Everything Confirmed About The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V

It’s official: the Cadillac Lyriq-V is arriving for the 2026 model year, marking a historical milestone for the company as the first electric vehicle to wear its high-performance V badge. The reveal so far has consisted of a handful of images and a video showcasing the new model, which has allowed us to gather some information regarding what the new Lyriq-V is going to look like.

2026 Cadillac LYRIQ V

Base Trim Engine

dual-motor Electric

Base Trim Drivetrain

All-Wheel Drive

Base Trim Transmission

Single-speed Automatic

We also know that other models in Cadillac’s EV portfolio are going to follow in the Lyriq’s footsteps with their own V versions in the future, as the company is shifting towards their electrification program. Although details are thin on the ground at this stage, we are expecting an official launch early in 2025: here’s ten things we know about the Lyriq-V so far.

1 Its Existence Was First Revealed Through A Leak

Before Cadillac officially acknowledged that the Lyriq-V was on the way, the news first emerged thanks to a leak on the brand’s accessories website. Cadillac Society, an online community for Cadillac enthusiasts, was the first keen-eyed observer to spot the leak: while browsing accessories for the 2024 Lyric, a drop-down menu listed available trim levels, one of which was simply labeled as “V”. This option was eventually removed from the website, but by then it was too late, and news of an incoming high-performance version of the Lyric soon spread across the internet. Even though the Lyric-V is due to be a 2026 model rather than a 2024 one, Cadillac fans still managed to hear about it well in advance thanks to this mishap.

2 It Will Be The First Electric Cadillac To Wear A V Badge…

The Lyriq-V is going to be a very important model in Cadillac’s history as it will be the first of its kind. While plenty of the brand’s models have been given the V treatment, no electric vehicle has worn the badge so far. While the Lyriq is set to be the first Cadillac EV to offer a V trim, it won’t be the only model in the company’s lineup to run solely on electric power: Cadillac has announced several other upcoming electric vehicles to be released over the next few years (all carrying a nameplate that ends in “iq” according to the brand’s naming convention). These include the Celestiq luxury sedan, the Optiq and Vistiq crossovers, the Escalade-IQ, and the Lumistiq (which is, for the time being, only a trademarked name).

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3 …But It Will Not Completely Kill Off Cadillac’s ICE Offering

While Cadillac is embracing electrification alongside other major automakers, and plans to become an all-electric brand by 2030, its ICE lineup is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Cadillac’s original goal was to have an “all-electric portfolio” by the end of the current decade; the wording on this statement has since been subtly changed to “a portfolio of all-electric vehicles”. This leaves the door open for a lineup that includes both gas and electric power going forward: ICE cars will coexist alongside their electric siblings “for a number of years”, according to the brand’s Global Vice President, John Roth.

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4 It Has An Aggressive Look And Bespoke Styling

The Lyriq-V isn’t just a notch above the standard Lyriq when it comes to performance, but also in terms of styling and design. A few cosmetic modifications give it a more aggressive stance: these include a revised front fascia, new wheels, and new side sills that give the illusion of a lowered stance. The faux-grille gets a mesh-style pattern, and the roof pillars and roof are painted in black to contrast with the rest of the bodywork. The teaser video and images we have so far don’t reveal all the exact details of how the styling is going to differ, but we can be sure the Lyriq-V is going to have a few design tricks up its sleeve to set itself apart.

5 It’ll Be A Small Step Up From It’s ‘Regular’ Sibling In Power

We don’t have full details and performance specifications for the Lyriq V just yet, but we can make some educated guesses based on what the manufacturer has released. We know it’s underpinned by GM’s Ultium platform, so improved performance of the dual-motor regular Lyriq is expected. The all-wheel drive Lyriw makes 515 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque with just under 320 miles of range. It has a 102 kWh battery. Looking at what Caddy has done with the Escalade IQ, howeber, we know the dual-motor powertrain can put out as much as 750 hp and 785 lb-ft – but we’re unlikely to see mad figures like that here. The Lyriq V does share a platform with the upcoming Chevrolet Blazer SS EV, which produces 557 hp and 684 lb-ft – much more reasonable in the segment for the Lyriq V to aim for.

6 Its Interior Will Be Rich With V Logos

Like any respectable V-Series Cadillac, the Lyriq-V will be equipped with a substantial number of visual cues to distinguish it from its non-V siblings. The images released so far reveal some details that set the Lyriq-V apart: the two-spoke steering wheel, which in standard Cadillacs, is decorated with the company’s logo, sports a V emblem instead. There is also a “V” button on the steering wheel which is likely to engage a high-performance driving mode; in the teaser video, this button is used as part of a launch control system, but it is likely to have multiple other functionalities as well.

7 It Was Inspired By A Concept Car Called “Opulent Velocity”

While the Lyriq-V is the first production EV to be a part of Cadillac’s legendary V series, the first concept car to claim that title was a one-off concept called the “Opulent Velocity”, which informed the design language later used in the Lyriq-V and future electric V models. First introduced through a teaser image in March this year, the Opulent Velocity made its proper debut in August at the Monterey Car Week. As the Opulent Velocity was created to push the boundaries of what car design could look like, you’re unlikely to see anything resembling it entering production in the future. However, its sharp lines and futuristic silhouette have had a strong influence on the looks of models like the Lyriq-V.

8 The Lyriq’s Entry-Level Trim Will Be Killed Off To Make Room

While, as a high-performance version, the V trim will join the Lyriq lineup at the top end, at the bottom end the entry-level Tech trim is going to be dropped from 2025 onwards, only a year after its introduction. This has less to do with the arrival of the Lyriq-V and more to do with the arrival of the Optiq, which the Lyriq Tech would be similar to in terms of price, dimensions and features. It is likely that in order to avoid the same corner of the market becoming overcrowded, Cadillac is going to ditch the Tech and focus on sales of the new Optiq, while the Lyriq lineup will be refreshed by the arrival of the V.

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9 It’s Equipped With High-Performance Parts

The teaser video sadly does not reveal much in the way of technical info, but we can glean a few details regarding the components the Lyriq V is due to be equipped with. These include Brembo brakes and Continental PremiumContact 6 tires, which ensure good braking performance in all weather conditions: a must for a large, heavy SUV. Being a top-level trim, the Lyriq V is also very likely to be equipped with two electric motors, while entry-level models in the Lyriq lineup only have a single, rear-mounted motor.

10 It Will Be Heavy, And Definitely Not Cheap

Although technical facts and figures for the Lyriq-V are still scarce, we can estimate a few of its key metrics. One of these is weight, based on what we know about the existing trim levels: the AWD Lyriq weighs a hefty 5,810 pounds, so the V version is likely to be in the same territory. Another number we can get a guesstimate on is price: with the 2024 model going up to $69,695, we can expect the 2026 Lyriq-V to fall somewhere in the mid-$70k area.

Sources:
Cadillac