Cadillac OPTIQ 2026 Review

The 2026 Cadillac OPTIQ is the brand’s smallest and most affordable offering, arriving as a five-seat medium SUV to slot below the established LYRIQ (from $90K) and rival electric offerings like the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX3 and Polestar 4, among others.

Available in a single Sport AWD grade, the OPTIQ produces 224kW/480Nm from its dual-motor powertrain – reasonable numbers, but it’s worth noting it comes with a caveat: a 2850kg kerb weight.

Yep, it’s heavy, and the result is a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.3 seconds.

Adding to some of that mass is the 75kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is said to deliver up to 425km of driving range and capable of being AC-charged at up to 22.1kW and DC fast-charged up to 110kW.

Standard equipment includes 21-inch alloy wheels with aero inserts, a 3D etched crystal shield grille, panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade, four exterior and three interior colour options, over-the-air (OTA) update capability, alloy sport pedals, dual-zone climate control and 126-colour ambient interior lighting.

Inside, a huge 33-inch LED display spans much of the dash and brings wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, along with built-in Google (including Maps, Google Play Store and more) and a 19-speaker AKG Studio sound system with Dolby Atmos.

Other niceties include wireless phone charging, eight years of complimentary access to Cadillac Connected Services, six USB ports scattered throughout the cabin, a heated steering wheel, power adjustable front seats with heating, cooling and massage function, and heated outboard seats in the second row.

In terms of safety and driver aids, expect the whole kit and caboodle: seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane assist with departure warning, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, park assist, rear cross traffic alert, rain-sensing wipers, and more.

The OPTIQ is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery pack is covered for eight years/160,000km.

Services are due every 12 months/12,000km and pricing is yet to be locked in. It’s unlikely Cadillac will offer the same five years of complimentary servicing it does on the LYRIQ.

If there’s one reason to buy the 2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, it’s the AKG sound system.

Seriously, the US carmaker says world-class music producers – we’re talking people that’ve worked with big names like Mariah Carey and Fleetwood Mac – bought a Cadillac after sitting inside its “studio-like” cabin and hearing the sound system at work.

It’s something the brand is very proud of and although I’m about as musically inclined as a broken bagpipe, even I could appreciate the crisp and bassy tones deposited into my ears by Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’ at full noise.

And, if you’re wondering how good can it be with ‘only’ 19 speakers, Cadillac says it’s not about how many speakers there are – it’s about their positioning.

Realistically, I don’t think many Aussies are choosing their car based on how good (or not) their favourite artist sounds, but I love Cadillac’s enthusiasm around it – very American.

Luckily, the on-road experience is good too and ironically, very quiet thanks to the addition of acoustic laminated glass and active noise cancelling tech.

Our brief test drive of the OPTIQ was confined to mostly urban inner-city roads, which revealed its nimble and easily maneuverable nature. From the driver’s seat, it feels smaller than its dimensions – 4820mm long, 2126mm wide – suggest, and it feels calm and composed on the move.

Its hefty mass is somewhat masked in low-speed environments and zipping through city streets is a breeze, thanks to oodles of torque at the ready.

The cabin is thoughtfully arranged, with a neat smartphone pocket ahead of the lidded armrest incorporating a wireless charging pad, while a huge storage area is found below the centre console (big enough for a handbag) and a pair of cupholders surrounded by a pretty layer of recycled tulip wood.

There’s no traditional gear shifter here. Instead, a gear selector stalk is mounted on the right-hand side of the steering wheel to free up cabin space, but the best thing about it is the fact it’s almost foolproof.

Unlike many others, you must pull the stalk forwards before shifting up or down to select drive, reverse, etc. It means you can’t accidentally bump it into neutral (or worse) if you mistake it for the indicator stalk.

There’s no two ways about it: the 2026 Cadillac OPTIQ is a striking machine – and not everyone will love it.

There’s really nothing like it when it comes to exterior design; it’s bold and imposing and has some of the silliest exterior door handles I’ve ever used. For those reasons, some will adore it.

Likewise, the interior is unlike anything else, blending different fabrics and textures and colours at just about every touch point – it’s unique and the kind of car interior I imagine minimalists have nightmares about.

On a positive note, the seat upholstery is said to be made of 100 per cent recycled materials.

An observation from the passenger seat: the dashboard spans what feels like a whole metre out front, making it difficult to ascertain exactly where the front edge of the OPTIQ is when parking or maneuvering tight spaces – thankfully, the surround vision camera covers that.

Driven in a more enthusiastic manner at higher speeds, the OPTIQ is all but certain to feel a little more roly-poly and ungainly, and that’s something we look forward to testing at a later stage when we’ve spent more time in it.

We also need to spend more time with the on-demand brake regen paddle, because our initial tests around town resulted in some very jerky and uncomfortable braking efforts.

A downer for those cross-shopping against other luxurious tech-laden electric SUVs could be the OPTIQ’s 400V electrical system, which limits DC charging to 110kW.

Caddy says it’s good enough to deliver 94km of range in 10 minutes, which sounds fine on paper but consider the clever new (and much more expensive) BMW iX3’s 800V architecture and 400kW DC charging rate, and the OPTIQ will be parked up for longer.

The 2026 Cadillac OPTIQ is a fascinating alternative in the increasingly crowded electric SUV market, bringing a distinctly American flavour to a segment that’s dominated by all-too-familiar designs and a growing influx of Chinese brands.

Cadillac is a household name and GM is capitalising on it, building on decades of pop culture and song lyric references, not to mention its recent entry into Formula One which execs say has skyrocketed interest in its vehicles Down Under.

Whether that translates into strong sales remains to be seen, but there's little doubt the OPTIQ has the potential to attract attention from EV buyers looking for something beyond the usual suspects.

It’s not the most affordable nor the most advanced EV, but it’s different – and proudly so – and makes you feel special behind the wheel. For many buyers, that’ll be enough.

2026 Cadillac OPTIQ at a glance:
Price: $80,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 224kW/480Nm?
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 75kWh lithium-ion
Range: 425km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 19.9kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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