Cadillac's Lyriq-V Is A Sensible EV Wearing A Clown Nose

Cadillac has been more committed than many automakers to the proliferation of EVs over the past few years. Four Caddy EVs — and subsequent variants and the ultra exclusive Celestiq– are on the market. That's a great thing for people who want some choice when it comes to American luxury EVs, as Ford and Stellantis don't offer nearly that many options. Unfortunately, every Cadillac EV has a bit of an odd name, with the Lyriq SUV being the first electrified Cadillac the world saw.

To explain the naming scheme and lineup a bit, the smallest Cadillac EV is the Optiq SUV, sized close to the Chevy Equinox. Next is the Lyriq, with the Blazer being its other GM counterpart. Bigger still is the Vistiq, alone in GM's repertoire. Lastly, there's the IQ, an electric Escalade. I've had the opportunity to drive the Optiq and the Vistiq, finding each to be competent Caddys. I was tasked with evaluating the Lyriq, the oldest Cadillac EV in the lineup, but not just any Lyriq: The most potent Lyriq-V, and a red one to boot.

If you're not familiar with what "V" signifies on a Cadillac, it means it's fast, quite fast indeed. I experienced this first hand with the supercharged Escalade V that I drove in 2024, and SlashGear has also reviewed a few beefy Cadillacs over the years. For Cadillac, V generally means something more than some extra sport mode settings and a sportier look. In the Lyriq-V's case specifically, it means 615 horsepower and, according to Cadillac, the fastest 0-60 time of any production car to ever wear a Cadillac badge, at 3.3 seconds.

Despite looking a bit like something that would sit in the parking lot of a dentist's office, the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V is a performance car, as evidenced by the aforementioned 615 horsepower (over the base RWD model's 365 horsepower and AWD's 515 horsepower). It also has Brembo brakes, 22 inch wheels, an optional carbon fiber package, and a launch mode.

How is it to drive? Well it's a really fast Cadillac, so that's an immediate point in the positive column. Although, compared to the significantly more unhinged Escalade V, it's a dream to drive (if slightly normcore). The EV drivetrain lends itself to almost no noise when driving and the big wheels and overall plush interior allow you to essentially ignore the outside world if you wish.

As a big performance SUV, it's quite good; as an EV, you have to exercise a little bit of self control. The battery is big, at 102 kilowatt-hours, and that translates to a decent-ish range of 285 miles. But if you hammer the throttle and let all 615 of those horses out, the battery will drain rather quickly. One 0-60 sprint in "V-Mode" sapped a full eight miles off the estimated range. 

Fortunately, the Lyriq responds well to more conservative driving, so that 285 miles can be closer to 300. Although an argument can be made that if you drive a sporty Cadillac like you have a credit score of over 800, you are barely driving it at all.

Inside, as one would expect, is a treat. The seating surfaces are covered in Nappa leather, and the giant screen that serves as both the infotainment display and the gauge cluster wasn't all that distracting. This Lyriq-V even has CarPlay, which was an unexpected bonus, after GM announced that CarPlay was leaving its EVs (and, eventually, all of its cars). The quilted leather heated and ventilated seats were excellent thrones for which to command all of the Cadillac's might, or you know, just go to the grocery store. 

My passengers enjoyed the Caddy as well. My more-reserved brother even commented on how nice the interior was, from his place in the passenger seat. He also let out a light chuckle when I stomped the accelerator driving away from a stop light.

Alex Hevesy/SlashGear

It's all rather capable of being a riot to drive when you want it to be. The "V-Mode" allows you to tune the suspension, throttle response, and braking as you see fit. I (very safely and in a controlled manner) was able to let the Lyriq have a few sprints down the highway and, although I do enjoy engine noise, I will never begrudge the instant torque and acceleration that an electric car provides.

It's not all that often that I get to test the full cargo capacity of a car when I'm reviewing it. I'm not transporting all of my furniture every week. The time I spent the Lyriq though, was one of those weeks. I used the Lyriq to move, and despite the initial fright of trying to not damage the leather or actual wood accents, it performed quite well. 60.8 cubic feet of storage isn't a lot compared to something like a more pedestrian Subaru Outback with its 80.5 cubic feet, but the Lyriq was certainly spacious for the job.

It's a Cadillac, so it's expensive. A base model Lyriq isn't terrible at $60,995 for the rear wheel drive version. The V-Series cranks up the price to $83,795 for the privilege. This Lyriq also had the $5,700 carbon fiber package and $1,225 "Radiant Red" paint color. Red Cadillac V-Series brake calipers are $595 with an extra $100 brake lining. Add on the destination charge of $1,495 and you very quickly arrive at the final price of $92,910.

There are multiple less-expensive EVs on the market that can transport the same amount of people and/or things as a Lyriq. It's objectively a bad deal if you are looking at pure practical capability. But compared to other fast electric luxury SUVs (for whatever reason a crowded market), the Lyriq-V makes a little more sense. Against a top trim BMW iX xDrive60, the Lyriq-V has less range, but more horsepower and a faster 0-60 time by a full 1.1 seconds. 

It's a similar story with the Mercedes EQS 550 4Matic. The Merc is more expensive and has a little better range, but also less powerful and slower in a sprint. However, the EQS can be optioned out with a (snug) third row. SUVs like the Rivian R1S Quad and BMW XM outclass the Lyriq-V as both exceed six-figures and violate a few norms and customs of man (as wells as a few of the Almighty).

It's an odd task to evaluate a car that seems to take itself seriously as an electric SUV, yet simultaneously puts on a clown nose whenever you decide that the speed limit is more of a suggestion for lesser cars. The Lyriq-V was a blast to drive and it's hard to find real faults in a luxurious Cadillac that's also really fast and really quiet. It's not as hard to live with and outright buffoonish as the GMC Hummer, yet it's not as humdrum and pedestrian as something like a Bolt. All things considered, the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V is a terrible value when it comes to practicality, yet it might be the most fun you can have behind the wheel of an electric GM.