Cadillac is making a transition to EV power, ditching internal combustion in favor of batteries and electric motors, with the first Cadillac EV out the gates being the Cadillac Lyriq crossover. With this latest switch to EVs, Cadillac is also changing up its naming conventions, adopting a new structure that incorporates the “iq” suffix. However, as is the case with any major change, the new naming convention has been somewhat controversial.
Let’s start with a quick recap of how we got here. Back in 2019, it was revealed that Cadillac would return to “real model names” by 2022. At the time, the bulk of the Cadillac lineup was composed of alphanumeric model names with a selection of numbers and letters, such as the Cadillac CT5 and Cadillac XT4, with the iconic Cadillac Escalade SUV being one obvious exception. However, it was reported that Cadillac was poised to adopt a new naming convention using “real” model names rather than alphanumeric model names, i.e., names similar to the Cadillac Escalade rather than Cadillac XT4.
Later, however, it was revealed that Cadillac was indeed ditching the alphanumeric naming convention, but rather than adopting “real” model names, the luxury marque would instead adopt model names that rewrite real words with the iq suffix.
In an interview with GM Authority Executive Editor Alex Luft, Cadillac head of global strategy, Phil Dauchy, said that the new naming convention was indeed intended to symbolize Cadillac’s transition from internal combustion to all-electric powertrains, “[signaling] that Cadillac is bringing a different type of vehicle to market, one that works in concert with man, nature, and machine.”
When asked specifically about the Cadillac Lyriq, Dauchy said that it was a nod to the fact that Cadillac is the most-mentioned brand in songs, automotive or otherwise.
Of course, naming conventions are similar to styling in that they can be quite subjective. In fact, one could argue that Cadillac was better off sticking with the alphanumeric CT / XT naming conventions and simply sticking EV or Electric at the end for the upcoming range of battery-powered vehicles.
That said, we want to know how you feel about Cadillac’s new IQ naming convention. Tell us by voting in the poll below, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
The names are unique. The Asian brands do the same, creating strange but unique names, too.
Cadillac has been a mess for years trying to figure out how to brand themselves. I’m pretty sure they’ll figure out how to shoot them selves in the foot again.
I’ve been driving Cadillacs since 1992, changing every 3 or 4 years – starting with the STS, then XTS when the STS was dropped. At this point, I can’t keep the names straight anymore. The CT6 has came and gone and now what? The iq series? Makes me wonder what the cumulative IQ is around that decision making table.
Remember when they had the CTS and shortly thereafter the CT5? That was great for confusion.
The EV transition period is causing lots of brands to paint themselves into a corner. Most of them say they’re going to be fully EV within a decade right? So Mercedes is doing everything EQ, BMW is doing everything i, Hyundai is doing Ioniq, so in 2035 or so, there will be no more S-Class to need differentiated from the EQS, so the entire Mercedes lineup will be EQ-something. And every Hyundai will then be a Hyundai Ioniq something. I think in this one area Cadillac may be the best positioned because the -iq isn’t so blatantly EV. Except on the Escalade IQ. I think Lyriq will transition to being normal for Cadillac better than EQS will work replacing S-Class.
I am glad to see the alphanumeric going away. I think as the names come out, they will be a better indicator of how the brand is an elevation of luxury. Not crazy about the use of I, but it does attract the new segment of buyers buying online known as I buyers. Like it or not you have to adapt and attract younger…
Another Mary mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My wife and I have bought Cadillacs for 40 years and have loved them. We revere the old names: Coupe de Ville, Fleetwood Brougham, Eldorado, to name a few. We have one now and love it too but I have to go out into the garage to see what its name is. We’re for recognizable names rather that a jumble of letters and numbers. Oh, by the way, it’s an XTS, now also extinct.
I love the fact CADILLAC is going back to name, they never should have changed them in the 1st place. These new iq named EV models will be fine, at least you will know which model is which
I think that applies to all brands. The alphanumeric nonsense, or the cutesy made up names go nowhere with me.
in fact applies to all car manufactures and even garages, customs etc… Mind generates all fantasies and crazy things
How about an E-Ldorado…. fl-EEtwood ….. or maybe a dEville. At least they’d be recognized as a Cadd-E !
Start holding the ceo responsible for flushing the Cadillac brand down the drain
What’s next – Cadilliq?
If you find water in the trunk, is it liq-ing?
Caddy Chiliq ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. (hissy fit) 😂
Just how is the average schmoe going to pronounce it, lyric, leer’-eek, leer-eek’? My guess is lyric. BTW, what is correct?
I think the new naming scheme is “idiotiq”
.. names are ever exquisite, hate the alphanumeric … we remember Rolls Royce was an important name once
… whatever for me the most important is from 2022 to 2040 what disappears and what starts. Great Transformations
… of Course GM, Cadillac & Buick of today can’t be comparable and is 180° different as what was 20 years ago !
