Cadillac Lyriq Luxury 2025 Review

Let’s tear the Band-Aid off early on. The 2025 Cadillac LYRIQ Luxury is expensive. For your $122,000 plus on-road costs (ORCs) you get a large SUV with two electric motors totalling 388kW and 610Nm, plus all-wheel drive, a 102-kilowatt-hour battery, a large boot, and some compelling technological and comfort features, all wrapped up under the oft-esteemed Cadillac badge.

To put that into perspective, you could put a Genesis GV70 Electrified on your driveway for around $123,000 or an Audi Q8 e-tron for $140,000, while the Mercedes-Benz EQE starts from $135,000. Not to mention the South Korean options, which are seriously compelling and cheaper.

Measure for measure, the Cadillac offers more performance but the price margin is small compared with some European options and other well-known established brands.

There’s a LYRIQ Sport available which costs $2000 more than the Luxury variant we’re focusing on here. And, as the name suggests, it adds some sporty touches like a slipperier grille in place of the more traditional hexagonal version in the Luxury, polished metallic-black 21-inch wheels in place of the silver machined Luxury versions, and ‘obsidian’ chrome exterior trim instead of regular chrome.

Beyond that, both variants share the same level of equipment, including an AKG sound system, heated front and rear seats and steering wheel, ventilated front seats with electric adjustment and massage function, huge digital display, ambient lighting, all-LED lighting inside and out, leather upholstery, dual sunroof, and a hands-free electric boot.

Posh paint is optional, costing an extra $1250 or $1950 depending on the colour, with only Argent Silver included in the price. Adding a black roof is another grand on top while Nappa leather adds $3000.

A five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty is standard while the battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

While its price might be on the steep side compared with other luxury offerings, one deal sweetener is five years of included servicing (intervals are every 12,000km), while Cadillac is offering a generous charging deal as well.

A year of free public charging is included but customers can opt to extend that deal by another 24 months once expired, or install a Jet Charge 7.4kW home charging wallbox. This is a well-thought-out deal from the American maker that allows customers to establish what charging strategy is best suited to their needs before committing.

The LYRIQ has eight airbags. That is above average and includes driver and passenger knee bags – an unusual but valuable feature – as well as curtain bags for both rows of seating. That said, there are no side airbags in the second row nor a centre bag between the front passenger and the driver.

A full suite of driver assistance and automatic safety systems are offered as standard, including LED automatic and adaptive headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and adaptive cruise control with crash avoidance (steering assistance) plus junction emergency braking and vulnerable road user detection.

There’s also lane-departure warning that’s both audible and tactile through a vibrating seat that is even directional. If ignored, steering assistance intervenes. Blind-spot monitoring and parking radar all round is standard and supplemented by a 360-degree manoeuvring camera – one of the very best in the game, with amazing resolution.

While many other camera systems create a misleading impression of the vehicle’s position in a parking space or distance from other objects, the Cadillac system is impressively precise and representative.

The Cadillac LYRIQ had not been assessed by ANCAP as of June 2025. However, North America’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Cadillac LYRIQ its full five-star rating in 2024.

Cadillac has clearly made technology the modern interpretation of its traditional luxury legacy, and its standard offering is subsequently very impressive.

A number of manufacturers are now offering large digital displays that see two or more screens placed together behind a single seamless panel, including the likes of Hyundai, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. However, the LYRIQ’s screen is unique in that it offers a whopping 33-inch LED display with up to 9K resolution, as well as – in what is one of our favourite features – a touchscreen either side of the digital driver’s instruments.

The larger screen is used for a plethora of applications and comfort features, while a slimmer second touchscreen to the right of the gauges allows the driver to swap though trip meter and dash customisation options. It’s way nicer than fiddling through menus using steering wheel buttons, and it looks as cool as it is functional.

Standard is the 19-speaker AKG stereo, which sounds completely mental and puts one of our absolute favourites – Mark Levinson – on notice. Other manufacturers have embedded speakers in the front headrests, but the LYRIQ’s application works best.

There’s also a phone stowing slot that incorporates wireless charging. While neither of these features are new in cars, the Cadillac combination and positioning of just fore of the central arm rest just works. USB-C charging ports are scattered everywhere, combined with 12-volt sockets. The only thing missing is a 240V power outlet, which appears to have been excluded and blanked off from US-spec versions.

No native navigation is offered but both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are, while Cadillac’s OnStar platform offers a maps service among many others and even the option to speak to a real human assistant. It’s available in the vehicle infotainment system, on a smartphone app or any device, including when you’re away from the LYRIQ. It’s a different system to get used to and it requires an internet connection, but it’s very versatile.

We also like the switchable digital rear-view mirror and beautiful ambient lighting that can be customised through a huge range of tasteful colours, not the more customary RGB that looks like a gamer’s PC cave. In short, the LYRIQ interior is a lovely blend of modern and retro styling with a unique identity that’s welcome in a crowded market.

What you won’t find is a head-up display, which seems like a notable omission in a vehicle that costs more than $120,000.

