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?
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.
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.
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View 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.