Automobile magazine had the opportunity to interview Cadillac design director Brian Smith about the design and style of the automaker's upcoming EV line. The best glimpse for the visuals of the Lyriq and Celestiq electric models can be found in the 2016 Escala concept, according to the designer.
Cadillac's first EV offering will be the Lyriq, a two-row utility vehicle set for production in 2021 in China first before coming to the U.S. in 2022. As for the Celestiq, it is not due until 2025.
"We are making a bit of a departure with our battery-electric vehicles," Smith said. "It's really about taking the crisp features and blending in a bit more muscular lines and beauty in the surface."
Smith even praised Tesla for its own line of EVs and for proving that electric cars don't have to look weird or odd. As for the Celestiq, its original design actually included an engine. Smith said the key elements, like the front end lighting design, influenced the Lyriq SUV. He also called the model "polarizing" and "unusual," but said it would "beautiful, stunning."
Smith also pointed out the tendency of most consumers wanting to get a luxury car to prefer an SUV. Designers can take advantage of this, according to him, because it's an opportunity to dress up sedans and set a different goal for such cars, perhaps make them more sporty and aggressive.
The Cadillac's new EVs will come out different and unique, especially when compared to other luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In the end, the brand's goal is to make it's EVs desirable, and its first checkpoint will be the Lyriq electric SUV.
The Lyriq could have been introduced to the public already if not for the coronavirus pandemic. Cadillac has not said a word about the launch of the SUV, but Smith said that the program is on schedule. According to CNET Roadshow, the automaker merely left a "stay tuned" comment.
After Lyriq's much-awaited launch, Celestiq will follow, which is Cadillac's flagship sedan EV. Roadshow was able to see the model early in 2020 before the COVID-19 lockdowns were imposed, and the publication calls it a "beauty."
Smith even left a fun fact about the Celestiq: it was designed with an engine in mind. Upon reviewing its projects, however, Cadillac "aimed for the moon" and made it into an electric car. Let's see where this takes Cadillac.
