2025 Cadillac Optiq First Drive: Cadillac Is Officially Young Again

The moment I sat inside the 2026 Cadillac Optiq, yet another premium electric crossover, I was truly impressed by its interior. Not that it stood out necessarily as something more posh or luxurious than its competitors, but because it looked so vibrant, colorful, design-driven and, well, hip.

The Optiq is Cadillac’s latest electric vehicle (EV), but also its most affordable battery-powered offering. It effectively replaces the XT4 as the brand’s entry-level SUV, but drops with a significantly more in tune with the times vibe. It also sends out a clear message that Cadillac is young again, which feels rather great.

2025 Cadillac Optiq First Impressions: Stylish And Kind Of Quirky

Although the Optiq is a mechanical twin to the Chevrolet Equinox EV, and by extension, the Chevrolet Blazer EV, it looks nothing like them. Sure, if you know your GM EVs, you can instantly detect the Optiq’s stretched wheelbase, short overhangs and massive, 20-inch wheels.

But the Optiq also has a few neat design queues that allow it to hold its own against its Chevrolet twins. There’s an elegant front fascia complemented by a neat LED illumination sequence when you unlock its doors. The rear C-pillar window design remains a quirky styling element that we need more of in the industry, a way for Cadillac to remind everyone that this is the baby, most affordable, and almost rebellious model. Out the rear, there’s a lot of resemblance to the Vistiq and the Escalade IQ through Cadillac’s new broken-up LED taillight treatment. It’s all rather bespoke and definitely had people checking it out, especially in this tester’s Monarch Orange paint.

2025 Cadillac Optiq Exterior Dimensions

2025 Cadillac Optiq: Differences Between The U.S. And Canadian Market

In typical GM fashion, the Optiq is sold in both markets in the exact same way. Both the U.S. and Canada offer four different trim levels, called Luxury 1, Luxury 2, Sport 1, and Sport 2. They’re all essentially aesthetic packages. Both markets also sell this vehicle with dual-motor all-wheel drive as standard equipment. The same six available colors are offered, and both markets offer the possibility of painting the Optiq’s roof black for an extra $600 ($800 CAD).

U.S. Versus Canada Lineup Breakdown And Starting MSRP (model tested in bold)

Driving Impressions And Performance: Familiar Yet So Very Different

Yes, GM is again selling us the same car three times but with a different badge, but in the Optiq’s case, there are a few unique dynamic traits that allow this Cadillac to hold its own. For instance, Cadillac engineers fitted it with dual-valve dampers that the company calls Passive Plus. They’re not adaptive, nor can they adjust the Optiq’s ride height, but they give the Optiq a much more precise type of duality in its personality.

In other words, the dampers have the ability to remain firm during aggressive cornering, but can also rapidly soften up when the road gets too bumpy. And boy did that suspension prove its worth out there in the real world, delivering the sort of dual-natured driving experience you normally associate with a BMW.

The Optiq’s hardware is all very familiar. An 85-kWh lithium-ion battery powers two-drive units that are a mismatch of what GM already uses for both the Blazer and Equinox EV, offering a combined output of 300 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque across all trim levels. The Optiq is also primarily a front-wheel-driven vehicle, like the Equinox, meaning its front drive unit is the more powerful one. But the Optiq also relies on induction power for its rear propulsion unit, reducing costs, lowering its reliance on rare earth metals, but to the detriment of being less powerful.

2025 Cadillac Optiq Technical Specifications

Power and acceleration are not necessarily the Optiq’s main focus, but it’s not slow either. It’s obvious that Cadillac wanted this to first and foremost be a Cadillac, but one that will still hold its own against an Audi or a BMW during overtakes or some good old backroad dogfighting. The Optiq’s agility is good enough to flog it around some tight corners, and its chassis is rock solid, a byproduct of its EV-dedicated architecture.

But it’s best appreciated for its refinement, not its sportiness. The long wheelbase gives the Optiq plenty of high-speed stability, and while its brakes are no match for, say, a Blazer EV SS, they bite hard enough to get this pint-sized Caddy away from trouble without too much drama. Maturity, balance, and refinement are the Optiq’s keywords here to help define its ride and handling.

