Christina and Manny Bennett are the owners of this 2023 Lyriq Debut Edition, which they believe to be the first Lyriq delivered here in Jacksonville, Florida. The 2024 Lyriq has a 102 kWh battery with an EPA estimated range of 312 miles, which Manny says is proving to be accurate based on his driving experience. Its peak DC charging speed is rated at 190 kW while at home it is capable of AC charging at up to 19.2 kW per hour.
Manny is a big Cadillac fan. He and his family have owned a variety of Caddys over the years including a CT6, XT5 and XT4. His love of Cadillacs goes way back. “As long as I could remember my mother always drove Cadillacs. She worked for GMC so she always drove Cadillacs, from the Coupe Deville from back in the ‘70s to the Seville in the mid-’90s.
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Manny says “Cadillac pulled out all the stops” with the Lyriq. He’s been thrilled with everything about the SUV, from the styling and performance to the interior luxury and overall affordability as compared to other luxury EVs.
“You get a lot for your money with this Lyriq because at the time the Teslas, the [Model] Ss, were going for like $110,000 and $120,000 and this [Lyriq] is probably around $65,000.”
On top of that, Manny’s Lyriq qualifies for the full $7,500 tax credit. Since Manny bought his Lyriq, Tesla has slashed its prices, although that likely would not have swayed him.
Manny’s admiration of the design starts with the front end, which he proudly describes. “This whole thing lights up and you get the Cadillac emblem that is really, really vivid, especially at night. It’s a really, really cool feature.”
His Debut edition is RWD drive with the 22-inch wheels, Super Cruise and unique power door handles that were only available for the 2023 model year. They were redesigned for the 2024s.
Although Manny’s Lyriq is rear-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive is also available. Car and Driver saw a 4.6 second 0-60 time with the AWD edition. Despite the extra performance, even with the extra motor the Lyriq still manages 307-miles of estimated EPA range.
The Lyriq’s interior is a very comfortable place to be with flourishes that remind you this is a luxury vehicle. During my time driving Manny’s Cadillac I was impressed with the compliant suspension.
I didn’t have the opportunity to push it in any sort of aggressive driving, but it certainly does a good job of continuing the Cadillac tradition of providing a smooth, quiet ride.
Drivers and passengers are treated to a sweeping 33-inch diagonal LED display that Cadillac says is capable of 9k resolution. It’s powered by Android Automotive, which is Google’s operating system for automobiles that General Motors is gradually rolling out.
Although it has Android Automotive, Manny’s Lyriq still comes standard with Apple Car Play and Android Automotive, although General Motors has indicated those screen mirroring systems will be phased out in future years in favor of relying entirely on Android Automotive, which does include Google Maps and the Google Play Store, although like the smartphone-based systems, apps are limited to those deemed to be car-friendly.
One thing you won’t find in the Lyriq is a frunk. Front cargo areas have become common in many EVs but Cadillac decided to forgo the feature in its first full-EV.
Cadillac is transitioning to an all-electric future. It is in the midst of rolling out its super-high end Celestiq sedan, with a base price of $340,000 and the all-electric Escalade IQ is expected to become available in late 2024.
EV Rider primarily focuses on video so be sure to watch the episode at the top of this post to get the full story and additional details about the Lyriq. If you enjoy the video please give it a like and subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel so I can continue to bring you adventures in EV motoring.
