General Motors unveiled the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq in October of 2022, pulling the sheets on Caddy’s all-new, all-electric four-door halo car. As expected, the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq is equipped with GM’s latest Ultium powertrain tech, producing a maximum of 600 horsepower. While that may seem like a lot at first blush, it’s not that much compared to the competition, which begs the question – is the Cadillac Celestiq underpowered?
Cadillac Celestiq
Based on GM’s BEV3 platform, the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq incorporates a 111-kWh GM Ultium battery pack and two GM Ultium drive motors, producing a combined 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. Properly applied, it’s enough output to send the Cadillac Celestiq from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds.
That’s quick by any measure, let alone for a large, heavy luxury vehicle. But although acceleration and performance are not necessarily the top priorities for luxury vehicles like the Cadillac Celestiq, a brief look at the competition reveals that the Celestiq’s rivals are quite a bit quicker – and for significantly less coin, to boot.
Tesla Model S
Checking out the Tesla lineup, the Model S Plaid is the top dog when it comes to the 0-to-60 mph test, completing the run in 2 seconds flat thanks to a three-motor powertrain producing over 1,000 horsepower, all for less than $90,000, per the Tesla website. Even the standard Tesla Model S bests the Cadillac Celestiq, sprinting to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds with a two-motor setup producing 670 horsepower, with pricing just under $75,000.
Lucid also offers some impressive numbers, with the Lucid Air Sapphire running 0-to-60 mph in 1.9 seconds thanks to a three-motor setup doling out 1,234 horsepower. Pricing isn’t cheap, set at $249,000, but it’s still well under that of the $340,000 price tag attached to the Cadillac Celestiq.
| Cadillac Celestiq | Tesla Model S | Tesla Model S Plaid | Lucid Air Pure | Lucid Air Touring | Lucid Air Grand Touring | Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance | Lucid Air Sapphire | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain Setup | Two-Motor | Two-Motor | Three-Motor | Two-Motor | Two-Motor | Two-Motor | Two-Motor | Three-Motor |
| Output (hp) | 600 | 670 | 1021 | 480 | 620 | 819 | 1050 | 1234 |
| 0-60 mph (seconds) | 3.8 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Range (miles) | 400 | 405 | 396 | 410 | 384 | 516 | 446 | 427 |
| Price | $340,000 | $74,990 | $89,990 | $82,400 | $95,000 | $125,600 | $149,600 | $249,000 |
Indeed, while the Celestiq certainly isn’t slow, the competition is obviously quite a bit quicker. But does that even matter? Let us know by voting in the poll, and remember to subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac Celestiq news, Cadillac news, GM electric vehicle news, GM business news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
It is not overpowered, it is over priced!
Overpriced: Yes
600 hp is plenty
All EV: No
Hybrid: maybe
Gasoline: V6 & V8: Yes
Turbo option: Yes
I ‘think’ it’s fine. It will sell out with very limited production, and in a couple of years they will add more power to keep interest. This is how it’s usually done.
Who cares? It shouldn’t exist. And it’s hideously ugly. Probably flop in its first year. “Irrational exuberance” gone way too far.
The Tesla Model S and Lucid models are not luxury. Do a correct comparison with other luxury electrics, not with cheaper models.
The competition for the Celestiq is Rolls Royce and Bentley, not Tesla and Lucid.
Spot on. Let Cadillac deal with Tesla Plaid and Lucid with a separate, performance focused model.
I see this going the way of the article above about the Allante.
I agree. Cadillac generally competes with the parent companies of Rolls Royce (BMW) or Bentley (VW), so I’m not sure ‘brand concious’ customers will cross shop this monstrosity. Reminiscent of Maybach and Phaeton debacles.
@Matthew William Berg
Correct. Rolls and upcoming Bentley BEV is the competition.
The only thing that GM has skimped on is not the power but the DC Fast-charging speed.
It should be 350kW not 200kW
But more power is alway welcomed HaHa
The promised hp is perfectly adequate, but the optics aren’t good. It’s supposed to be Cadillac’s no-compromises-standard-of-the-world moonshot…nothing about the car is expected to be simply ‘adequate’. I could theorize that the output rating is artificially limited to maximize the range, and the product planners would argue that it’s supposed to have a ‘luxurious’ and authoritative thrust, not sporty…and 600-hp achieves that. In the vacuum of GM’s portfolio, it’s good enough.
I could also theorize that the marketing geniuses at Cadillac are sandbagging and sitting back with plans to launch a $400,000+ 1100-hp Celestiq V-Series Blackwing. Or, they’re going to revise the output at the last minute and expect everyone to be really impressed!
