The New Cadillac Optiq Is The Brand's Smallest EV

It looks good. But we don’t have all the details just yet.

By: Jeff Perez

Nov 17, 2023 at 9:00am ET

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Cadillac is gradually rolling out an entire lineup of electric SUVs. It started with the Lyriq, followed by the Escalade IQ – and don't forget about the stunning Celestiq sedan. Now a fourth EV joins the Cadillac range, and as expected, it uses the same awkward "iq" naming structure. Meet the new Cadillac Optiq.

The Optiq will be the smallest of the brand's EVs and act as the entry point to Cadillac's electric offerings. It uses many of the same visual cues found on the Lyriq and Celstiq, like the waterfall lighting elements up front and the split taillights in the rear. But the details are pretty slim otherwise.

The good news is that GM's other Ultium-powered SUVs might give us a hint as to some of the specifics. In terms of dimensions, the Cadillac Optiq should be about as big as the Chevrolet Equinox EV. That SUV has a wheelbase of 116.3 inches and a total length of 190.4 inches, which makes it nearly the same size as the gas-powered XT5. So this won't be just an electric XT4.

Because the Cadilac Optiq will use GM's Ultium battery platform, it should have similar performance, range, and charging to the Equinox as well. The Chevy has up to 300 miles of range and comes in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. And depending on how you spec it, the Equinox EV delivers either 210 horsepower or 290 hp.

Of course, this is all just speculation until we have the final details. We won't know much more about the new Optiq until next year.