2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V First Look

This luxury electric SUV is the quickest Cadillac yet.

Beth Nichols | 

Feb 24, 2025 | 3 min read

Cadillac

Until now, the recipe for V-Series models featured all the usual ingredients, including upgraded suspensions, powerful brakes, and — most importantly — a high-output engine. But the latest model in the V-Series family has something significantly different under its sheetmetal: two electric motors and a battery pack.

Meet the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V, the brand's first electric V model. While this SUV lacks a snarling V8, it still packs a wallop when you drop the hammer: It'll beat the current — and more powerful — CT5-V Blackwing to 60 mph by a tenth of a second. For those keeping score, that makes it quicker than any previous Cadillac.

Cadillac

The Lyriq-V Is Plenty Powerful but Not Tops in Range

The Velocity Max drive mode unlocks the Lyriq-V's full 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. That's enough grunt to make it sprint to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds — or a half-second quicker than the comparable Tesla Model X.

Rounding out the V treatment are adaptive dampers and Brembo front brakes with six-piston calipers. Cadillac also installs self-sealing summer tires as standard equipment. Unlike the standard Lyriq, V models will come standard with all-wheel drive.

Under the floor, the Lyriq-V has the same 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack as the more pedestrian Lyriq SUV. In this application, Cadillac estimates it's good for about 285 miles of range on a full charge, which is respectable — if far from industry-leading — for a midsize SUV. When plugged into a DC fast charger, the model will restore about 75 miles of range in 10 minutes, according to Cadillac. That includes Tesla Supercharger stations, but shoppers will need to buy a North American Charging Standard adapter.

Cadillac

The Lyriq-V Looks (and Sounds) the Part

To make a vehicle worthy of the V badge, Cadillac lowered the Lyriq's suspension, reworked the front fascia, painted the roof black, and swapped on 22-inch alloy wheels to bump up the model's swagger. Buyers can further enhance the exterior with available carbon-fiber trim. The Lyric-V also produces driving sounds inspired by the roar of Cadillac's race cars.

Inside, V models boast some distinguishing details absent on the standard Lyriq, including a V badge and button on the steering wheel. Buyers can also opt for nappa leather upholstery with V embroidery, and the infotainment system — shown on a 33.0-inch touchscreen — offers V-specific customization options for drivers, along with an augmented-reality head-up display. Plus, every Lyriq-V comes standard with Super Cruise, which allows for Level 2 autonomous driving.

Cadillac

The Lyriq-V Will Start at About $80,000

The Lyriq-V will be built at General Motors' Spring Hill plant in Tennessee, with production scheduled to start early this year.

Cadillac has set the cost of entry at just below $80,000, which means the Lyriq-V comes in under the price cap for the $7,500 EV tax credit.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Beth Nichols

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Beth Nichols stumbled into automotive journalism and found her footing, jumping between a few car magazines before going freelance. Her head, once full of useless facts about literature and art history, now holds useless facts about vehicles. She edits, checks, and occasionally creates content for Capital One, and though she understands it’s customary to write a bio in the third person, I don’t like it.