… GM is slippering on Ice and if was not Government, would be past already, So all crazy Ideas come trying to Survive
… soon the Trend will be another, another Director comes, erase all and do all different again, faster than we fall asleep
Would have been nice to see it at the LA Auto Show. No show for any for any GM elelectrics.
Chevy only brand at LA show, Wait a year and see? GM’s EV offensive really starts in 2022… Sounds like Lyriq is coming early (March deliveries), Hummer is on time and ramping, and GM might have some EV rabbits to pull out of the hat soon.
It’s a start.
I think it’s better than the alphabet soup we’ve been having the last 2 decades.
The names has a technological tone to it, which these EVs will be portraying. I can see what Cadillac is doing here.
not real exciting, but 1000 times better than confusing alphanumeric naming, especially when they change the format every few years!
Good thing are coming for Cadillac, I think by 2025 the brand will nearly double 2021 USA sales, which would not be hard…
Not all that hard to do with depressed sales and chip shortages.
Cute-sy-pie; an attempt at being trendy. It will go from trendy to a joke faster than the Nehru jacket.
In short: its iq-y.
I have no problem with the new naming system put in place. Cadillac is not indicating too much these are EVs, just the name indicate the start but not trying to hide the fact that it is an EV but in between. But overtime, people will know that all future Cadillacs will be BEVs without the EV destination placed on the rear of the car.
But regardless, I would be O.K. with alphanumeric also but the branding needs to be consistent from now on for many decades and not going back and forth between Deville, ATS, CT4 & LYRIQ which all had changed within two decades to confuse customers.
But regardless what Cadillac chooses, many people will simply say they own a Cadillac.
I like Lyriq. Not sure about some of the newer names trademarked.
Evidently IQ convention is trying to say EV is smart while mixing Benz and BMW nomenclature. It is HORRIBLE & may work with Lyriq but will get silly fast with Optiq, Celestiq, and so on.
Will Lyriq name with a monochrome badge help defeat Tesla Plaid or an Apple car? Cadillac must get everything right: tip top quality, high range, easy charging, and a change in branding that makes Cadillac realivent again.
It will take more than Regina King to change the brand. CT naming at least followed a logic. Iconic Cadillac names might be okay.
C’est elec(trique)
I love Cadillac. I have 3 of them (2014 CTS coupe, 2010 CTS, and ’77 Coupe DeVille). I never liked the acronym naming and hated the DeNysschen alphanumeric approach even more. The all-electric is a bad idea and the proposed naming is… Let’s see… Idiot-IQ and. Moron-IQ.. How about GM just start building attractive and reliable vehicles again and maybe use names like Eldorado and Seville that already have cache (the El Miraj they teased years ago would have been an earth shattering kaboom to the reining champions in Germany and Japan. There’s nothing to reinvent here and no need to follow. Sadly, GM should change it’s name from “General” Motors to “Private” Motors because they no longer LEAD like a general!
David Alan,
Way too much testosterone in those names. They all sound like they could knock down walls. Concentrate on butterflies and peonies for a while then try again. You’ll be more in line with where Cadillac is headed. I used to hear the adjective “swagger” used to describe Cadillac. Those days are gone.
Ci2Eye:
Thanks for the suggestion. The interesting thing at play here from the Tesla demographic purchasing data to date is that the vast majority of Tesla car buyers are male. Also if you attend any auto event: SEMA Show, Barrett Jackson auctions, Hot August Nights, Chicago Car Show, Fab Tech, even motorcycle rallys: Sturgis, Daytona, Laconia, Street Vibrations, etc. the huge vast majority of attendees are male. Motor vehicles are a man’s game, hobby and love. How many women did Henry Ford have in the ranks of his organization? Read Robert Lacey’s book FORD The Men and the Machine.
GM and Cadillac targeting women is going to backfire. Sorry Mary. As an example how many women post and follow this site? All the authors on GM Authority are male. I rest my case.
I agree 100%. How many father’s take their wife and kids and let them pick out the car. My late father always bought American muscle and switched to wagons after the 3 child. Just my humble opinion 👬🌍
Keep the model name simple and single. Since these models are going to be electric I would suggest something like celestial names or related to electric physics.
Just to throw some examples for your consideration: Megatron, Davtron, Creston, Goldtron, Diatonic, Eltron, Tractronic, Aveterro, etc. Contact me for more free suggestions. Fun project.
Forget the computer password type letters and numbers combinations.
Anything but terrifIQ this awkward, forced attempt at unIQness that’s patently moronIQ and on a deeper level kind of tragIQ for Cadillac which has already been through far too many unsuccessful, halfhearted brand reimaginings meant to solidify the impression of quality that only cemented Cadillac’s reputation for building compromised cars with way too much plastIQ and not nearly enough substance and chIQ. Surely, no formula to pIQ luxury carbuyer’s interest and turn the tides.
