Celestiq EV Reintroduces Cadillac as 'The Standard of the World'

Cadillac has always been an aspirational brand, and was considered "The Standard of the World" at a time when tailfins and impossibly reflective chrome were the orders of the day. The company has created halo cars, most recently the Escalade V SUV and full-size CT6 Blackwing sedan, but it hasn't had something truly astounding in decades.

That changes with the monstrous 2024 Cadillac Celestiq (the ending sound is -stick), going into production next year and available to reserve as of today. It's the most expensive Cadillac ever produced with a base price of $300,000. It will be the most customizable Cadillac too, with the options for 1-to-1 personalization. It rides on GM's electric Ultium platform.

"General Motors is putting a lot on the line with its ambitious electrification rollout and Celestiq represents the pinnacle. Celestiq intends to carry Cadillac back into bespoke luxury territory as the brand's halo in the electrified era," Paul Waatti, industry analysis manager at AutoPacific told Newsweek.

The Celestiq will launch with Ultra Cruise, an improved version of GM's Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance system. Super Cruise is only available on the highway, but Ultra Cruise will be available on surface streets and according to GM will be able to react to traffic signals, follow posted speed limits, avoid objects in its way, park in driveways, and completing lane changes, as well as left and right turns. It will have the hardware, Cadillac says, to eventually offer "driveway-to-destination" autonomous driving.

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"There's only ever going to be one first all-electric flagship vehicle for Cadillac. And this is very different. It's very exciting and it's going to complement our pivot to an all-electric future," Rory Harvey, vice president of global Cadillac said at a press event.

"The Celestiq is handcrafted. It's bespoke. It's going to be one of one. It's all electric and it really underpins sort of the iconic brand of Cadillac. Every car couldn't be customized in terms of the customer requirements. With the Celestiq, we can do that."

If customers want to personalize their Celestiq, they can call Cadillac and engage with the design team at any level they can afford. Buyers can just personalize the exterior paint color or almost every material and finish in the cabin.

"Reviving the coachbuilt legacy of Cadillac, each Celestiq will be a custom commission celebration of you and your originality. In a design sense the Celestiq will deliver in three distinct ways by making a magnetic first impression, eliciting feelings of discovery and fascination and creating a unique personal connection with the client," said Erin Crossley, Cadillac Celestiq design director.

The centerpiece of the interior is a 55-inch screen that is two separate screens under one piece of glass. The driver side is equivalent to an 8K TV, says Cadillac, and the passenger side features digital blinds so they can watch TV and use the internet without distracting the driver. It comes standard Google built-in and will offer live traffic.

The Celestiq's roof is one glass panel with four quadrants. Driver and passengers can tint those zones from less than 1 percent to 20 percent, which is the standard level of factory tint.

"Celestiq employs the largest piece of automotive glass and art in the world and our team searched the world to find a supplier that can make this this glass. The roof also includes infrared reflective and low emissivity coatings to retain heat when needed and prevent sunlight from raising the cabinet's temperatures," said executive chief engineer Brandon Vivian.

A new four-zone climate system is standard, as are 20-way power seats. A crystal multifunction controller sits in the center with a "goddess motif," which is repeated on the exterior.

"The fender decoration, like the controller on the inside of the vehicle, has the goddess motif. If you think about the Cadillacs of the past, we like to bring forward things that are interesting and important to us. And the goddess is one of those," said Michael Simcoe, vice president of global design.

Everything that looks like metal is metal, and everything that looks like wood is wood, Cadillac says. The Celestiq will fit four passengers, each with their own controls, not just for the glass roof, but also for infotainment and climate.

The 2024 Celestiq will deliver around 300 miles of range and will fast charge at 200 kilowatt-hours to gain 78 miles in ten minutes. Cadillac is estimating 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque for the all-wheel drive vehicle and a zero-to-sixty time of 3.8 seconds.

It will come with GM's Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 suspension, but augmented with new technology for a handling style the company calls "isolated precision." For the first time active roll controllers will find a home on a Cadillac, keeping it more level through corners. It will also come standard with air suspension and rear wheel steering, the latter of which makes a car easier to maneuver in tight quarters.

When asked about the price, which starts at $300,000 but could near a half million dollars, Cadillac said that the business case is challenging, but that momentum is on its side.

"We want a halo that enables us to be able to showcase for the brand holistically what we do and what our capabilities are. Cadillac at a point in time was referred to as the standard of the world. We believe in terms of this vehicle that it gives us the ability to start to reclaim some of that position," said Michael Simcoe, vice president of global design.

"If you look at a fully loaded Cadillac Escalade V series as an example, it's starting to touch significant price points. So we believe that we have the ability to be able to generate customer demand at this higher price point," he said.

Analysts don't seem to be surprised either as the price is expensive for a Cadillac, but in the overall luxury market there are many more costly options.

"As a showcase for GM's most cutting edge technology with opulent luxury and individual customization, it's not surprising the price tag of the hand-built Celestiq is in the realm of other renowned luxury coach builders," Waatti said.