Cadillac officially enters the small BEV segment following the arrival of the new Cadillac Optiq. 

“With four consecutive years of record-setting sales, Cadillac has demonstrated its strong market presence in Canada,” said Mike Speranzini, Cadillac Canada managing director, in a media release shared during the initial launch last year. 

“Cadillac has always defined luxury, and Optiq – Cadillac’s first Compact Luxury EV SUV, is an example of how our bold innovative spirit is propelling us into the EV future. Over the past five years, Cadillac has welcomed about 15,000 new Canadian customers. With its sporty and athletic design, Optiq will serve as an important gateway to attract luxury EV intenders to Cadillac as we look to offer a fully electric portfolio by the end of the decade.”

Looking very much like a miniature Lyriq, the vehicle wears a Black Crystal Grille, similar signature vertical lighting elements and fixed glass roof. What’s different is the striking patterned rear quarter panel privacy glass that is inspired by the Cadillac Mondrian crest logo. At the back, the taillights take on a bit more of a traditional approach though the predominantly blacked-out bumper and lower diffuser is similar.

Available in six exterior colours, our press tester was sprayed in an eye-catching Coastal Blue Metallic paint and rode on the 20-inch Pearl Nickel multi-spoke alloy wheels.

The interior is familiar compared to the other electrified siblings in the lineup— our Luxury 2 trim boated the large 33-inch LED display combining instrument cluster and infotainment duties, 19-speaker AKG stereo and even ventilated, heated and massaging front seats, the latter which was a pleasant surprise. It’s nice to see the Optiq take a sustainable approach introducing accent fabric made using 100 per cent recycled materials and PaperWood veneer accenting derived from tulip wood and newspaper.

There’s lots of cabin space and all passengers enjoy generous legroom. The 744 litres of cargo capacity behind the second row was sufficient on a quick staycation to Vancouver Island, though the addition of a frunk would have been nice. 

Dual electric motors provide 300 horsepower, 354 lb-ft of torque and all-wheel drive. A high-output 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack yields approximately 482 kilometres of range on a single charge. Thanks to a six-inch shorter wheelbase than the Lyriq, the crossover feels more tossable in the corners. Performance is further enhanced when the Sport driving mode is activated tightening up the steering and suspension system and sharpening throttle response.

The 2025 Cadillac Optiq starts at MSRP $63,433 and is also sold in a Sport 1 and 2 grade with dark Obsidian Chrome accenting and other differentiating features.