2025 Cadillac OPTIQ Energy Consumption, Range, And Charging

The Optiq follows along the lines of its siblings in terms of range and charging, meaning it’s up there among one of the best in its class. Range, according to Cadillac’s EPA estimate, is 302 miles, with DC fast charging rated at 150 kW. That last part is a tad low in a world where Hyundais and Teslas can pull more than 200 kW. What’s more, although the Optiq is all-new, it’s still relying on a CCS charge port to make it happen.

Yes, Cadillac provides a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter to connect to Tesla’s Supercharger network of fast chargers, but we won’t be seeing a native NACS port from the Optiq until next year at the earliest, GM says. It’s also safe to assume that the charge port will be relocated on the passenger side to ease Supercharger connections. As for me, all the Optiq’s charging was done at home, on my own 7.2-kW Flo G5 unit. An overnight charge was enough to get me to 100 percent. After a full week with the car and about 500 miles covered, I averaged 24.5 kWh/100 km (or 85.5 MPGe), which translates into 215 real-world miles.

EPA Versus As Tested Energy Consumption And Range

Interior Design And Comfort: One Of The Most Interesting Interiors In The Segment

Inside is really where the Optiq sets itself apart from its other GM twins, but also from the competition. In all honesty, I’ve never sat in any entry-level premium vehicle that had such a lovely blend of colors and materials. In my case, it was a mixture of white, gray and blue, which contrasted beautifully with the orange exterior paint job, but also added life and warmth to the entire cabin.

There are obvious dimensional similarities with a Blazer and an Equinox EV, and the entire digital experience is what we’ve now come to expect from GM (more on that later). But the Optiq’s clever use of materials and how they interact with each other is absolutely game-changing. There’s a wool-like material that spans the door cards, dashboard, and center console. But there’s also a soft-touch, rubberized gray texture across the rest of the cabin that intersects beautifully with all of that. The blue accents are also cleverly inserted in key areas, like in the lower storage tray, lower door cards, or underneath the HVAC controls. At night, a choice of ambient lighting themes helps you coordinate which sort of colors you’d like to blend it all with.

Styling aside, the Optiq is a spacious SUV, both front and rear, all thanks to its elongated wheelbase and not-so-small dimensions. Rear head and legroom are also ample, as well as hip and shoulder room, allowing tall passengers to find comfort with ease.

2025 Cadillac Optiq Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use: Most Affordable Cadillac With GM’s Native Infotainment System

The Optiq is also the second Cadillac to be fitted with GM’s controversial native infotainment system, meaning it does without the availability of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Not everyone agrees with me on this one, but I have no issue with the idea of having to log into the system using my existing Google credentials. This allows me to never have to look at my phone again as all of my contacts, Google Map preferences, and Spotify playlists are already integrated into the car. The system also allows you to download more apps.

More importantly, using the integrated Google Maps versus a projected one allows the car to better predict range, find charging stations, precondition the battery when needed, while also telling you the ideal time to leave the charger. For the Optiq, the interface was massaged for this model, something along the lines of the Lyriq (which still uses an older iteration that relies on projection apps). It’s all rather elegant and well-presented, with nice graphics and quick-responding menus.

Cargo And Storage Space: More In The Midsize Than The Compact Range

The fact that the Optiq is so large compared to other compact offerings in this space means it automatically walks all over its rivals in terms of cargo space. While entry-level, the Optiq is more in tune with midsize crossovers. For reference, there’s more default trunk room and more total cargo space than in a Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (14 cu-ft/55 cu-ft). But the Optiq is not equipped with a front trunk (frunk).

2025 Cadillac Optiq Cargo Space

The Soul Of A Rejuvenated Cadillac Brand

I’ve been in this profession for a decade now, and ever since I started writing about cars, it feels as though Cadillac has been trying to rejuvenate its brand image. It sort of achieved it with the CTS and CT5 sedans, as well as the entire V division, but its name was, up until recently, still associated with a retirement home. Yet, in the span of barely three years, when Cadillac decided to go all electric, we’ve seen this company change faster than it has attempted to do so in over two decades.

With the Optiq, that transformation couldn’t be clearer. Acting as its entry-level model, its more juvenile offering, one that dares to try things differently through neat design elements and a bitchin’ interior, all while delivering as a solid EV, it acts as the soul of the brand, similar to what Integra once did for Acura, Boxster for Porsche or 3 Series for BMW. No, the Optiq is no BMW 3 Series, and it’s definitely not an Integra. But as a product aimed at getting a new generation of buyers into the Cadillac brand for years to come, consider this one a home run.