In a world where affordable electric cars are very few and far between, Cadillac is sticking to its guns and finally starting production of the ultra-luxury, six-figure Celestiq four-door flagship. That said, don’t expect to see too many of them on the road anytime soon.
Unveiled back in 2022, the Cadillac Celestiq is meant to reestablish the American luxury marque as the “Standard of the World.” With a price tag that starts at around $340,000 but immediately increases once you lay eyes on the options list, the flagship EV is built by hand at General Motors’ Global Technical Center in Warren, Ohio. The car was originally supposed to launch in late 2023.
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The most expensive Cadillac goes into production
Unveiled almost two years ago as an ultra-luxurious all-electric sedan, the Cadillac Celestiq has officially entered production. The car is handbuilt to order only.
According to GM Authority, the reason this sleek EV won’t exactly be a ubiquitous sight on America’s streets is that it's built to order. Each one will be a custom job made to the owner's exact specifications, not unlike similar programs from Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
GM doesn’t say how many it plans on making every year, but sources close to GM Authority claim around 100 to 150 units will be handcrafter every year—if there are that many people who order one, that is.
Powered by a 111-kilowatt-hour battery pack that sends juice to a pair of Ultium Drive electric motors making 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, the Cadillac Celestiq can sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds. The range is estimated at 300 miles on a full charge.
Gallery: 2024 Cadillac Celestiq reveal
But it’s the “unprecedented levels of personalization,” as GM said, that set the battery-powered luxo-barge apart from just about everything else on the EV market today. All units get a pillar-to-pillar, 55-inch-diagonal high-definition display that’s made of two individual screens covered by a single pane of glass. There’s also an 11-inch touchscreen Front Command Center on the center console, a rear-console 8-inch touchscreen, plus a pair of 12.6-inch displays on the front seat backs.
Tech aside, customers can spec their cars to their taste, working directly with Cadillac designers via a one-on-one concierge that assists buyers in tailoring their EVs to their needs. Think Rolls-Royce, only made in America.
