Cadillac confirmed Monday that its upcoming Celeste flagship sedan will launch late next year with all the futuristic bells and whistles that fit a custom electric vehicle starting “north of $300,000.”
The Celestiq isn’t just a flagship of General Motors’ luxury brand. The four-seater is set to set the direction for the brand’s transition to a full range of batteries and electricity by 2030.
General Motors is loading the Celtic with new features and technology, pushing the price way beyond other Cadillac models. When GM begins hand-building the Celestiq in December 2023 at its tech center in Warren, Michigan, the car will. Cost nearly 10 times Cadillac for beginners.
What will customers get for the six-digit price tag? The all-electric sedan will feature a 600-horsepower twin-motor, all-wheel drive system that can travel from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, and use the same Ultium platform that will power other future GM electric vehicles. Cadillac estimates the sedan can travel about 300 miles on a fully charged battery, and said it will be equipped with a 200kW DC fast charging system capable of adding 78 miles in 10 minutes.
Here are five more features you didn’t know about the upcoming Cadillac Celeste.
smart roof
Cadillac Celtics will use the world’s largest piece of auto glass, according to the company. The thickness of the entire glass roof is 7.5 mm – twice the depth of a high-quality windshield – and uses suspended particle device technologya type of film invented by Woodbury, the New York glass supplier Research Frontiers.
The film, already used on the roofs of certain models of McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and others, allows each passenger to adjust the headlight lighting by controlling the transparency of the glass, from less than 1%, to a darker level of opacity to 20% tint than a standard sunroof.
privacy curtains
Research Frontiers is also located behind – or in front of – Celestiq’s five high-resolution interactive LED displays. The 55-inch screen extends from column to column, uniting two separate screens under a single pane of glass, with a pixel density comparable to an 8K screen. Rear passengers get 12.6-inch screens in the seat backs.
Lest these screens distract the driver, the car will use electronic digital blinds – another application of Research Frontiers suspended particle device technology – designed to allow occupants to consume content in private.
3D printing
The Celestiq’s spacious cabin will highlight a 3D-printed steering wheel, GM’s largest production printed part ever. Altogether, the car uses about 115 3D printed components Throughout the body, chassis, interior and electrical system. This includes the seat belt loop guide – the first 3D-printed safety-related part from General Motors – as well as window switches and grab handles.
The structure of the car’s underbody is designed to simplify manual operation. Its shock turrets are built from six large components of cast aluminum, with a single shock replacing up to 40 components from the total number of body parts, according to Brandon Vivian, Cadillac’s chief engineer. This helps reduce weight and maximize space for more important features such as optional 23-inch forged aluminum wheels.
Ultra Cruise
Cadillac executives said the Celestiq will eventually come equipped with autonomous driving on a Level 4 “pass-to-destination” model. You will use the car Ultra Cruise, a hands-free driver assistance technology and successor to General Motors’ Super Cruise family of devices. Celestiq will also come with the necessary Ultra Cruise hardware to provide incremental progression through over-the-air software updates.
Concierge Service
Not all Cadillac dealerships will carry Celestiq.
““All dealers will have the opportunity to sell Celeste,” said Rory Harvey, global vice president for Cadillac. “There are significant investment requirements, so we don’t think all traders will want to take this opportunity.”
This investment includes retaining Concierge to help with customization Colors and materials. Cadillac said Celestiq is available “by waiting list only.”
