Cadillac Escalade possible for Oz

The domineering Escalade iQ is one electric Cadillac that could be on the menu for Australians as the brand looks to expand its local luxury line-up.

While the all-electric version of Cadillac’s best-known car – an opulent off-roader with a hulking SUV body – is an obvious drawcard, it’s the Optiq and Vistiq that are the most likely to join the Lyriq mid-size SUV Down Under in the all-American car brand’s luxury fight against BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

The president of Cadillac International, Shilpan Amin, says there is more to come from Cadillac in the Australian market on top of the Lyriq that arrives late in 2024.

“We’re not ready to make an announcement about any other portfolio entries,” he said but noted, “…we see a lot more opportunity there”.

He said Australia was shaping up to be the second largest right-hand drive market for Cadillac, behind the UK.

“Australia is a very strategic market for us.

“There will be a broader range portfolio ... a full portfolio,” he confirmed.

The car will generate the most interest in Australia is arguably the Escalade iQ, pictured below, an all-electric version of the sizeable Escalade upper-large SUV.

Rather than adapting a combustion engine architecture, the Escalade iQ uses a clean sheet electric car platform, designed to maintain the brash look of the V8 model but with General Motors’ Ultium electrical architecture beneath.

There’s no right-hand drive program approved for the Escalade iQ at present but like all cars based on the Ultium electrical architecture it’s been engineered to easily adapt the steering wheel to the right-hand side for export to countries like Japan, Australia and others.

“If there is consumer demand I would love to bring all of them there,” said Amin, talking about the entire future EV Cadillac portfolio, adding that making a business case stack up was a lot easier with EVs.

“It gives us access to a much broader portfolio,” he noted.

The Cadillac senior exec said there were still challenges flipping the steering wheel to the other side, including engineering non-symmetrical displays and screens as a mirror image.

Cadillac’s global marketing chief, Melissa Grady Dias, tempered expectations of the iQ coming to Australia in the short term, saying that its hero status still held true, even on the other side of the world.

“It still works as a halo,” she said, even in countries where it’s not offered.

One challenge with the Escalade iQ is weight; at around four tonnes it’s a behemoth of a machine, tipping the scales at around 1.4 tonnes heavier than a Toyota LandCruiser.

That in itself creates challenges with licensing and regulations.

There are other all-electric Cadillacs shaping up to be more likely contenders and the first is the Optiq, a compact SUV available in single motor front-wheel drive guise or dual motor all-wheel drive.

It’s currently made in China but will also be manufactured in Mexico.

The larger Cadillac Vistiq has three rows of seats accommodating seven people and would also make sense as an EV rival to the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and upcoming Volvo EX90.

It’s expected to go into production late in 2025 as a 2026 model.

But it’s not just electric SUVs being considered for Australia.

Amin says all future Cadillacs – which will exclusively electric in due course – are potentials to head Down Under.

“Potentially some sedans in the Cadillac portfolio that we’ve shown publicly [could work in Australia] and we will continue to evaluate those,” he said.

All of which suggests Cadillac plans to build on the Lyriq that is currently the top-selling Cadillac in America. 

However, all the early indications are that Cadillac in Australia won’t have anything like the sprawling model portfolios of Germany’s big three luxury brands.

Instead, the global Cadillac expansion that is taking in right-hand drive markets for the first time in decades is more of a niche play with an emphasis on modest expansion rather than jamming cars into the market and amassing colossal sales.

As well as the established luxury brands, Cadillac will also have to contend with an imminent influx of new Chinese brands, many of which have eyes on the luxury market.

Having 122 years of heritage to lean on and the innumerable pop culture references will no doubt help with shining a spotlight on the newcomer.

But, equally, there’s work to be done to take a slice of an Australian luxury car market with deep brand loyalty.