2025 Cadillac Celestiq
Cadillac has been laboring in the shadow of European luxury brands for several decades, but it hasn’t given up: witness the company’s new electric flagship, the Celestiq sedan. This stunner shares a family resemblance to the new Lyriq EV SUV, but its sleek lines, sweeping roof, and bustle rear end give it dynamic proportions and jaw-dropping presence. Cadillac’s designers say that they have incorporated design elements from the past alongside high-tech systems that predict the future direction of the American luxury brand. The cabin is just as dramatic as the exterior styling, and it dazzles with brightly colored leather, a 55-inch digital dashboard, and Eames-inspired bucket seats. The Celestiq’s assembly line will be manned by a small team of craftspeople who will hand-build each one. Customers will design their own Celestiq when they order, similar to the Rolls-Royce method of bespoke production. Given how well the Celestiq drives, it might be enough to launch Cadillac out of the shadows.
The Celestiq is an all-new model for Cadillac’s 2025 lineup, but don’t expect to see this showstopper sitting on your local dealer’s showroom floor. Celestiqs will be special-ordered, tailored to each customer’s specifications, and likely will be delivered as discreetly as they are purchased.
The Celestiq will be a unique model in the Cadillac lineup for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that each one will be built to order, by hand. Celestiq (pronounced sell-ESS-tick) production will necessarily be limited as a result. Cadillac says there’s essentially no limit to customization opportunities, so we expect some buyers to create Celestiqs that turn heads today and years from now when the cars turn up at future Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Although Cadillac has yet to release pricing details for its new flagship sedan, the company has said that it will start at around $340,000. Customization choices will no doubt push prices even higher.
While much of the Celestiq is highly customizable, its powertrain is not: All models come with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric powertrain that makes 655 horsepower. An adaptive air suspension system is standard, as is a rear-wheel steering feature that helps the long sedan maneuver more lithely in tight spots and swing tighter U-turns. When we drove the Celestiq, we found it to offer remarkable refinement, with an ultra-smooth ride and a supremely quiet cabin. At the same time, it’s surprisingly fun to drive when the road gets twisty, with limited body roll, nicely weighted steering, and responsive brakes. We also like that the regenerative braking system offers a one-pedal driving mode.
We estimate the Celestiq will get to 60 mph in around 3.7 seconds, which would put it in the same league as entry-level models of the Audi e-tron GT and the Porsche Taycan.
The Celestiq will draw its electrons from an Ultium battery pack that’s large enough to deliver 303 miles of driving range per charge, according to Cadillac. While that’s likely to be enough for most drivers, it’s already far behind the best. For reference, the longest driving range available in a Tesla Model S is 410 miles, and the Lucid Air sedan boasts a range of up to 512 miles. The Celestiq is capable of recharging on a DC fast-charging connection, and Cadillac says that on a 200-kW connection, the battery can be juiced with 75 miles of range in just 10 minutes.