The Cadillac Celestiq Concept Might Be Its Best EVer

• Cadillac has fully unveiled the Celestiq concept and says a production version is coming for 2025.
• The super luxurious EV sedan concept is stunning to look at, and we hope it's a sure thing.
• A production version would go head to head with the Lucid Air, Tesla Model S and more.

You don't have to look that far back in Cadillac's concept history for what can only be described as disappointment. Not the concepts themselves, but the fact that most never made their way into production. The Ciel, El Mirage and Escala were all jaw-dropping design studies, but none of them saw the light of day. Either way, we hope we're not being revved up for yet another bout of shoulda woulda coulda because the new Celestiq concept might be the most jaw-dropping of them all.

The Celestiq previews an electric sedan we'll likely see the full production version of either late next year or early in 2024. The company has pegged the car as a 2025 model-year vehicle, which means the reveal of a production version is already in the works. It will be hand-built and the most advanced Cadillac ever, says the company. To that end, there is a 55-inch display that spans the full length of the dashboard that will allow the front passenger to enjoy entertainment without it being visible to the driver. That will reduce distractions along the way. Passengers in the back won't be neglected and will have their own screens too. The Celestiq will also feature Ultra Cruise. Silly name aside, Ultra Cruise is essentially the next evolution of GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving assist technology.

The production version of the Celestiq will take advantage of 3D printing technologies, and it is expected that more than 100 parts of the car, both structural and cosmetic, will be made from this process. There will also be a four-quadrant glass roof that each passenger can customize to his or her desired level of transparency. Cadillac is calling the Celestiq a "one-of-a-kind ultra-luxury vehicle," and on those grounds alone it's safe to say that the company is setting expectations high. As for things like powertrain tech, Cadillac is staying quiet for now, and that is a good sign. Allow us to explain.

Aside from mentioning that its EV powertrain is based around GM's Ultium battery technology, we have nothing to go on. Why might that be a good thing? Because it means Cadillac isn't promising yet another final hoorah for internal combustion. The Celestiq will use technology the company is committed to. We expect the eventual Celestiq road car to compete with the likes of the Lucid Air and Tesla Model S, which means multiple battery size options, a range figure of at least 300 miles on a single charge, and build quality that reflects the $81 million investment Cadillac has made to produce just this car.

On the surface at least, it looks like we aren't being led astray. Cadillac itself said the Celestiq is "a vision of innovation and purpose that previews the brand's future handcrafted and all-electric flagship sedan." That means a production version of the Celestiq is coming, and we're hoping there are minimal changes to the show car we see here. Cadillac has done this before, and there are elements of the Escala in the CT5, but the production version doesn't quite match its conceptual sibling's presence.

The Celestiq, whenever it arrives, promises to fill a massive gap in Caddy's current lineup. The brand once known the world over for its massive American-made luxury barges has no full-size luxury sedan on sale at the moment. Once the CT6 was killed off after the 2020 model year, Cadillac was left without a BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 competitor. That's about to change with the introduction of the Celestiq, and we're keeping our fingers crossed that it looks just like this.

Edmunds says

Please, Cadillac, please!