Both versions of the LYRIQ have two motors that deliver combined outputs of 388kW and 610Nm and all-wheel drive. Those are some serious numbers, but it weighs nearly 2.7 tonnes, so zero to 100km/h acceleration is a decent if not crazy 5.3 seconds.

Claimed energy consumption of 22.5kWh/100km sounds about right for a car of this weight – it’s on the high side, but we managed a significantly better figure of around 17kWh/100km during our test.

If you want more performance and less efficiency, the LYRIQ-V will be here in 2026 with a blistering 0-100km/h time of 3.0 seconds.

A 102kWh battery is standard and among the largest in the market, but it’s an older generation of EV tech and so range isn’t nearly as impressive. It holds enough charge for up to a claimed 530km of range, which is good but not quite as much as some due to the significant weight it is hauling.

A 400V electrical system limits charge speed but Cadillac says up to 190kW of charging power allows 200km of range to be added in 15 minutes. With some EVs offering about an 80 per cent top-up in 20 minutes, the Cadillac is below average in charge times too.

Following a first overseas drive, some concerns were raised about the LYRIQ’s ride and handling, but since then the model has undergone specific chassis tuning for the Australian market and the results are impressive.

Gone is the boaty, US-market-taste soft ride and in its place is a far more dynamic setup that doesn’t throw out comfort in the process. The new tune does a good job of hiding the LYRIQ’s 2.7-tonne weight – yes, you’re still reading that correctly – with pleasant steering weight with eager turn-in.

It’ll also change directions obediently with a little body roll but largely decent dynamic ability. Push it harder though and the significant kerb mass will make itself very apparent. The best advice is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the Cadillac’s smooth ride and low cabin noise.

About town a big turning circle of 12.1m is sometimes a pain and there are a number of large Euro options that’ll offer rear-wheel steering as a nice solution. Not here though.

Performance is impressively defiant of the huge weight. The full 610Nm is readily available but its combination with 388kW makes the LYRIQ feel fast everywhere and at all speeds. Thankfully it’s not underbraked despite its weight, thanks to a very effective pairing of huge front rotors pinched by six-piston calipers.

But the lovely brakes hardly ever get a workout, with regenerative braking taking care of all but the most enthusiastic of deceleration. Aside from the well-calibrated regen brake pedal feel, the LYRIQ also has a small steering wheel paddle that works as a dedicated regen brake. It seemed a little gimmicky at first but by the end we were using it for virtually all braking. It’s a feature we haven’t come across in other cars.

Driving the LYRIQ feels special. There’s something a bit gangster about cruising around in an aggressively styled, big SUV that has the potential to blast a lot of lighter cars off the mark. We chose not to at any point, because simply knowing we could is half the fun.

The Cadillac LYRIQ’s cabin feels very premium. Perhaps not quite up to the quality of the leading European and Japanese finishes, but certainly deserving of luxury status. Most importantly, it feels as though you have boarded something different, and that’s refreshing.

From the unusual but lovely combination of dark teal hide highlighted by bright blue leather flashes like inside the many useful storage spaces, to the slick layout that boosts space and enhances ergonomics, the cabin is both stylish and practical.

We love the forward-facing Cadillac badge on the back of the instrument cluster, which illuminates with a classy white glow at night, and the front seats are both supple and supportive.

There are a couple of features that reveal the Lyriq perhaps wasn’t engineered in right-hand drive as a priority. These include the grab handle on the driver’s a-pillar (but nothing for the passenger), as well as a brake pedal which has a long brake pedal lever that comes in at a 45-degree angle.

The second row of seating isn’t as supportive as the front but there is heaps of space and tech such as its own digital climate panel. The roof pillars are a little restrictive of the rear view although the massive sunroof lets a lot of light in and is best enjoyed from the back.

Storage is excellent, with two small drawers on the dashboard as well as an electrically popping glovebox and a huge central stowage area in addition to yet another place to stow things under the central arm rest. The boot is similarly massive with nearly 800 litres of space (although it would have been nice if some of that could accommodate a third row of seating).

You won’t find a spare wheel of any kind but the tyres are ‘self sealing’. We’ve had a bad experience with this kind of solution before. Also disappointing is the complete lack of under-bonnet storage, with acres of plastic in place of what could have been another good practical touch.

We’re sure, given the significant number of American car fans in Australia, there are a good number who felt frustration that the iconic Cadillac badge had never been officially offered Down Under – until now.

And if you do choose to put the first-ever electric Cadillac on your driveway, it won’t be purely for the badge. It’s pricey, but the LYRIQ is unique in a number of ways, from the styling and interior layout to the bang-for-buck performance and ride quality.

The electric SUV market is getting crowded and there are no shortage of challenger brands trying to fit in and get noticed. Cadillac won’t have any trouble finding attention but, for many, it’s an esoteric sales proposition that’ll be hard to choose over the longstanding brands.

But if standing out for the right reasons and driving something unlike anything else on the road is a high priority, the Cadillac is hard to beat.

2025 Cadillac LYRIC Luxury at a glance:
Price: $122,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 388kW/610Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 102kWh lithium-ion
Range: 530km (claimed)
Energy consumption: 22.5kWh/100km (claimed)
Safety rating: Not tested

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