing buyers probably won’t want to change is the powertrain. Each axle carries its own engine, and together they produce an estimated 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. Also, the company says it can sprint from standstill to 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds. for a vehicle with Longer than Escaladethis is quite an achievement.

The 111kWh Ultium battery stores enough electrons for an estimated range of 300 miles, and the Celestiq can accept a charge of up to 200kW. Provided you can find a high-speed charger that pumps that much juice, you’ll have a range of 78 miles in just 10 minutes. Owners will have access to it Ultium Charge 360Collaboration of more than 110,000 public charging stations in the United States and Canada.

You’ll find these charging stations in the Google Maps navigation system built into the center section of the large 55-inch diagonal high-definition display. In front of the driver is a customizable digital instrument cluster, while passengers get their own piece of the digital cake.

It is possible to stream content for the passenger, but the screen is shadowed from the driver to minimize distraction. It also features an 11-inch Front Command Center touchscreen, as well as an eight-inch screen for rear-seat passengers and two 12.6-inch rear-seat entertainment screens. I haven’t had a chance to play with any of the screens but obviously there are a lot of them.

The interior of the car on display is covered in blue leather with comfortable blue floor mats that feel like they’re made from the softest lambswool available. Anything that looks like metal in a car is metal. It may be 3D printed, but it has been hand brushed and polished with a glorious tactile feel.

The glass roof panel provides: four separate regions light from the roof. When set to the darkest level, only 1 percent of the outside light reaches the inside. While this can convert up to 20 percent of available sunlight, it will not affect the interior temperature. The pattern on the glass is really cool, evoking futurism, Throne-aesthetic-like that fits the sophisticated luxury of the interior.

The 2-plus-2 seating configuration offers plenty of space in both rows, while the fastback profile provides a decent amount of storage in the rear cargo area. There’s a shit, but I couldn’t get a glimpse of it. The Cadillac rep told me it’s big enough for a backpack, but I’ll have to see it to be sure.

I haven’t had a chance to drive the Celestiq, but from the sound of it, this sedan must be like driving a cloud. I was expecting adaptive air suspension and all-wheel drive, but the Celestiq goes a little further with Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Active Roll Control.

Magnetic Ride Control is engineering magic that allows the suspension to react to road imperfections in milliseconds for an ultra-smooth ride. I’ve had this with other Cadillac products and it’s one of the best upgrades you can make to a performance car. The latest version on Celestiq should get the pits smooth as butter.

Active Roll Control uses 48-volt electrical architecture and the car’s front and rear sway bars to keep the sedan flat in corners. Again, I didn’t drive the thing, but if all components work as advertised, the Celestiq should last like a dream.

All the usual advanced driving assistants will be featured on the Celestiq with the addition of the following. Ultra CruiseIt is expected to be released in 2023. This system uses mapped roads and an integrated lidar to accelerate, brake and steer nearly 2 million miles in Canada and the United States. Over-the-air updates will keep the technology fresh.

From the outside, the Celestiq has a unique stance. Doors open and close at the push of a button and Lyricdrivers are treated to a choreographed light dance as they approach the vehicle.

While the front is distinctly Cadillac, the long line-to-axle ratio and low roof exaggerate the car’s extended wheelbase. Its sleek fastback profile gives it an avant-garde look not seen on Cadillac in years past. The angular taillights extend into the wheel arches, a design element found on the Lyriq electric SUV. These wheel arches are filled with massive 23-inch cylinders wrapped in summer-only Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires.

The first Cadillac Celestiq will be built in December 2023 at the company’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. While Cadillac plans to keep the Celestiq in its portfolio for many years, don’t expect to see much on the road. In addition to its price tag of over $300,000, Cadillac estimates it can produce just two vehicles a day, or about 500 vehicles each year. If you have coins and inclination, you can make a deposit. www.cadillac.com

Photos taken by Emme Hall for The Verge