Cadillac has certainly made some major moves in the past few years to better position itself deep into its American luxury segment. Some of that movement is in part thanks to electrification, where vehicles like the Lyriq have been pace setters in the luxury EV world, and Cadillac has built off such to create other new EV SUVs. When it comes to performance, Cadillac has answered the call with the V vehicles and even into the fray of EVs with the Lyriq V, which I had a chance to experience this week.
The Cadillac Lyriq V is a performance version of the midsized Lyriq crossover that touts 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque from its dual motor all-wheel-drive setup. At such a level of high-power output, the Lyriq V is fundamentally the quickest Cadillac you can buy, where it will hit 60 mph in 3.1 seconds in our tests and clip the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds at 112 mph. Not only does the Lyriq V scoot along with authority by holding the red V button on the steering wheel to enable its Vmax mode for full power output, but it proves to be far above the normal Lyriq in terms of its driving dynamics to handle the extra power with grace.
You have reworked suspension mounts, bushings, and adaptive dampers, all coupled with the large 22-inch 275-patch Continental tires and 6-piston Brembo brake calipers up front to bring things to a quiet and abrupt stop. I believe the Lyriq V could have benefited from the brand’s remarkable magnetic dampers, but it only makes do with the adaptive type that control valving, which yields mostly a compliant ride quality, but I think things could be buttoned up even more with advanced magnetic dampers. In all, it still rides like a Cadillac in the normal Touring mode and firms things up slightly in its Sport setting. All of these V goodies wrapped up in what looks like a sporty luxury wagon from a quick glance isn’t a bad thing, and I place the Lyriq V up on my list of top 5 EVs that I’ve ever driven.
The Lyriq V is undoubtedly a true Cadillac V vehicle in that it has the proper goods to keep its hefty 5,980 pounds of curb weight in check. Where I would see any improvements made would be in the area of it potentially losing some weight, but Cadillac didn’t do anything to add additional heft, as it uses the same battery pack found in the normal Lyriq at 102-kWh. Having the same battery pack along with the higher power output and large 22-inch wheels, range takes a serious hit, where the Lyriq V is good for about 285 miles on a full charge, far from the non-V Lyriq’s 319+ mile range estimates.
In terms of efficiency, the Lyriq V falls short of its less powerful trim stablemates, but getting the full 285 miles of estimated range seems on par for real-world driving, as I experienced. The EPA estimated 87 MPGe city, 72 MPGe highway, and 80 MPGe combined appear to be close to what most will expect for normal driving situations, and avoiding enabling the Vmax power mode. That comes to an average of just under 2.4 miles per kWh (80 MPGe).
Charging up the Lyriq V is about the same as other trims, where using a DC fast charger, you may ramp up to about 190 kW, where it will take about 40 minutes to hit an 80% state of charge from a nearly depleted battery. I used a Tesla supercharger station via the NACS adaptor a few times and only saw a charge rate of up to 154 kW using one of their 200 kW charging stalls. Either way you slice it, the Lyriq V is one of the most efficient methods for having fun with north of 600 horsepower you can buy right now. Oh, I did mention that this is the quickest Cadillac you can buy, right? – Oh, it’s worth mentioning again.
The interior of the Lyriq V is an inviting space with the expected switchgear and tech that you expect from Cadillac. Most of what you find mimics that of other Cadillac vehicles, which isn’t a bad thing, as you get the slightly curved OLED screen setup that received praise when it first showed up on the Escalade many years ago. The redundancy of controls is welcomed as it gives you a central control knob as well as a relatively easy-to-reach touchscreen and a smallish touchscreen for other vehicle information and settings to the far left of the screen.
There are a few soft-touch areas, but there are also a few hard plastics that show up around the side of the floating center console as you spend time with the Lyriq V. Otherwise, the interior has the proper luxury theme for a Cadillac. Another small disappointment remains the fact that the Lyriq has no front trunk (frunk), which could be a benefit to add to the rear cargo capacity of 28 cubic feet behind the rear seatbacks.
Seating areas are accommodating and have a good amount of power adjustability up front through the heated, ventilated, and back-area massaging seats. The rear seating area also has a good amount of space, making clever use of each inch. One aspect of the interior tech that I especially appreciate is General Motors keeping wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration in the Lyriq, which is a rarity considering how all other EVs from GM do not offer such integration. The time that the Lyriq was introduced in 2023 was well before GM cut the smartphone integrations from their EVs, and the Lyriq remains a highly praised vehicle for having it, at least highly praised from me, considering I place a high value on Apple CarPlay integration. Other tech that’s welcomed is the 360-degree camera system, digital rearview mirror, and SuperCruise autonomous driving that continues to impress with its respected functioning.
Cadillac’s positioning in the luxury landscape has found more footing in recent years, and vehicles like the Lyriq V only add to and improve the equation. If I were in the market for a luxury performance EV, the Lyriq V, despite its crossover/SUV classification, would be high on my list – which is something I didn’t think I would say. After week with this quick and good-looking wagon-ish Caddy, I’m walking away thoroughly impressed and not even turned off by its pricing landing at $87,885 as-tested, because I think it’s well worth it.
Malcolm Hogan is the founder and editor of Automotive Addicts, a trusted voice in the automotive media world for over two decades. With 20+ years of hands-on experience covering the industry, Malcolm has built a reputation for delivering honest reviews, sharp insights, and in-depth coverage of everything from new car debuts to high-performance test drives. Passionate about the evolving car culture and staying ahead of the curve, Malcolm continues to lead Automotive Addicts as a go-to destination for enthusiasts and industry insiders alike.
