Although prohibitively expensive, even for the average luxury car shopper, the Cadillac Celestiq is a significant product for GM’s luxury brand. This ultra-luxury electric sedan represents Cadillac’s serious move upmarket with next-level craftsmanship, material quality, and bespoke customizability.
Another thing that makes the Cadillac Celestiq significant is its design. Loosely resembling earlier Cadillac concepts like the Escala, the Celestiq’s design is a step forward in what a flagship Cadillac sedan looks like.
On that note, today we’re taking a look at some early Cadillac Celestiq design sketches penned by the Head of Cadillac Advanced Design, Magalie Debellis. These sketches are from 2017 and 2018, predating the Celestiq concept’s debut in 2022 and even the Lyriq concept’s unveiling in 2020. By and large, the production version of the Celestiq didn’t deviate much from the original vision.
Starting with the front three-quarter angle, the front end speaks Cadillac’s EV design language long before it was in production in the form of the Lyriq. It has a thin, high-brow light signature, trapezoidal “grille,” and sleek, sloping roofline almost resembling a wagon. As we see on many design sketches, it has massive wheels with unrealistically thin tires, but we think the production wheels look pretty good, too.
The rear three-quarter angle also looks pretty similar to what would become the production Cadillac Celestiq. We get a better look at the sloping roofline, but it’s not quite as smooth on the production model because of the camera sticking out of the roof. We also get a good look at the similar rear light signatures.
This 2017 sketch facing the driver’s side appears to be a two-door design. An indent in the D-pillar above the taillight adds a little more dynamism to the body. However, the very back still comes to a point under the Cadillac crest, similar to the production model, albeit more dramatically.
This concept sketch from 2017 is a little more radical. It’s a two-door with no windows and a much flatter, longer look. The tail end and wheels slightly resemble the production Celestiq, but not much else.
How well do you think the early design sketches evolved into a production model? Let us know in the comments.
Comments
Atrocious from the start.
The car looks like it is overtaxing its suspension, but the back half absolutely destroys its chances. And to think it actually began its gestation with these serious defects. Sad to see this get all the way to production without a much-needed smackdown. Are there no “cooler heads” at Cadillac?
exactly. And ta think a group of exec’s at the boardroom level said “geezz, that’s a gorgeous car”.
… still a very strange car since the beginning …
maybe still staywith 1962 Cadillac Fleet Wood Sixty Six Sedan in green or even the exterior ofSevilles
Typical–Asking $350k for an ugly car and then tell me they are competing against a Bentley or Rolls Royce???
,,, not that bentley or rolls royces from 2020 era are great examples, would say same design problems too… but now with demagog will go fast the downwill in appearance but still selling lots of lots.
Every Bentley and Rolls Royce puts this super ugly, overpriced hearse mobile to shame in more ways than one. Are you planning on buying one?
I love it. Both the concept sketches and the final product.
I really like it in blue and I’d love it if they cut the 3 off it’s price.
Perhaps you can convince them to sell you one with the back end cut off too.
Win-win.
Those original design sketches were terrible.
Unfortunately they are pretty close to the final product.
Wonderful series of sketches. The first greyish sketch at the top of car from rear speaks to me personally as is.
These explain a lot. When the designer didn’t know what to do with the C/D-pillar, they literally just blurred it on their sketches. Presumably they hoped someone along the way could make it work. Sadly they couldn’t.
Such a terrible design to come out of General Motors; a company that created the notion of car “styling” and then masterfully showed the world over and over again how it was done for 50 years. Even when they lost that magic, they were still pretty good sometimes. This is simply wretched.
The sketches look waaaaaay better than the actual vehicle. Should’ve remained a concept on paper.
10/11/2024. Retail sales of this super ugly, overpriced hearse mobile: zero. What a waste of money.
Harley Earl: please come back.
They should have cloned either Harley Earl or Bill Mitchell. GM was built on their design leadership.
The Design Staff’s glory years passed decades ago.