There are luxury cars and there are ultra-luxury cars. A BMW 7 series with all the bells and whistles is certainly a luxury car, but it is not quite in the same class as a Bentley Bentayga, an Aston Martin Rapide, or a Rolls Royce Spectre. There was a time when Cadillac might have laid claim to equality with such venerable manufacturers, but that hasn’t been true for many, many decades.
Not that they haven’t tried. And are still trying.
Have they succeeded with their new electric flagship, the Celestiq? If looks are any indication, they are making a serious effort.
First of all, the Celestiq is not being slapped together on an assembly line. Cadillac has assembled a team of craftspeople who will hand-build every element of the sedan. These are not cars you will see lined up at a Cadillac dealer. These are custom-made to order cars. A customer with northward of $300,000 to spend will work with the dealer to design their car with all the extras that will make it unique. Only then, will the order go to GM’s Global Technical Center in Michigan to begin crafting the car.
The vehicle’s design has been described by some as “retro-futuristic” with an aero-dynamic silhouette that makes it look like a VIP’s flying limousine from Blade Runner. The long front hood makes it seem there must be at least V-16 lurking under there, though it is a dual-motor all-wheel drive electric powertrain capable of generating about 600 horsepower. The low-slung roof slopes gracefully to the rear and is reminiscent of the fastbacks of the 1960s like the Plymouth Barracuda or the Ford Mustang Fastback GT. Though the Celestiq’s driving range of approximately 300 miles is a little disappointing (compared to the 400-500 miles being achieved by its EV competitors), the manufacturer says the battery can recharge to a 78 mile range in just ten minutes.
As Cadillac says in its online brochure, “Celestiqu isn’t just the most technologically advanced vehicle in Cadillac’s storied history, it’s futurism made manifest. In the interior, there is a pillar-to-pilar HD LED display for any infotainment need you might desire. With four bucket seats in the sedan (modeled after Eames chairs), every passenger is in command of their own space, whether they want their corner of the sunroof to be clear or opaque or choose to search or program from their individual displays. The buttery leather seats and thick, plush carpet all add up the kind of luxury that discreetly whispers, ‘Bespoke.’
And for the first time in almost 70 years, Cadillac has brought back the famous ‘goddess’ which once adorned the hoods of their luxury fleet. Now, the goddess—whose design suggests freedom and flight—has returned as a 3D molded glass figure on the front fender trim. It looks like Cadillac is really serious about a return to ultra-luxury.
