Cadillac is quickly expanding its lineup, adding an electric alternative to most of its vehicles. That includes a new entry-level luxury SUV, the 2025 Cadillac Optiq.
The Optiq is a compact SUV with an estimated range of 300 miles between charges (the EPA hasn’t made that official yet), around 300 horsepower, all-wheel drive (AWD), and General Motors’ excellent Super Cruise hands-free highway driving system.
The Optiq will start at $54,390 (including a $1,495 destination charge) when it arrives later this year. The highest-end trim, called Sport 2, will start at $58,585. Cadillac hasn’t released pricing for trim levels between those two.
Many buyers will likely pay less. We anticipate that the Optiq, built in Mexico, will qualify for up to $7,500 of federal electric vehicle (EV) tax rebates available to cars built in North America.
Many EVs are built on “skateboard platforms” — modular, nearly flat units that contain almost all the moving parts of a car. Once engineers have a working skateboard platform, they can design many different models by fitting new bodies and cabins to it. The Optiq shares a platform with most GM EVs, but its closest comparison will likely be the company’s other compact electric SUV, the Chevrolet Equinox EV.
That Chevy model starts at $43,295. For that price, buyers get 213 hp and 319 miles of range. Cadillac’s version will likely boast more power and definitely boast standard AWD and luxury touches like an AKG sound system and a 33-inch widescreen display. The Optiq will play a cute greeting animation on its lighted grille as the driver approaches.
Shoppers will have to decide for themselves whether those justify a step up to Cadillac pricing.
