Cadillac Celestiq
The Cadillac Celestiq is a battery electric liftback made by the Cadillac division of General Motors. It is the brand's flagship sedan, replacing the Cadillac CT6. Production commenced in 2024.
Overview
Cadillac builds the Celestiq by hand, having invested US$81 million to create a low-volume production line at its Technical Center in Warren, Michigan.Since it was completed in 1956, only concept and show cars have been assembled at GMTC. The Celestiq is the first vehicle sold to the public that was assembled at GMTC.
One of the vehicle's distinct features is its smart glass roof, manufactured by Research Frontiers. Other reported features include a dashboard-width touchscreen, all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. It is expected to use more than a hundred 3D printed components. It is anticipated the Celestiq will be fitted with GM's next generation "Ultra Cruise" advanced driver-assistance system, running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride platform.
Like the Cadillac Lyriq, an electric SUV which precedes it, the Celestiq uses GM's Ultium battery technology and BEV3 platform.
Concept
The genesis for a flagship Cadillac sedan has been traced back to concept vehicles including the Sixteen (2003), Ciel (2011), Elmiraj (2013), and Escala (2016), with the last being approved for production prior to Cadillac's pivot to selling electric vehicles exclusively. The Escala was reworked as a halo car for the marque's electrification efforts instead, and the Celestiq concept was derived from it.After a limited number of planned features and details were released in March 2020 and January 2021 at an "EV Day" event and CES 2021, respectively, pictures of the concept vehicle were not available until July 22, 2022, when Cadillac revealed the Celestiq Show Car, planned for release as a 2025 model year vehicle. The Wall Street Journal reported the Celestiq will be priced near and will enter limited production by late 2023, with fewer than 500 built per year. In 2025, the price was reported at.
The designer of the Celestiq, Magalie Debellis, also was responsible for designing the Lyriq, and the two electric vehicles shared design elements such as the front grille and taillamps. Overall, the concept drew inspiration from earlier Cadillac models, including the 1957 Eldorado Brougham and 1930–40 Cadillac V-16, as well as the architecture of Eero Saarinen, who designed GMTC and the Gateway Arch.
The concept was shown to the public at Monterey Car Week in August 2022, including the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It was awarded for Best Concept and Best Use of Color, Graphics, or Materials at the EyesOn Design awards in September 2022.
Production
At a press event on October 18, 2022, the production version of the Celestiq was introduced. It retained the overall design of the concept, with changes to the liftback design and the side-view cameras being replaced with conventional mirrors.The planned low-volume production process allows GM to reduce the cost of production by using additive manufacturing processes and soft tooling for flexibility. The vehicle is assembled by hand. In some cases, the number of parts has been reduced to simplify assembly. For example, the main chassis is made from six large castings, manufactured in front/rear/central modules split left/right and welded together. It is estimated that GM invested $81 million to create the Celestiq production line. Many of the parts are 3D printed aluminum, titanium or stainless steel.
Camouflaged prototypes were spotted in June 2023 while undergoing road testing in Michigan. The car was exhibited again at Monterey Car Week in August 2023 and 2024, when final engineering validation vehicles were tested and demonstrated for the automotive press. Initial deliveries were expected to begin in the fourth quarter of that year; one year of production has already been sold.
The first Celestiq was delivered to a customer in June 2025. The delivery took place at the Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, a facility at the GM Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where customers can order and customize a Celestiq one-on-one with an advisor.