There could be an optional performance version during its lifecycle but this car is a complete package as a low volume car for now. The appropriate comparison is the Spectra, not these volume produced Model S and Air.
But to get back what I said in my first paragraph, I read that the CELESTIQ has magnetic suspension from the Blackwing as standard equipment so something tells me this car could get an optional performance version with the same suspension like the way it is same as for the steering or get beefed-up suspension and steering feel. Remember this car has summer tires as standard with memory foam so it is possible to see boosted performance but I like for the ride quality be similar to the standard model. There should not be no sacrifices and needs to be a perfect balance of magic carpet ride quality, luxury, technology, comfort, handling and etc.
If anyone read any reviews of the current Ghost Black Badge or whatever the sportier version is called, there were mix results of the ride quality when Rolls beefed up the suspension for that particular model when they should left it alone and just give it more horsepower and torque.
This vehicle is in a class we’ll above the ones it was compared to. Think RR Spectre. Then all makes sense. I’m surprised you would compare it to the vehicles you have. It doesn’t make sense.
Cough, the muskmobile doesn’t even come with leather and you simply cannot order it. I imagine the caddy will not just be leather, but semi-aniline. Heck they may even go full aniline leather if the owner really wants it and is willing to accept the durability risk. Kind of like matte paint, finicky.
Thumbs-up for “muskmobile.”
Your Spot on. RR and Bentley are the competition. Customers wanting a custom hand built vehicle aren’t looking at Tesla or Lucid.
First World problem if your $340k car isn’t fast enough.
LOL. Just because others (lesser vehicles) are doing totally stupid HP numbers with dangerously fast speeds doesn’t mean Cadillac has to follow suit. For the love of god, let Cadillac be Cadillac and STOP chasing the performance side of it. I may not care for the looks of this car, but from what I know thus far, Cadillac is going full on with the “Luxury” side of it. That’s the way it should be for this and all Cadillac’s.
If 600+ HP and torque with 0-60 in under 4 seconds isn’t fast enough for you, then too bad.
For 350k you should get everything and then some.
I don’t disagree, but to what end? If it takes 1,500 HP to be “and then some”, what happens when the next brand does 1,501 HP? Does Cadillac follow and go to 1,502?
I get your point, but this HP war is just silly and is getting down right dangerous. I don’t know about you, but it scares the heck out of me thinking about how many mediocre drivers (think your average Toyota driver) will be trying to drive these 400 HP EV’s down the road. I know how fast (to me) my Bolt EV is with around 200 HP. It does 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds. I’m a very experienced driver with a lot of serious training behind the wheel and can tell you most people should NOT be anywhere near a 400 HP vehicle. No matter if EV or ICE. Now add in the weight of these EV’s and the braking on most isn’t any better than an ICE counterpart. All this to say the manufactures are putting a lot of people in a very dangerous place.
Some people have no business driving at all especially the reckless drivers in spite of weak performance or high performance cars also.
That is one ugly vehicle, especially the rear.
Yeah, it looks pretty horrible, but the name is worse.
Forget about the engine size and abilities, lets worry more about where the real true car designers of the world have gone….certainly dont work for General Motors.. vehicle design has taken a nose dive downward………..
It looks like a car my 4-year-old grandson drew for me. $340k for a battery-operated vehicle! This world has gone crazy. Good luck GM.
Whats the point? Is it to see who can arrive at the Bankruptcy court first
It’s not underpowered. This gorgeous machine is made to compete with Bentley and Rolls Royce. These are luxurious vehicles to tour around, not for racing or dragging. In reference to the price, because the craftsmanship involved, I would not expect anything different. Coach by hand with the greatest materials, highest level of personalization and most advanced technology, cannot be cheap. Cadillac was the “standard of the world” and with this vehicle they are on track to retake its glory. As an American, I’m very proud of them.
Tony: I’m not quite there on this being so gorgeous, but I have not seen it in person so I can’t know how I’ll see it when I do. But everything else you said is spot on.
Funny, because last week (in LA of course) there was a police chase involving a stolen RR sedan. As the news helicopter was broadcasting it, I found it interesting how badly that RR was at cornering and such. As it was taking corners, it looked like it was about to roll over on it’s side. The chase didn’t last long as the bad guys drove into a high end hotel, got out of the RR and split. Cops never did find them. But my point is that these things (just like this Celestiq) are not being built for high speeds and the race track. They are built for being seen and showing that you have arrived.
Looks like a stretched Pontiac Aztec restyled by an a 3rd grader for the 21st century.
