2026 Cadillac LYRIQ-V Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Lyriq V-Series is fast but subtle. Minor styling changes like a new lower front fascia, rocker panels, body-colour lower trim, and a standard black-painted roof are the only callouts, along with the obligatory “V” badging. It’s perfect for those who don’t want constant attention from the police or stoplight drag racers, and it doesn’t interfere with the already-dramatic styling of the base car. With its light-up grille flanked by pillar-like LED headlights, a fastback profile, and a futuristic rear lighting signature, the Lyriq takes Cadillac styling in a different direction, but it’s one that’s still faithful to the General Motors luxury brand’s character.

Like other Cadillac EVs, the Lyriq is based on GM’s flexible EV component set, formerly known as Ultium. That means a unibody architecture with the chassis dimensions determined by the battery pack, in this case a 102-kilowatt-hour unit that gives the Lyriq a 3,094-millimetre wheelbase. That’s nearly identical to the three-row Cadillac Vistiq as that model uses the same pack, but the Lyriq has only two rows of seats.

There isn’t much differentiation for the V-Series model inside, either. The steering wheel’s Cadillac crest is replaced by a V-Series logo, the paddle shifter used for controlling regenerative braking is now aluminum instead of plastic, and an additional button activates the V-Mode drive mode. The front seats have power-adjustable bolsters, but they still feel inadequate for a performance vehicle where the driver and front passenger will experience higher-than-average lateral G.

Still, Cadillac deserves credit for not descending into caricature. The steering wheel has nice added hand grips but without the bratwurst thickness of BMW M or Mercedes-AMG wheels. The standard Paperwood trim is a nice alternative to traditional wood or the carbon fibre trim that can look a little pretentious in other luxury SUVs. The Lyriq-V also comes very well equipped with standard heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats, heated outboard rear seats, and tri-zone climate control. Premium models add Nappa leather upholstery and a panoramic glass roof with a power sunshade.

The Lyriq-V gets the same uprated dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrain as the Vistiq and the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS. That means 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque — increases of 100 hp and 200 lb-ft over the standard dual-motor Lyriq and 250 hp and 325 lb-ft more than the single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) base model.

With that extra power, Cadillac says the Lyriq-V will do zero to 96 km/h in 3.3 seconds, making it the quickest-accelerating production car in brand history. However, that’s by a small margin as even the Vistiq will do zero to 96 km/h in 3.7 seconds. The Lyriq-V is also just 0.1 second quicker than its Blazer EV SS platform-mate. It does beat the much pricier BMW iX M70 xDrive and Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV as well but by similarly small margins.

The quickest acceleration is accessed with the Velocity Max launch mode. There’s also a Competition Mode intended for track driving and a V-Mode that lets drivers customize performance settings for things like steering, damping, regenerative braking, and accelerator pedal response. Tour, Sport, and Snow/Ice drive modes are included as well.

Those drive modes give the Lyriq-V an impressive breadth of capability. The default Tour mode provides good body control and a comfortable ride, although perhaps a degree or two less refined than the standard Lyriq. That’s likely down to the V-Series model’s 22-inch wheels, which come standard with summer performance tires. Our car had optional all-season tires, which were needed due to the colder weather at our test drive location. They weren’t an impediment, though, as in the sportier driving modes the suspension damping and traction control intervention are well-judged.

It may not have the purest driving experience, and the artificial soundtrack is no substitute for a CT5-V Blackwing’s supercharged V8, but the Lyriq-V is impressively lithe for a 2,648-kilogram (5,838-pound) SUV. The response of the chassis and steering also feel smooth and natural. The software that makes the cornering heroics possible is kept well in the background.

The Lyriq-V is also equipped with Brembo front brake calipers, although strong regenerative braking meant we didn’t need to use them much. We were even able to bring the car to a stop without the brake pedal in some cases. As with other GM EVs, the steering wheel paddle calls up an extra burst of regen, a bit like downshifting in a gasoline car. And regen levels can be lowered via the touchscreen depending on your preference.

While it’s considered an SUV, the Lyriq has a sleek profile that limits rear headroom compared to the similarly sized BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. The iX has 86 millimetres of additional front-seat headroom as well. However, the Lyriq’s limo-like wheelbase — 22.8 centimetres longer than the BMW’s — offers superior legroom in both rows. A tall seating position also affords the easy ingress and egress expected of an SUV, but a long hood and tilted rear window limit visibility. The Lyriq-V’s standard rearview camera mirror and surround-view camera system were definitely appreciated.

Cadillac quotes 793 litres of cargo space behind the second row. That’s more than 250 litres above what you get in a Mercedes EQE SUV. Fold the back seats and you’ll find 1,722 litres of cargo space, about closer figure to the Mercedes. The BMW iX has even more cargo room, though. The Lyriq lacks a frunk, but so do its German rivals. The Lyriq-V spec sheet also shows the same 1,587-kilogram (3,500-pound) towing capacity as the standard dual-motor Lyriq.

