This is the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq and it’s Cadillac’s bold electric debut vehicle, a dramatically styled crossover available with over 300 miles of range. It now offers AWD with more power so today I’m testing it to see how it stacks up against the competition.  

Styling

The styling is cohesive and elegant, although these flush door handles can be awkward to use. At the front it has a familiar Cadillac face.

Under the Hood 

Just a few years back, the thought of a 500-hp Cadillac would have immediately brought to mind something with a “V” badge on its trunk and a menacingly rumbling Blackwing engine. But not anymore! The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq AWD is a prime example of how the EV revolution has flipped our ideas about performance on their heads.  

This AWD version has 500 hp and 450 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 160 ponies and 125 pound-feet over the rear driver. Stamp on the Lyriq AWD’s go pedal accelerator and it will sprint to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds 

Battery and Charging

The 102.0-kWh Ultium battery is bolted underneath the car and offers 307 miles of rang. This one has the optional A 19.2-kW  onboard charger ($1,480) and can add up to 51 miles of range per hour from a Level 2 (240V) AC charger.  The battery can handle up to 190 kilowatts of DC fast-charging, which Cadillac says will replenish the range at a rate of about 77 miles every 10 minutes.  

Wheels and tires 

The AWD is equipped with these 22-inch alloy wheels wearing 275/40 Michelin Primacy All Season tires. These are self-sealing so no need for a spare tire. 

Weight gain 

Fitting a second motor added more than 200 pounds to the curb weight, bringing the Lyriq AWD within spitting distance of 5,800 pounds. 

Driving

 

The all-wheel drive is here for bad-weather traction and straight-line acceleration, not corner carving. In that regard, it works well. The weather forecast during our time with it called for a heatwave, so we took the Lyriq AWD down a dusty, sandy dirt road and across a gravel-strewn location to see how it handled loose surfaces. We came away satisfied. Whether sitting in gravel or starting from a stop on a steep dirt hill, the Lyriq never struggled for grip even on its efficiency-minded street tires. 

Regardless of surface, the Lyriq’s passive dampers continue to impress. Even the extra weight doesn’t hamper their ability to absorb huge bumps like they’re not even there. It feels like you could drive over a speed bump at 40 mph and barely even notice it. If potholes feature heavily in your commute, you’re in for a treat. 

Less so if your pavement has lots of small cracks filled with tar by the local road crew. Those massive 22-inch wheels are heavy, and the slim tires do little to help filter out all that small road chatter, though most of what makes it to the cabin is tire noise. Get it on a road rough enough (or crank the stereo loud enough), and enough vibration will start to rattle some interior trim in the back of the cabin. 

Interior

The dual-motor has the same roomy, handsomely designed interior as the single-motor. It’s a welcoming, luxurious cabin featuring nice lines, handsome leather seating, tasteful brightwork, and good-looking wood.  

The 33-inch diagonal curved display that’s home to the gauge cluster and many of the car’s functions looks slick but forces you to click through several screens to access menus and submenus controlling everything from the 19-speaker AKG audio system to the standard Google Assistant. Most climate controls are conveniently located in a row of hard buttons in the center stack area, but you must still call up the HVAC menu to sync driver and passenger temperature settings. The door-mounted switches that control front-seat massage and lumbar adjustments are fussy.  

Cargo Space

The Cadillac LYRIQ trunk space offers up to 28 cubic feet of cargo room with the rear seats in their upright position. If you need more room for luggage or gear, you can fold the second row to access a maximum Cadillac LYRIQ cargo space of 60.8 cubic feet. Sadly, there isn’t a frunk. 

Pricing

The Lyriq starts with a base price of $66,995, adding AWD adds another $3,500. This one also has the Nappa Leather Package for $3,790 which gives you Nappa Leather Armrests, Genuine open pore wood decor, Backlit door accents and alloy pedals.  

In total it has over $10,000 of opting taking the total price to $78,760 

VIDEO REVIEW

Verdict

The interior design and materials are simply outstanding, and where attention has been fully paid to the details it blows you away. The user interface needs some work, but that massive single-piece screen looks fantastic. 
It’s not a sports car and it’s not meant to be. Take it for what it is and it’s very good luxury SUV.  

2025 Cadillac Lyriq AWD Numbers

BASE PRICE: $47,600
PRICE AS TESTED: $58,030
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, SUV
FRONT MOTOR: Permanent-magnet AC
REAR MOTOR: Permanent-magnet AC
COMBINED POWER: 500 hp
COMBINED TORQUE: 450 lb-ft
BATTERY PACK: Liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 102.0 kWh
ONBOARD CHARGER: 19.2.5 kW
PEAK DC FAST CHARGE RATE: 190 kW
TRANSMISSION: direct-drive
CURB WEIGHT: 5,800 lb
RANGE: 307 miles
0-60 MPH: 4.6 seconds
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB: 93/77/40 mpge
CARGO SPACE: 26 cubic feet, 60 cubic feet with rear seat folded
PROS: Upscale interior, cool exterior, super smooth ride
CONS: Pricey versus rivals, not as quick as expected