Cadillac continues its steady march toward an all-electric lineup this week with the debut of the 2025 Cadillac Optiq, a compact electric SUV with an estimated range of 300 miles between charges.
The Optiq will carry a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $54,000. Like every automaker, Cadillac also charges a mandatory destination fee for all its cars. That fee is $1,395 for 2024. Assuming it stays the same next year, that puts the Optiq’s sticker at $55,395 to start.
Typical Cadillac Looks, Animated Light Greeting
The Optiq wears a more conventional look than the Cadillac’s midsize electric SUV, the Lyriq. Its false grille (electric cars don’t need them) looks more like a real grille, but on close examination, the meshwork is laser-etched. The brand’s signature stacked vertical daytime running lights flank it. They play a greeting animation as the driver approaches with the key.
The sides of the car are typical of Cadillac’s hewn-from-obsidian design language. A graphic Cadillac calls the “precision pattern” decorates the rear quarter panel windows.
Huge Screen, Recycled Materials
Inside, a 33-inch LED display with 9K resolution dominates the dashboard. It’s the same model found on larger Cadillac EVs but looks gigantic in a compact car. It runs Google built-in, including Google Assistant and Google Maps. But it won’t run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto — GM has committed to removing phone mirroring apps from its electric vehicles (EVs) and planning to replace them with its own equivalent.
Cadillac will introduce several new interior materials on the Optiq. Many textiles inside are created from a patterned fabric ” woven from yarn made from 100% recycled materials,” Cadillac says. “Optiq’s PaperWood veneer is made up of equal parts of tulip wood and recycled newspaper.”
Cadillac will sell the Optiq in just two trim levels, keeping decisions to a minimum for buyers. Both Luxury and Sport editions will have GM’s excellent Super Cruise hands-free highway driving system as standard equipment, with a 3-year subscription included in the purchase.
300 Horsepower, AWD
The Optiq may be compact, but it will have a lot of power for its size. The only drivetrain offered uses a pair of electric motors, one per axle, for all-wheel-drive (AWD) grip and an output of 300 hp.
Cadillac projects a driving range of 300 miles between charges, but the EPA hasn’t weighed in with an official figure. The company claims it can add 79 miles of charge in just 10 minutes, connected to a DC fast charger (the fastest type, typically found at highway rest stops and unavailable to private homes).
The Optiq, on paper, is an impressive package for the money. It may be well worth a test drive for anyone looking for an entry-level luxury EV. Being built in Mexico, it should qualify for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit (as long as GM sources minerals and components from the right places).
Its biggest competition may be a car that shares many of its parts. It’s built on the same platform as the similarly-sized Chevrolet Equinox EV. A high-end Equinox comes close to its power (with 288 horses) and starts under the $50,000 line before the discount. But it lacks the social cachet of the Cadillac name.