I hate to be one to critIQ, but their utter failure to embrace the grand history of the marque treating past successes as relIQs or antIQs instead of drawing inspiration from them is endemIQ of serial corporate mismanagement. Far from remaining squIQy clean, in failing to connect the dots, Mary Barra and her clIQ have perhaps unwittingly dragged Cadillac further through the mud and inflIQted another decade of irreparable damage to the brand’s mystIQ.
I like names better than numbers but I don’t care for Cadillac’s “ick” naming convention. I think their new names are silly sounding and Lyriq and Cellistiq are decidedly feminine. Based on Cadillac’s advertising though, that’s the demographic they’re going for. It seems their ads today are targeted to young female POC types. The curious thing though is that EVs, based on Tesla’s sales data, are selling primarily to Caucasians (86 percent) and to males (70 to 87 percent depending on the model) yet Cadillac in the names they’ve selected and the ads they’re running seems to be focusing entirely on groups that heretofore have bought virtually no EVs.
We’ll see how all that works out for them. I’m inclined to think they have people making decisions that are way smarter than me. On the other hand though, the decision-makers at gm have pretty much destroyed Cadillac and gm itself is a mere shadow of its former all-conquering self. Perhaps then, logic is just in short supply at lowercase gm.
The naming convention is incredibly stupid.
But so is telling shareholders that Ultium products would be in customer’s hands by Q4 2021….then failing to deliver a single one.
Cadillac is so lost. Who are they designing these cars for? Now that I have the $$ to buy a Cadilllac, they have no cars I want to buy. And I am a “buy American” guy. The Liriq thing misses me. Bring back the DTS with a really great engine and really fine interior finishes, and Cadillac will sell all they can make. Stop the crazy angular designs. No one wants them.
GM most likely spent Billions getting the World to understand what CT4, CT5, CT6, XT4, XT5, and XT6 were.
Then they completely change it. I absolutely think that the upcoming Lyriq will be a Home run and I love the direction that Cadillac seems to be taking but the new naming Scheme sucks.
The Lyriq should have been the All New Cadillac XT5 and then replace the lineup accordingly by 2030.
Momolos: CT4, CT5, CT6, XT4, XT5, XT6 sound like construction equipment model names and industrial machine tool model names. Now we are on new Cadillac names that sound like Estee Lauder and Revlon products.
Cadillac model names need to be revisited. My favorite car name for a vehicle I designed in high
school during the muscle car era is Chapparel.
Ford Motor to me wins the car naming contest. How can you beat Lightening, Bronco, Mustang, Continental, Zephyr? Let’s resurrect Ned Jordan’s car name from the Jordan Motor Car Company of Cleveland, Ohio, for the best and most classic car advertising copy ever produced ” Somewhere West of Laramie “, The famed Jordan PLAYBOY.
Perfect for Cadillac’s target to women buyers. The ad copy and name went down in both automotive history and advertising history. Sex sells.
That ad reeked of muscular, toned and skilled feminism. It is beyond great.
You mean like 3,4,5,6,7,8, X1,X2,X3,X4,X5,X6,X7 also A, C, E, S, GLA, GLB, GLC,GLE, GLS
and A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7,A8, Q2,Q3, Q4,Q5,Q7
Because those vehicles Absolutely OWN The Tier One Luxury Segment!!!
Also, they tell you where in the Lineup said vehicles stand within the Brand.
But yeah Lyriq on a Luxury Brand Vehicle is Genius
hate this german system… i3M, iX… then, why not
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 , 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 ….
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, X, W, Y, Z
like this system, Ghost, Wraith, Spectre, Phantom, Cullinan, Shadow, Silver Shadow, Silent Shadow, Seraph etc and my invented name Soul to my model
pity since 1998 the cars are not according, it could be better, details corrected and improved and with total no wood for some € 10 000 as my name Soul
…. 2022 GM Cadillac Lyric … would be totally ok. However the whole shape and details are ugly
further … you could have Mystic, Galactic, Futuristic,
Yeah and I’m sure Mercedes, Audi, and BMW hate themselves with all the sales around the World they get every single year. Lol
wait is not a question of sales, of course, whatever ugly they do, they sell, they are lucky, God chose them to be bulti billions million trillionaires, as said whatever Egal they do
you changed theme, we were talking about taste in names, just that. no one buy a iX7 because the name but because the Germans were best in the odd famous Made in Germany worldwide
PS . minimal CV
<<<
1995 – 1997 GM Engineer CAD – asked demission
1997 – 1998 VW Engineer CAD – asked demission
1998 – 2008 Webasto VW, BMW, Audi D4, Porsche Indirect CADs – ~ 'jude' crazy time
2008 – 2012 no cars. but SSJ100, Sail Yachts – more crazy defibrillators, ~ ss, you know
> 2012 Freedom
I was talking about the pure clarity that the German Big Three have for their customers.
