Cadillac Celestiq review: "wild, strange, and sort of wonderful"

Cadillacs are cool again?

Were they ever cool? Well yeah, actually. In fact, the current range includes the mighty and magnificent CT5 V-Blackwing, a super saloon with a 668bhp supercharged V8 and the option of a six-speed manual ‘box. It is deeply and earth-tremblingly cool.

Anyway, the new Cadillac Celestiq - this car - does not have a V8. But it’s intriguing, esoteric, outrageous and incredibly ambitious. A luxury hand-built, four-wheel drive EV that’s priced from $340,000 and is happy to stare down the Rolls-Royce Spectre.

How much!?

Yes, the Celestiq is a huge reach for Cadillac and just 25 will be built in 2025 and then ‘no more than two per week’ for 2026. Which sounds like quite a lot of $340,000 super-EVs when you consider Rolls is having a tough time selling Spectres despite its stature in this sector.

So, what do you get for all that money? Well, a truly startling design with concept car proportions and presence that even a Spectre can’t match. The aesthetic might not work for everyone, but there’s no denying the confidence and charisma of a design that channels Hollywood glamour and new world confidence and swagger.

Beneath the carbon fibre bodywork is a version of GM’s Ultium EV platform with a motor and integrated gearbox on each axle. The total output is almost modest by EV standards - 655bhp and 646lb ft - but still good for 0-60mph in 3.7-seconds. The 111kWh battery provides up to 303-miles of range and charging at up to 190kW (miles behind a Taycan, for example, but in line with the Spectre). Anyway, never mind the G forces… feel the refinement.

Is it as cushy as a Rolls-Royce?

It’s ultra-luxury, but a different, unique take on the theme. The interior is light and airy - helped by a gorgeous electrochromatic glass roof - and the feel is minimalist, mid century modern cool. Very LA. Each of the four seats is heated, cooled and features a massage function and the quality of materials - from fabrics to over 100 3D printed metal pieces - is top notch. There isn’t the weighty, vault-like feel of a Bentley, but there are no short cuts or parts bin specials to lower the tone.

The entire dash is a massive, single piece 55in screen similar to the Mercedes-Benz Hyperscreen but a lot less gimmicky and annoying. However, it still doesn’t scream pure luxury the way some gorgeous 3D-printed analogue dials might. Rear seat passengers also have a screen each to control various functions or to consume media. Put simply, it’s a gorgeous place to spend time, even if the seats feel set a little too high and slightly over-stuffed, too.

Spaceship looks, land yacht dynamics?

Absolutely not. The aluminium chassis is stiff and sophisticated and both front and rear axles feature a five-link set-up, air springs, Magnetic Ride 4.0 dampers and active anti-roll bars. There’s rear-wheel steering to aid agility and stability, too. Moreover, Cadillac has won a well-deserved reputation for fine handling cars in recent years and the Celestiq benefits from those high standards.

First impressions (once you’ve dropped into the driver’s seat and hit the brake pedal to close the electrically-powered door) are of the superb refinement. The Celestiq is incredibly quiet and rides beautifully. There are various driving modes and in Tour this 3,109kg monster feels fluent and shockingly light on its feet. Throttle response is probably a bit too relaxed but you can always tickle it up to Sport (or mix and match in My Mode). One pedal driving is also an option, but I hate it, and it remains hateful and weird.

Anyway, Celestiq is a lovely experience. Cocooned from the real world but offering a stunning view as it slips past. Dynamically there’s a deep sense of polish, too. The steering is lovely and clean and the chassis responds very naturally despite all the technology. Particular praise should be made for the Celestiq’s rare ability to massage away the usual air spring patter over high frequency bumps. Those magnetic dampers really are trick and have been tuned with real subtlety. Our test car featured 22in wheels instead of the optional 23s and we were told off the record that they’re the best choice.

Can it do corners?

Cadillac is clearly pretty confident in this regard as the launch route starts in West Hollywood but then climbs up into the gorgeous Angeles Forest area. These are quick, wide but very challenging roads in a car of this size and weight, but the Celestiq copes with that intrinsic fluidity intact. The performance isn’t that very particular EV organ-crushing and vomit-inducing kind that you might experience in a Taycan Turbo, but it’s plenty fast enough and the level of acceleration feels completely appropriate for a big super luxury car with a sporting side.

The Celestiq doesn’t turn into a true sports saloon and is less adjustable than, say, a Bentley Flying Spur, but the combination of that light, precise steering and the active anti-roll bars giving near-flat cornering in Sport mode makes for a surprisingly enjoyable and entertaining experience. It just has a lovely sense of composure and effortlessness, even if in reality the powertrain, brakes and suspension are actually working incredibly hard.

After sustained maximum attack driving the power does start to dial-back in order to control thermal activity and the brakes smoke in protest. But, owners are never going to repeat this sort of test and expecting over three-tonnes of luxury saloon to dance like an M3 for 20 minutes straight seems slightly ridiculous. Fun, though.

Anything else to report?

Away from the silliness of canyon driving in a Celestiq, the 38-speaker AKG stereo with 3D surround sound is truly something to experience. I’m not an audiophile but even my tin ears could comprehend the clarity, depth and sheer power available. It is stunning.

The ownership experience should be very cool, too. Each Celestiq will be a true individual with almost limitless customisation available. The cars will be built at General Motors Global Technical Center, in Warren, Michigan but owners will also be able to visit the stunning glass-walled Cadillac House facility on the same grounds and consult a personal 'Concierge' to help select materials, colours and all the bespoke possibilities.

Sounds a bit daft but buyers at this level expect the process to be as enticing as the end product and the ‘journey’ appears to be world class. You can’t fault Cadillac for the effort poured into this project.

So, this or a Spectre?

That sounds like a dreamy twin-test, doesn’t it? The answer is complex, simply because they approach ultra-luxury in such different ways and obviously have wildly different histories and market positions. The Cadillac is destined to be incredibly rare and is clearly a brilliantly engineered project… but, for some, it’s still just a Caddy.

The flip side is that the Spectre has rivals from within. Rolls-Royce models with the seemingly inexhaustible appeal of ICE power that make the Spectre’s life difficult. The Celestiq has no such issues. If you love this look, feel and character then it has to be this car. Paint it any colour you like and trim it with butterfly wings if you want, but you ain’t getting a V12 (or should that be V16?) engine. Perhaps that’s a shame for some, but it does get around the FOMO that Spectre owners might experience.

In the end I suspect the Celestiq will find a small but very happy group of customers. It’s wild and strange and sort of wonderful. The screens potentially put a time stamp on the car that an analogue interior would have avoided and there are other small niggles, but for the most part it’s just a really cool, deeply charming thing.

Our favourite Caddy remains a CT5 V-Blackwing. However, a Celestiq for cruising around Hollywood sounds like-enhancing, too.