Up front, the cabin prioritizes form over function. The elevated centre console serves as a great platform for the rotary infotainment controller and audio-volume toggle, but the design doesn’t leave much storage space. The Lyriq-V may be marketed as an SUV, but the cockpit layout is interchangeable with that of a luxury sedan.

A 33-inch dashboard display carries over from other Lyriq models with some V-specific graphics. The curved LED display encompasses the instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen, along with a smaller panel to the left of the driver for secondary functions like accessing the trip computer and changing the display’s layout. All Lyriq models retain standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for 2026, which isn’t the case with other GM EVs.

The 2026 Lyriq-V does have the same Google Built-in apps as those other GM EVs, though. Google Maps serves as the default navigation system, Google Assistant provides voice recognition, and additional apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. This works well, even if the GM version of Google Assistant isn’t as good as the native voice recognition in a new Audi, BMW, or Mercedes. Cadillac’s simpler interface more than makes up for that.

Lyriq-V models also come standard with a 23-speaker AKG audio system with Dolby Atmos and an augmented-reality head-up display. Both are new to the Lyriq lineup for 2026 and are standard only on the Signature models among non-V trim levels. When listening to SiriusXM satellite radio or Spotify, the sound system lives up to its premium billing. Dolby Atmos adds more depth and texture, but it’s only available through certain music streaming services. The head-up display shows navigation directions, speed, and driver assistance warnings with added clarity thanks to a new dual-pane design.

Standard driver-assist features carry over from other Lyriq models. The list includes: forward collision warning, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with steering assist and side bicyclist detection, rear cross traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

Super Cruise hands-free driving is standard as well. This system handles acceleration, braking, and steering on pre-mapped roadways, but it still requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road. For the 2026 model year, Super Cruise gets updates including improved integration with Google Maps. However, that connectivity requires an active OnStar data-service subscription. On V-Series models, Super Cruise and OnStar One are included for up to three years.

Other GM-standard features include a teen driver system, which limits certain vehicle functions when a teenager is behind the wheel, and a vibrating driver’s seat that helps communicate safety warnings alongside the normal audio and visual cues. These warnings become a bit overwhelming. The blind-spot monitoring system is oversensitive, and because the Lyriq starts up automatically when you sit down, you’re always greeted with seatbelt chimes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives 2026 Lyriq models its highest “Good” rating in small overlap front, updated moderate overlap front, and updated side-impact crash tests. The headlights used on all Lyriq models received the lowest “Poor” rating, however. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hadn’t published ratings for 2026 Lyriq models at press time. The safety agency gave the 2025 Lyriq a five-star overall safety rating with five stars in all crash-test categories.

A Natural Resources Canada-rated range of 459 kilometres is 54 kilometres less than the 513 kilometres a non-V AWD Lyriq achieves with the standard 11.5-kilowatt onboard charger. Non-V AWD Models with the 19.2-kW charger are rated at 488 kilometres. And our observed efficiency of 25.9 kWh per 100 kilometres shows that achieving even that might be difficult in the real world.

The Lyriq-V is also available with both 11.5-kW and 19.2-kW chargers, but there’s no range difference. The less powerful charger can recover 43 kilometres of range per hour of AC charging at 240 volts, according to Cadillac. Standard on the Lyriq-V Premium trim level, the 19.2-kW boosts that to 71 kilometres per hour. Cadillac says a 10%-80% DC fast charge takes 40 minutes, which is pretty slow by current standards.

Warranty coverage includes a four-year/80,000-kilometre bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and an eight-year/160,000-kilometre warranty that covers the battery pack and powertrain.

Pricing starts at $94,943 with the mandatory $2,800 destination charge and other fees. The Premium trim level costs $101,252, including a small amount of federal luxury tax on the portion of the price above $100,000, but it doesn’t add many features. That’s because the base model is already so well equipped with almost every feature available on the non-V trim levels. Considering that the Lyriq-V costs $6,800 more than the most-expensive non-V model, that’s as it should be. With its extra power, sportier driving dynamics, and luxurious cabin, the Lyriq-V is a very complete vehicle for its price.

Cadillac also offers this combination of performance and luxury at a lower price than the BMW iX M70 xDrive and Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV. An Audi SQ6 e-tron is cheaper than those, but it’s still more expensive than the Lyriq-V and is smaller and not as satisfying to drive. The Chevy Blazer EV SS is essentially a blue-collar version of the Lyriq-V for $73,443 with destination. But for luxury-car shoppers who spend more time on pavement than dirt, the Lyriq-V is a sensible choice.