Cadillac will quietly return to Europe after years of absence with its new electric model, the luxurious Lyriq, its management announced this Monday, February 26. The brand of the American giant General Motors (GM) will launch this imposing SUV on March 23 in France, which is already on sale in Switzerland and Sweden.
Cadillac wants to capitalize on its “American luxury” image, stressed Jaclyn McQuaid, general director of GM Europe, during a press conference in Paris. Launched in 2022, the Lyriq has sold around ten thousand copies in the United States and 5,000 units in China, where it is also manufactured.
An autonomy of 530 km.
Its sporty silhouette designed by the French Magalie Debellis and its 528 horsepower engine contrast with its weight of 2.7 tons. To offer an estimated range of 530 kilometers, the Lyriq is equipped with a huge (GM-designed) 102 kWh battery, as much as that of the largest Teslas.
The Lyriq is “loud, proud. It’s not made for someone who wants to blend into the landscape,” Jaclyn McQuaid said.
Despite being five meters long, it is still “manageable” and could attract customers who are considering a smaller vehicle, she says. Cadillac adapted it to the tastes of European drivers, in particular by stiffening its suspensions. No price has been announced for France, but in Sweden it is listed at 916,000 crowns (or about 82,000 euros).
GM’s return to Europe after its departure in 2017
GM left Europe in 2017 with the sale of its Opel brand to PSA (now Stellantis). Importers sold the latest CTS sedans or Escalade SUVs.
The group is tiptoeing back, with an exclusively online sales model, “unprecedented for GM,” stressed Jaclyn McQuaid, and “GM will learn by doing,” according to her.
After France, the Lyriq could soon be sold in Germany and the United Kingdom, Jaclyn McQuaid said. And GM should soon offer other models: the group has no intention of “selling a single car for a long time” in Europe, the manager stressed.
The group, a pioneer in electric with the Chevrolet Bolt, strives to transform the test. But GM CEO Mary Barra said in late January that production of several models would increase, including the Lyriq and GMC Hummer, and that new versions would be introduced during 2024.
Source: BFM TV
