At more than 5.5 metres long, the Celestiq is longer than the Escalade.Mark Hacking/The Globe and Mail
When Cadillac first announced plans for an all-electric, hand-built flagship sedan, many industry observers raised an eyebrow or two. After all, this was the brand once synonymous with tail fins and excess, then reborn through brute-force V-Series performance sedans and massive SUVs.
Could Cadillac credibly stake a claim at the pinnacle of electric luxury? With the arrival of the Celestiq, the answer is a resounding yes – though with a few caveats.
Five years in the making, the Celestiq is the most audacious car in the modern history of the Cadillac brand. At more than 5.5 metres in length – longer than the Escalade – the machine dwarfs nearly every sedan on the road. Yet, it rides just 1.45-metres high, presenting a silhouette that’s as futuristic as it is imposing.
The fastback profile, illuminated grille and acres of glass signal that this isn’t just a car, it’s a statement. The Celestiq isn’t simply the Cadillac flagship, it’s the Cadillac moonshot.
Power comes from a dual-motor electric drivetrain producing 655 horsepower and 646 lb-ft of torque.Mark Hacking/The Globe and Mail
Hand-assembled at the GM Global Technical Center in Michigan, the Celestiq is available strictly by custom order. No two examples will be alike. Each is priced from roughly $495,000 to start. The configuration process mirrors what you might expect when commissioning a Bentley or Rolls-Royce. Every material, every stitch, every trim piece is subject to the owner’s imagination.
Company executives are candid: This car isn’t about sales volume; it’s about repositioning Cadillac at the top of the luxury conversation.
On the road in Los Angeles, the Celestiq immediately establishes its credibility: Power comes from a dual-motor electric drivetrain producing 655 horsepower and 646 lb-ft of torque channelled through all four wheels. Cadillac claims a dash to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.8 seconds. The numbers feel entirely plausible. Yet speed is only part of the story.
The greater revelation is how confidently the Celestiq manages its mass. A sophisticated blend of magnetic dampers, air suspension and four-wheel steering makes this 2,800-kilogram sedan dance through corners in a way that should be impossible.
That weight is only an estimate based on various reports because GM isn’t releasing the official figures. But even at the lightest possible curb weight estimates, the Celestiq would be heavier than the Escalade; the base Escalade in Canada (an AWD model) is 2,728 kilograms and the long-wheelbase ESV (also AWD) is 2,807. The 2025 Mazda MX-5 with the manual transmission and soft top, another car noted for its crisp handling, tips the scales at just 1,058 kilograms. It’s currently the lightest production car for sale in Canada. While the lightest production EV here is the Fiat 500e at 1,342 kilograms.
The rear view shows the sloped roofline.DEJAN SOKOLOVSKI/Courtesy of manufacturer
The Angeles Crest Highway, that legendary stretch of tarmac winding through the San Gabriel Mountains, is the ultimate test. It’s here that the Celestiq surprises most. Steering response is sharp, body roll minimal and the car feels composed even at overly ambitious speeds.
For a machine so massive, the driving dynamics verge on uncanny. The Celestiq may be a rolling art piece, but it’s also engineered to be driven.
There are, however, limits. After a prolonged descent at a rapid pace, the mechanical brakes revealed their weaknesses, fading under heavy use and emitting an acrid smell. The single-pedal regenerative braking isn’t strong enough for spirited driving, necessitating frequent use of the paddles to adjust stopping power. For a car of this stature, those issues feel like oversights.
Above all else, what’s most striking is how much performance Cadillac appears to have held in reserve. Even in Sport mode, the Celestiq feels dialed back, its responses deliberately smoothed rather than sharpened.
This restraint leads me to believe that a forthcoming high-performance variant – perhaps a Celestiq-V – may be on the horizon. Without question, the underpinnings of the Celestiq are capable of handling more accelerative power and more sheer cornering speed.
Step inside and the Celestiq presents an entirely different narrative, one of unrestrained craftsmanship. The cabin is dominated by a 55-inch pillar-to-pillar digital display, paired with smaller screens for the rear passengers.
Interior view of Cadillac Celestriq showing the front 55-inch pillar-to-pillar screen.Courtesy of manufacturer
Materials include hand-finished wood, brushed metal and leather so supple it could belong in a Paris atelier. Every surface communicates indulgence. It may not be a stretch to suggest this is the most finely executed Cadillac interior in history.
Beyond the luxury, the Celestiq plays an important strategic role. The Cadillac brand identity has often wavered between nostalgia and reinvention. The Escalade cemented its place in the SUV zeitgeist, while the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing proved Cadillac could compete with the best performance sedans from Europe.
The Celestiq signals a different ambition: This is a brand no longer chasing but leading, no longer comparing itself to Mercedes-Benz or BMW, but inserting itself into the conversation with Rolls-Royce and Bentley – and doing so with a fully electric vehicle.
Every material, every stitch, every trim piece is subject to the owner’s imagination.DAVID WESTPHAL/Courtesy of manufacturer
Of course, the market for $500,000 electric sedans is small. But the mission here is not to flood the highways and byways. Rather, its purpose is symbolic: to plant a Cadillac flag for the EV future. In this sense, it succeeds brilliantly. For those fortunate few who commission one, the Celestiq offers exclusivity, design innovation and driving performance in equal measure.
Cadillac has staked its reputation on this moonshot. Judged on design, craftsmanship and presence, the Celestiq is already a triumph. Judged on pure execution, a few refinements remain. But as a bold declaration of intent, it’s hard to imagine a clearer signal: Cadillac has reentered the arena and it has come to win.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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