Cadillac was well on their way as well but you know GM will GM with new names.
I never said that CT4, CT5, CT6, XT4, XT5, and XT6 are great names just that I prefer them over the Lyriq and IQ names.
Remember some if not most luxury car drivers want people to know and understand they drive a 7 Series and NOT a 3 Series. Nobody will know the difference in the Brand hierarchy of the upcoming Cadillac IQ names.
And I love the new shift to BEV’s for Cadillac and their new Design language inside and out with the upcoming Lyriq is fantastic. Just the name structure makes ZERO sense.
ok, let’s see the final result in a year
it is like a Rendering a Building, never comes like the drawings
most are in reality a deception, like Concept cars X Series ones.
“Lyriq” … Lyric 😀
“Ascendiq” … Ass and Dick. 😳
N’uff said !
Some names are good while others leave you wondering… WTH? 🧐
… completely rewritting other new trademarks names : stupIQ, stupidIQ, assdIQ … kkk
I like “Lyriq”. Except the Aztek like rear end. Or is that “Aztiq”. ?
I hate the random alphanumeric names. It will be great to go back to real names that can be remembered.
I went into the dealer Friday to convert my reservation into a “order” for my Lyriq. Only choice of colors and wheels. Went with the early availability of Silver, Sky Cool Gray interior, and three smallest wheels possible for maximum range and better ride quality.
No. Get rid of it. Pronto. No more of these -iq names. If you want to add IQ as a separate name like “Escalade IQ”, fine. But Lyriq, Symboliq, Celestiq? No. It’s clear Cadillac already reached the bottom of the barrel with these names and they need a life preserver to get out.
Terrible play on words IMHO. What’s next the Caddie Brainiac
Moroniq.
With the exception of the Escalade and the last DeVille, I haven’t been able to keep
track of which Cadillac is which since the advent of the meaningless numeric identifications. (Except for the ‘V’ series).
Cadillac needs to concentrate on building quality, reliable, durable vehicles whether ICE or EV. They need stability in product names and marketing.
They have been wandering in the model name, product image, brand image desert for too many years. This is why they have fallen so far, awful management.
agree, but have many styling, design issues … must be corrected as well
Soul: Love it!
I saw a gangbanger in Sin City, aka Las Vegas, legally change his full name to Snake Breeder. His ride is a black Escalade. The women absolutely love his changed name, and style. Snake had tats applied to match with his new name. The ultimate in Bad Ass. Snake and Breeder symbolize things in more ways than one. Sex sells.
Cadillac should consider bad ass model names. Like the Phantom, Reaper, Spider, Blade, etc.
I would be glad to assist GM in vehicle naming on a gratis basis. Fun project.
Mary wears cool black leathers and duds in important public appearances. Looks great. GM should reimage itself along the lines of Harley Davidson, Dixxon Clothing, Hot August Nights, with the promotional pizazz of Barrett-Jackson.
Hit the 20 to 45 year old crowd.
many thanks liking the Soul… it has a problem. the Kia uses it, so maybe translated to Alma
with all blacky body and wheels trendy, agree totally with Blade, Sharp etc
Not a fan of the iq naming system. Despite that, Cadillac need to be on the bleeding edge of technology and produce high standard quality well designed luxury vehicles that are status symbols desired by the target market.
How many times is Cadillac going to switch from words to alphanumeric back to words? I mean Jesus Christ from the consumer standpoint it’s going to make them confused as hell.
Anybody unlucky enough to have a Gremlin? 😉 Talk about bad names doesn’t get much worse than that IMHO 🙄🇨🇦🇨🇦👬😋
The only bad part of MY Gremlin was, mine had the 2-litre 4-cylinder engine from Audi/VW. It burned oil due to bad valve stem seals, and it ate exhaust manifolds. “Precision German Engineering” at its finest.
The rest of the car was sturdy, and remained completely trouble-free, and rattle-free despite suffering a year of being driven on Puerto Rican streets and highways. The Gremlin gets a bad rap, but, it just, plain, was not a bad car.
Ok I will be honest with you. My Gremlin was easily the worst car I ever had. I was living in Regina Saskatchewan in the late 70’s and I regularly got stuck in my parents driveway. Also no AC and the heater was not up to winter in Saskatchewan. Just my humble opinion 🌎🇨🇦🤔
I have a reservation for one of the first Lyriq Debut Editions. I am disappointed that two motor all wheel drive will not be available. I can understand that GM wanted to start with a lower priced (hopefully not cheap!) model to set the perception that this was an affordable Cadillac EV. Remember the mistake of the $80,000 Cadillac “Volt”. The Hummer EV started with the most expensive model to set the bar at that level – future Hummers will seem like bargains.