I would argue that it should have less power. 0-60 in 3.8 sec? Really? These electric car makers should be trading reserve power for extended range. Just think of the range that’s possible if they drop the HP to 400. Range anxiety is more of a concern to potential buyers than getting that 0-60 time down from 3.8 to 3.5.
Dropping the horsepower wouldn’t matter at all as far as the range test results go.
As long as you’re not stomping on it, you’re not using that power.
Al: I agree with you, but Nate’s point is 100% correct. What I agree with you on is that these companies need to be working LESS on the dangerously fast side of the EV’s and more on the range and being green part of it.
The Celestiq is one of the ugliest EVs I have seen. Also, for the $340,000 price I would expect much faster DC charging speed with at least a 1200 volt system, not the slow standard 400 volt charging of a Tesla or Blazer EV or even the 800 volt Kia/Hyundai charging. If it had a 1200 volt system it would be able to charge the battery at the full 350 kW at a fast DC 350kW Electrify America DC charger which would allow it to charge from 10% to 80% in 13 minutes with it’s 111kW battery. I would also expect it to have a much longer range of around 500 miles with a 200kW battery, since it is suppose to be for cruising on long trips in superior comfort. A 200 kW battery would charge from 10% to 80% in about 24 minutes at 350kW and you’d have a range of 350 miles at 80% state of charge. The Rolls Royce Sectra is even more of a joke with it’s measly 260 miles of range at a price of $422,750 and with an almost identical long rear end look. I’d rather buy the Ioniq 6 SE with a similar but better look and a range of 361 miles and much faster DC charging at $45,500!
The Rolls Royce is intended for you making an appearance at something, not long range cruising. They said as much when they announced it, and if you think about the people buying one of those it makes sense.
Maybe Cadillac is hoping for the same kind of buyer.
Why are car publications acting like everything that’s electric is in the same segment? Why not question if the Rolls Royce Ghost is underpowered because it has less horsepower than a CT5-V Blackwing?
There are different objectives in building an ultra-luxury car and a high performance sport sedan. It is far more appropriate to compare the Celestiq to the Ghost than to any of the vehicles on this list.
0-60 in 2.2 seconds is a lot of things: eye-watering, stomach-flipping, andrenalin-pumping, thrilling, exhilarating, but one thing it definitely isn’t and that would be comfortable.
If acceleration was rated on a scale of 1-5, then by default, EVs give you acceleration like this 5..2..1, and that’s great for 0-60 runs,
Ultra-luxury and traditional luxury cars, by comparison, are supposed to be progressive acceleration like this: 1… 2… 3… 4…5.
The easy engineering task in EVs is the former. Electric motors do that by nature. But if you are building a traditional luxury vehicle, you DONT want that, so in an ultra-luxury or traditional luxury vehicle you have a more difficult engineering task of providing progressive acceleration.
The Lyriq is designed as such. Why don’t you get much of that instant torque acceleration feeling in the Lyriq as other EVs in its price range? Because it is designed to give you a progressive feel to acceleration, where you can still, get more acceleration after the initial burst of your 0-60 run.
The Celestiq will be much the same, but there will likely be a V variant coming that will give you the stomach flipping acceleration you dream of.
The automotive media has to embrace the idea that not all vehicles are supposed to be sports cars.
The engineering expertise of GM is so underrated and unappreciated that it’s ridiculous. GM will sell every one it makes. It’s about time they put Cadillac back on the map as the Standard of Excellence. I’m happy to see GM strutting their stuff. No real luxury car needs to go any quicker than the Celestique will. Good luck GM.
Probably doesn’t need more power, but I’d argue that it needs more range. For the price, I’d expect it to at least match the Lucid Air Grand Touring
More like hideous and underdeveloped and overpriced!
I can’t say you’re wrong but….everyone who has seen it in person, and who thought it was butt ugly in pictures, has said it stunned them when they saw it up close and personal. They fell in love with it. So lets wait until we see it on the road.
I don’t know if it’s underpowered, but I do know that I hate what it looks like and hate its name even more…to me it’s a modern-day Pontiac Aztek.
Interesting that we find out that the Lyriq AWD will allow a download now to increase power. I wouldn’t be surprised if that is not an option, or at least one that comes along later.
This is a hand built vehicle, that the buyer can have customized to his or her preference. No two cars will be alike. There’s a lot of man hours that go into that type of vehicle. And it ain’t cheap. Stop complaining.
Too much horsepower results in drivers wrapping their cars around the nearest tree! Of course the drivers who purchase this car are not likely to be like Corvette drivers who total their cars or melt their tires shorty after leaving the dealers’ lots. Horsepower numbers are just for bragging rights and are not likely to be used in the real world by the rich owners.