Many American brands, apart from Ford, Chrysler and Jeep, have completely ignored the Right Hand Drive (RHD) market at their peril. But it is a huge market consisting of 77 countries, including the UK, Australia, Japan, India, South Africa and of course, Sri Lanka.
Cadillac, the luxury division of General Motors (GM), which had previously closed its RHD divisions such as Holden, has been toying with the idea of getting into the RHD market again for some time. But instead of repurposing their ICE car factories for RHD, which is an expensive engineering process, Cadillac has opted to take the RHD route exclusively with electric cars which are built from the ground up at its US factories. Thus there is no Left Hand Drive (LHD) to RHD conversion – the steering wheel is on the “right” side right from the start at the Spring Hill, Tennessee factory itself.
If all goes well, we would soon see these cars on our roads as well. Australia will be the first to get Caddy’s new wave of RHD electrics, with Japan, New Zealand and UK next in line. Cadillac is looking for Authorized Distributors (Ads) in other RHD markets and we hope that it will ink a pact with a Sri Lankan company soon.
Cadillac Lyriq RHD Interior
But what are the three vehicles built in RHD by Cadillac? They are the Lyriq, Optiq and Vistiq. Incidentally, the Lyriq is the brand’s first all-electric vehicle, LHD or RHD. Cadillac’s hand-built answer to Rolls Royce and Bentley – the Celestique, a US$ 300,000 (before options) land yacht is not likely to be built in RHD, given the very limited scale of production. Only a very few people will be able to afford it anyway.
“Cadillac’s first electric vehicle, the Cadillac Lyriq, will be available in most RHD markets in spring 2025, delivering a new era of luxury, cutting-edge technology and zero emissions,” said Cadillac Japan. “This next-generation electric vehicle not only offers the latest technology, but also premium craftsmanship and a comfortable driving experience. It also features advanced design and performance that supports a sustainable future,” the brand said.
Notably, the new 2025 Cadillac Lyriq is Cadillac’s first all-electric vehicle to leave the factory in RHD and the brand’s first model to be announced with that required configuration in the RHD markets. It will cost around US$ 100,000 (Rs.30 million) before taxes and duties, so expect it to be priced at around Rs.90 million-Rs.100 million here.
The 2025 Lyriq RHD ushers in a new era in Cadillac’s strategy of offering a combination of luxury attributes, cutting-edge technology and zero emissions to its discerning customers. The Lyriq will also be available in a V-Series (Cadillac’s performance sub-brand) that serves as a benchmark for performance and innovation for GM. In the EV era, V-Series vehicles will be characterized by their exceptional performance, instantaneous acceleration, competitive range, and standard all-wheel drive (AWD).
The Cadillac Lyriq (and possibly the other two models in the line-up) will be available in several new exterior colours such as Stellar Black Metallic; Argent Silver Metallic; Celestial Metallic; Nimbus Metallic (Sport only); Opulent Blue Metallic (Sport only); Crystal White Tricoat; Radiant Red Tintcoat and Carrageen Metallic (Luxury only). The Lyriq is a large electric SUV similar in size to electric European SUVs like the Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW IX, and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
The car is 4,996 mm long (nearly 5 metres), 1,976 mm wide, and 1,623 mm high. Inside, the passengers and driver will be cosseted by Tri-zone climate control, heated front and rear seats, ventilated and massage-capable front seats, large panoramic fixed-glass roof with power sunshade, 33-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android, up to 9K resolution and AKG Studio 19-speaker sound system. It has three large 150mm x 225mm subwoofers, 40mm speakers in the headrests, a 150mm mid-woofer, and a 14-channel class-D amplifier, to name just a few speakers. It’s a great sound system with surround technology, EV sound enhancement, and road noise cancellation that works like noise-cancelling headphones. The interior mood lighting system offers 126 different colours.
The 33-inch continuous touchscreen infotainment system takes pride of place on the dashboard. It is rich in colour with deep OLED-like blacks while remaining bright enough to use in full sun with the shade on the panoramic glass roof open. Now to the real specs of the car: Power output is a healthy dual-motor 388kW (528HP), with a torque of 610 Newton metres (NM). The AWD drivetrain will take you to 100km/h in just five seconds. Battery capacity is a respectable 102 kWh that will give you a range of 530km on the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) cycle. Charging capabilities are Max DC charge power: 190 kW, Max AC charge power: 19.2 kW and Fast added range around 200 Km in 15 minutes (DC Supercharger).
Thanks to a 5-link suspension system, the LYRIQ’s ride quality around town and on the open highways is top-tier. But beware that the car is a little on the heavier side at 2,774 Kg mainly thanks to the heavy battery pack, which shaves some Km off the range. But Drive modes include Tour, Snow/Ice, Sport and a custom My Mode smoothen the ride. As with most electric cars, the “gearbox” is a single speed automatic. Safety wise, almost every Lyriq will be equipped with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian Braking, Safety Alert Seat, Rear Park Assist, HD Rear Vision Camera, Teen Driver Safety, Blind Zone Steering Assist; Front Cyclist Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control; HD Surround Vision; Rear Cross Traffic Braking; Reverse Autonomous Braking and Side Cyclist Alert. There will be up to eight airbags on board. All Cadillac EV model grades have a 5-year/unlimited KM warranty for the vehicle. The brand’s electric vehicle propulsion battery warranty covers the batteries for 8-years/160,000km.
