With the start of orders for the 2023 Lyriq coming up on May 19, Cadillac has announced more specs of its first-ever all-electric production SUV, including the AWD model's horsepower rating.
The dual-motor Cadillac Lyriq will deliver an estimated 500 horsepower, which is the equivalent of almost 373 kilowatts. That's a significant boost over the rear-wheel-drive Lyriq's 340 horsepower (254 kilowatts) and puts the Lyriq AWD on par with the Tesla Model Y Performance (estimated to have around 480 horsepower), the 480-hp Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, and the 469-horsepower Audi e-tron S.
The single motor Cadillac Lyriq delivers 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque, but the torque rating of the dual motor model has not been disclosed yet. No performance specs were announced either, but the AWD model should shave time off of the less powerful RWD version of the car.
During a Q&A session on Instagram, Cadillac announced more information, including the estimated range of the Lyriq RWD model, which is now 312 miles (502 kilometers)—previously it was 300+ miles.
Gallery: Cadillac Lyriq Production
We can safely assume that the Cadillac Lyriq AWD will have a lower range rating if it features the same Ultium battery pack with a usable capacity of 100 kWh as the entry-level model. Moving on, Cadillac also disclosed the towing rating: up to 3,500 pounds (1,587 kilograms) for the Lyriq AWD. That's the same towing capacity as a Tesla Model Y.
GM's luxury brand will initially build only the single-motor Lyriq Debut Edition that comes only in silver or black and doesn't offer too many optional extras. It does come with a standard full glass roof with a fixed design that will include a power shade to block out the sun when needed. Actually, this feature will come standard across the entire 2023 Lyriq lineup.
Cadillac said in the Instagram story that deliveries of this launch model will begin this summer, with additional Lyriq models to become available in fall 2022.
Does that mean the Cadillac Lyriq AWD will launch this fall? It's unclear at the moment, but if it does, we're very curious about pricing. The 2023 Lyriq RWD starts at $59,990, so the all-wheel-drive model is bound to cost significantly more. What do you think, will it be priced higher than Tesla's Model Y Performance, which starts at $67,990?
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Source: Cadillac (Instagram)