General Motors had originally planned to pull the wraps from its Cadillac Lyriq concept during a special event in April, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the automaker to postpone the event indefinitely. However, we still wanted to give readers a rough idea of how this new battery-electric luxury crossover may look, so we went ahead and put together a digital rendering using the limited knowledge we have of the EV.
Our rendering uses the front fascia from the unnamed electric crossover concept that Cadillac released a photo of at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The fascia is much more futuristic-looking than anything Cadillac currently uses, but it stays true to its design philosophy with sharp edges and creases, V-shaped styling elements and narrow LED headlamps and daytime running lights. The traditional mesh grille has also been tossed out in favor of a solid piece with some mesh-like detailing.
Other notable elements of this rendering include the creased hood, which forms a small gap where it meets the front fascia/grille and the light-up Cadillac logo, the latter of which should appear on the production model.
Our rendering also follows in the footsteps of other battery-electric crossover models like the Jaguar I-Pace with its sloped, coupe-like roofline. A tailgate spoiler and mid-section hatch spoiler have also been applied, giving the crossover a sporty look. The rockers and lower front and rear bumpers are covered in matte black plastic, similar to the current Cadillac XT4 crossover.
The front end of this rendering is likely very close to what we will see on the production Cadillac Lyriq, considering it was plucked right from GM’s own rendering for the vehicle. What the vehicle will look like from the A-pillar backward is more of a mystery. It may feature longer doors and a bigger cabin section than our rendering, as the recently released teaser image for it suggests.
The Cadillac Lyriq will be roughly the same size as the Cadillac XT5 mid-size crossover, as we reported in the past. It will ride on GM’s new BEV3 electric platform and will be offered with rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive.
GM is expected to debut the Cadillac Lyriq sometime later this year, though with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, it’s not clear when we may get to see it.
For now, Cadillac fans can subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac Lyriq news, Cadillac news and ongoing GM news coverage.
This report was written in collaboration with our sister site, Cadillac Society.
Comments
Why the gaping front “grille” section? Its electric and doesn’t need ventilation to cool the engine the way an ICE does…. good grief…
People say this and yet and cooling is ultra important for battery performance. Air in front of the vehicle is essentially compressed air for free. Of course you put cooling intakes there.
maybe they wanted it to look like it belongs in the brand family & not look too unique or un-relatable to current or upcoming vehicles.