An enormous electrical Cadillac SUV may very well be coming to Australia below the GM Specialty Autos banner in 2023… but it surely hasn’t been locked in simply but.
Senior members of the Common Motors group in Australia advised CarExpert there’s “lots of thrilling stuff coming this yr”. Presently, the American big sells the Chevrolet Corvette and Silverado by means of its GMSV supplier community.
With regards to Cadillac, a spokesperson for Common Motors merely mentioned “keep tuned”.
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The luxurious model is pitched as a rival for BMW and Audi within the USA, and has been excessive on the want checklist for native lovers since earlier than Holden’s exit from Australia.
The model’s flagship Lyriq electrical SUV has already been snapped in right-hand drive, and Common Motors just lately filed a trademark for the nameplate Down Underneath. On the time, GM mentioned it’s “widespread apply for GM to safe key logos globally”.
That apply has not seen it register every other Cadillac fashions with IP Australia, nevertheless.
The very fact the Lyriq is an EV additionally seems to play into GMSV’s plans domestically.
Marc Ebolo, GM Australia and New Zealand managing director, advised CarExpert there is a “lot of pleasure in the place GM goes by way of the electrification of the mannequin vary”.
“We’ll have extra to say this yr, that is for certain,” he mentioned of The Common’s push into electrification.
GM has beforehand indicated there’s “sturdy demand for these merchandise within the worldwide markets”.
“We now have the expertise, the investments and powerful monetary and industrial momentum to leverage alternatives around the globe,” Shilpan Amin, GM senior VP and president of GM Worldwide, advised the media in 2022.
GM additionally factors to the pliability of its Ultium platform as a method it could actually extra simply construct incoming EV fashions for extra markets.
The Lyriq is offered with a selection of single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains overseas, each mated with a 102kWh lithium-ion battery.
In North America, the US-built rear-wheel drive mannequin produces 255kW of energy and 440Nm of torque, and its all-wheel drive counterpart produces 373kW and 610Nm.
The rear-wheel drive mannequin has 502km of vary below the stricter US EPA take a look at cycle.
The luxurious SUV helps DC quick charging as much as 190kW, which may add about 122km of vary in simply 10 minutes. Cadillac can even provide patrons a 19.2kW residence charger that may add 84km of vary per hour.
The Lyriq measures 4996mm lengthy, 2207mm vast (together with the mirrors) and 1623mm tall on a 3094mm wheelbase.
That makes it roughly the identical measurement as an Audi e-tron or BMW iX. It begins at US$62,990 (A$92,891), undercutting these rivals by 1000’s of {dollars}, and aligning it with the Tesla Model Y Performance.
Past the Lyriq, there are many Cadillac merchandise that will match properly into the Australian market after the demise of Holden and Ford’s domestically made giant sedans.
The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a rear-wheel drive sedan with energy from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 making 498kW of energy and 893Nm of torque, mated to both a six-speed handbook or 10-speed automated transmission.
GM estimates a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time of three.7 seconds with the automated transmission and a high velocity of over 200mph (321km/h).
The smaller CT4-V Blackwing eschews V8 energy for a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine.
It produces 352kW of energy and 603Nm of torque and can also be mated to both a six-speed handbook or 10-speed automated transmission and rear-wheel drive.
GM claims a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time of three.eight seconds with the automated, with a high velocity of 189mph (304km/h).
The highly effective pair of sedans seems much less more likely to make it to Australia, nevertheless.
Cadillac final formally bought autos in Australia in 1969, however 40 years later it got here extraordinarily near returning to the native market with the second-generation CTS.
It formally introduced the luxurious sedan’s launch in 2007 and obtained native certification for its sale, with a number of sellers signing as much as carry the model which might have been bought alongside Hummer and Saab fashions.
GM even imported a number of dozen CTS sedans, just for them to be diverted as the corporate canceled plans to promote the model in January 2009 simply weeks earlier than they had been as a consequence of go on sale.
Since then, Cadillac has not produced every other right-hand drive autos and has additional lowered its presence exterior of markets like North America, China and the Center East. For instance, it sells only one car in Europe, the small XT4 crossover.
