Celebrity favourite car brand returning to Oz: Cadillac to launch range of electric SUVs in Australia from the end of 2024

The top-end luxury electric car market is about to get a lot more crowded.

Cadillac is coming to Australia at the end of the year with its Lyriq electric SUV to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQE and BMW iX.

The American luxury car brand synonymous with US Presidents, celebrities and royalty has its sights set firmly on the big German brands and will price their vehicle accordingly, said local boss Jess Bala.

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“We are targeting the European luxury brands and our price will be right in the realm of where their equivalent entries are,” said Bala.

That would put the Lyriq’s starting point in the circa-$130,000 range. 

The Lyriq has some impressive numbers on paper.

The smaller Optiq could be an option for Australia.

It uses two electric motors that deliver 373kW and 610Nm to all four wheels. A giant 102kWh battery provides a driving range of up to 530km.

The brand couldn’t provide details of what models would be added to the range but said more are coming and it would have a full portfolio.

“We listen to customers, we are guided by the segments that are growing and that people are asking for entries for,” said Bala.

“Cadillac has made some announcements already, so you’re getting a bit of a hint there but we will definitely make our own announcements locally in the not too far future.”

This means vehicles such as the smaller Optiq, seven-seat Vistiq and giant Escalade iQ SUVs could be on the cards for Australia.

The electric Escalade is another vehicle in Cadillac's portfolio.

Sales of electric cars are soaring in Australia, but the growth is being driven mainly by more affordable Chinese brands and Tesla.

High-end electric cars from premium bands have been slow sellers, but Bala wasn’t concerned.

“No, I think there is still definitely a growth opportunity here as well. It’s still something that is very fluid that is obviously evolving,” said Bala.

Cadillac in the US announced it would persist with petrol-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future but Bala ruled out any of those vehicles coming to Australia.

The brand didn’t take plug-in hybrids off the table, though.

“We will have to watch and see, we don’t have a crystal ball for the next 10 years from now and so I’ll say the plan is now fully EV but we’ll have to continue and watch what the market’s doing,” said a Cadillac spokesperson.