Behold the most advanced, most luxurious and one of the most important vehicles Cadillac has ever made, the 2024 Celestiq. Serving as the flagship for the brand’s electric future, the hand-crafted, ultra-luxury flagship will help Cadillac reestablish itself as the Standard of the World, the automaker claims.
Starting off with the design, the 2024 Celestiq production model looks almost identical to the show car that debuted in July 2022, with minor exceptions. Those include the conventional side mirrors replacing cameras, different alloy wheel styling, and subtly revised lower bumper areas. Inside, the production model shown in these photos features a different theme, but the layout appears identical bar from the updated seats and revised seat controls on the door panels.
The centerpiece of the interior is a pillar-to-pillar, 55-inch-diagonal advanced HD display, containing two separate screens under a single pane of glass. There’s a total of five high-definition displays in the vehicle, including an 11-inch touchscreen Front Command Center on the front console, a rear console-mounted 8-inch touchscreen Rear Command Center, and two 12.6-inch advanced displays mounted on the front seat backs.
As expected, the cabin features the highest level of craftsmanship, authentic materials and immersive interior lighting consisting of more than 450 distinct LEDs. Cadillac says the clean, minimalist aesthetic acts as a pure showcase for all the different materials and color options.
And because each vehicle is personally commissioned, no two Cadillac Celestiq EVs are alike. Customers will work directly with their selected dealer and Cadillac designers via a one-on-one concierge to tailor the vehicle to reflect their tastes for “unprecedented levels of personalization.”
Now, the main thing people want to know about the 2024 Celestiq is powertrain specifications, so here they are. Based on GM’s Ultium Platform, the Cadillac flagship EV features a 111-kWh battery pack enabling a GM-estimated driving range of 300 miles (483 kilometers) on a full charge.
The battery pack powers a two-motor, all-wheel-drive propulsion system with a GM-estimated 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet (866 Newton-meters) of torque. That’s enough to enable a 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.8 seconds, according to GM’s projections. Interestingly, the Celestiq features 11.59:1 front and 11.63:1 rear gear ratios specially calibrated to optimize range and performance, which are unique among Ultium-based EVs.
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In addition to performance, the Ultium Platform also serves as a structural element of the vehicle, contributing to its overall strength. The battery cells are mounted horizontally, enabling the vehicle’s long, low and lean proportions, with the low mounting position of the pack contributing to a low center of gravity. This has a double advantage: it enhances handling and ride comfort while maximizing interior space.
The 2024 Cadillac Celestiq is also equipped with standard Regen on Demand Braking, which includes a One-Pedal Driving function.
Charging-wise, the Celestiq is equipped with a 200 kW DC fast-charging system capable of adding up to 78 miles (125 kilometers) of range in only 10 minutes of charging at a public DC fast-charging station. Customers will also have access to Ultium Charge 360, which includes access to more than 110,000 publicly available charging points in the United States and Canada.
Cadillac promises the ultimate in ride refinement without sacrificing ride and handling, thanks to the brand’s most technologically advanced suspension ever and other performance systems. Actually, chief engineer Tony Roma says the Celestiq “offers responsiveness and athleticism typically associated with smaller performance vehicles.”
Making that possible is a package that includes 5-link front and rear suspension, Adaptive Air Suspension, Electric Power Steering, Active Rear Steering, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, Advanced AWD with torque optimizer modules, and Active Roll Control (front and rear stabilizer bars). In addition, the 2024 Celestiq features an active rear spoiler and ride-focused tires.
On the safety tech front, the Celestiq boasts Ultra Cruise hands-free advanced driver assistance technologies that will become more capable over time via over-the-air updates (from 2024), as well as a full suite of advanced, active safety features backed by “the most advanced sensor systems available from Cadillac.” Remote Auto Parking, Gentherm ClimateSense four-zone microclimate system, and Google Built-In features are also offered.
The 2024 Cadillac Celestiq is the first production vehicle ever to be made at GM’s Global Technical Center, in Warren, Michigan. Artisans will assemble no more than six vehicles at any time to ensure maximum attention and quality control.
Production is expected to start in December 2023, with the expected MSRP to be north of $300,000 and even higher based on the level of personalization. The Celestiq will be available by waitlist only and will be made in an extremely low volume each year.