The Cadillac Celestiq is an important vehicle, underlining Caddy’s all-electric transition as the brand’s all-new flagship sedan model. And although the Cadillac Celestiq will be sold overseas, it will not be available in right-hand drive, per a recent statement made by Cadillac Celestiq Chief Engineer Tony Roma.
In a recent interview on Autoline After Hours, Chief Engineer Roma addressed questions from the audience, including a question regarding the Cadillac Celestiq’s available driving configurations. According to Roma, the Celestiq will be sold in right-hand drive markets, but will remain exclusively left-hand drive.
“No plans for right-hand drive,” Roma said. “We are going to sell in Japan and in the U.K., but we’ll sell the left-hand drive car with right-hand lamps.”
The “lamps” are likely a reference to the sedan’s headlights, which will need to be configured for a right-hand drive beam pattern so as not to blind oncoming traffic. However, the cabin configuration will remain left-hand drive for all markets.
Check out the interview below. Roma’s statement regarding right-hand drive configurations is around the 39:45 mark.
Built by hand at the GM Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, The General plans to produce just two units of the Cadillac Celestiq per day by December of the 2023 calendar year. Each unit will offer an extreme level of customization, with customers choosing from a broad variety of exterior finishes, interior colors, materials, and more.
Interestingly, Roma also indicated that interest for the Cadillac Celestiq was so strong that it could potentially outpace production capacity for the next 12 to 18 months, with “quite a few hand-raisers” vying to get a Cadillac Celestiq of their own. This is particularly interesting when considering that pricing starts north of $300,000.
With regard to the technical bits, the Cadillac Celestiq rides on the GM BEV3 platform, and equips a 111-kWh GM Ultium battery pack and advanced GM Ultium all-wheel drive system. Peak output is estimated around 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, enough to propel the luxury sedan to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds.
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Comments
Hmmmm…..
Seems a mistake to me. Still, there aren’t many RHD markets for Cadillac and the very wealthy in those areas may either not care, or have a driver. There would be only a handful of RHD sales of a total production of 500 tops. I really think moat Celestiqs will be sold in China.
Dude you’re tripping bro
This vehicle is being touted for having an unusually large amount of unique customization options. Of all vehicles to reject a RHD model, this one seems like a bit of an oversight.
If they want a RHD version they can pay for the conversion in their own market.
Seems like a form of cost cutting to make sure GM makes a profit and not be in a hole. Don’t agree with this but it is what it is I guess.
LOL, trying to compete with Mercedes and BMW but can’t even engineer RHD?
The fake pleather interior is nice though.
A flagship that won’t elevate anything in the RHD markets if remain LHD only – every other manufacturer is able to do it!
“Every” manufacturer? The current Toyota Century is RHD only. Ford GT is LHD only (in fact, no Lincoln is RHD, the gas RHD Ford with the highest starting price is a Mustang).
This company is just so d@mn stupid sometimes…..
And this will be one of the ugliest cars on the road!
Tastes differ from individual to individual.
In my eyes this Celestiq and the Lyriq are among the best looking cars on this planet, which can be bought as new cars.
But, as I said, tastes differ from person to person.
I have mine, you have yours. None of both is the alone eternal truth
Well they are sold out till 2025 per last reports so the extra cost to do a RHD may not be needed.
Folks they are not selling that many of these and the primary markets are LHD for most of Cadillac.
England. South Africa, Japan, Australia and a hand full of third world countries like Hati that have RHD will survive with out this car.
Best to have this car in the prime markets as it will be a rare sight as it is vs hidden away in some dictators collection. I suspect many will go to the Middle East as it is.
It was stated that they are almost sold out which means they still haven’t sold a thousand of them yet
It stated the were sold out till 2025.
Figures are 2 built per day based number of production days.
1,000 may be a high number they may never reach. Time will tell.
At the price they are selling they will make money on them so volume is not as critical.
” third world countries like Hati” ???
What is Hati?
Did you mean Haiti, the western part of the island Hispaniola, they drive on the right side of the road, preferably with left hand steering wheel. But I dont see a market for such an expensive car in this poorest nation of all.
This vehicle is a pure tantalizing marketing token meant to be a head turner on Rodeo Drive, Park Avenue, Worth Avenue, Shaker Blvd., El Camino del Rio, Lake Shore Drive, etc. It’s a tantalize to refocus on the Cadillac brand which clearly lost it’s way. The General has tried everything to resuscitate the brand. Even headquartering it in the Big Apple for a Tiffany type association. In Cadillac’s heyday they used Harry Winston. All the late attempts have failed to date.
The General in their last hope effort has wisely created a tangible good aimed at wealthy Blacks, wealthy Jews and Hollywood types between the ages of 25 and 55. I call this move a winner and brilliant undertaking. GM needs to revise their way to create an electric head turner verses the current cookie cutter breed of electric cars that everybody is coming out with.
Even eccentric Elon Musk’s electric cars are no longer head turners with the Wow appeal. Musk’s pickup if ever released will be a head turner. I like Musk in that he is a likeable obtuse rebel. Best wishes on the Celestiq beast. You will not see it in the rural grainbelt.