Cadillac’s bespoke Celestiq EV will cost $340,000

By Andrew J. Hawkins, transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.

Cadillac’s attempt to dethrone Rolls-Royce as the top dog in ultra-luxury vehicles now has its own price tag.

The 2024 Cadillac Celestiq, the automaker’s bespoke, customizable, electric fastback sedan, will start — start! — at $340,000. And that’s before all the pricy options and add-ons that one may consider, meaning the Celestiq will very likely sell for beyond $400,000 in most cases.

Hey, if you want to challenge Rolls-Royce, you best come with Rolls-Royce-level prices!

Cadillac said the first round of Celestiq customers are already at work customizing their orders. As with other hand-built vehicles, customers can opt for custom paint, leather, and wheel colors. General Motors is taking personalization to the next level with a myriad of 3D-printed parts — 115 of them, to be exact — for personal flair.

The first Celestiq will be built in December 2023 at the company’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, in a special section called the Artisan Center. Only six cars will be built at a time, and Cadillac is only planning on making around 500 units a year. The automaker also has a “state of the art facility” at the House of Vanderbilt set aside specifically for Celestiq customers for when they come to customize their cars.

The low-slung fastback shape calls to mind Porsche Panamera or Mercedes-Benz EQS. The rear end of the Celestiq features four sets of angular brake lights, two on each side, that stretch all the way to the wheel wells. It’s sure to be the Celestiq’s most distinguishing — and polarizing — design detail.

The 111kWh Ultium battery stores enough power for an estimated 300 miles of range, and the Celestiq can accept a charge of up to 200kW. Each axle carries its own motor, and together, they produce an estimated 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. Further, the company says it can sprint from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds.

The electric sedan will be the first to include GM’s new Ultra Cruise advanced driver-assist system, which the automaker claims will cover “95 percent” of driving scenarios on 2 million miles of roads in the US.

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