Serving as a three-row crossover with an all-electriq, er, electric powertrain, the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq seeks to deliver 615 horsepower and up to 300 miles in range on a single charge of it 102-kWh battery.
There are elements of the Escaladiq Escalade IQ in the Vistiq design, with ample brightwork and the type of forward-facing light signature that can only be Cadillaq er, Cadillac. The isn’t-a-grille shield between the headlamps has pinstriping and illumination to break up what would otherwise be an immense space, a look also found on other Cadillac EVs. That graphic pattern on the third-row windows is referred to as Mondrian, the name of a 20th-century Dutch painter.
Powertrain details include a 102-kWh lithium-ion battery (don’t say Ultium, kids) and two electric motors which belt out 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. Range is estimated at about 300 miles and the company claims nearly 80 miles can be replenished in about 10 minutes of charging at an appropriately robust DC fast charger. Active rear steering is available which it will need since it has a stated 41-foot turning radius when equipped with gonzo 22-inch wheels. That’s five more than a Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, so choose yer condo parking spot smartly.
The interior is laden with expected luxury goodies including a 23-speaker Dolby Atmos sound system, a 33-inch diagonal high-res LED screen on its dashboard, and five-zone climate controls. Upholstery runs the gamut including a patterned accent fabric woven from yarn made from recycled materials while trim options range from carbon fiber to open pore woods. Good stuff.
Cargo volume isn’t enormous compared to similarly sized three-row crossovers fueled by gasoline. Cadillac says there is 43 cubic feet of space behind the second row of seats and just 15.2 cubes behind the third. Caddy’s own Traverse Plus XT6 manages 43.1 and 12.6 in a machine seven inches shorter from bumper to bumper. Ok, sure; batteries take up space but the Vistiq’s cargo capacity isn’t even impressive compared to other three-row EVs on the market today. For example, the Vistiq is notably longer, taller, and wider than a Kia EV9 yet that machine has 43.5 and 20.2 cubic feet behind the second and third rows, respectively. The funky Korean also has a small frunk while the Vistiq doesn’t have one at all.
This, of course, brings up a question: do customers of such rigs care if their neighbors see them driving a Kia or a Cadillac? It has been suggested the onslaught of EVs are serving as something of a reset in some corners of the automotive world, with more than a few shoppers ditching old-school brand snobbery in favor of looking beyond the badge and on to the product. Though if Cadillac has the good sense to build the Sollei in addition to the Celestiq, aura from those machines will push this brand back in the direction it once enjoyed.
As for the subject of this post, the Vistiq will be sold globally with production planned to start in early 2025 at GM’s Spring Hill Manufacturing plant in Tennessee.
[Images: Cadillac]
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