The sweet spot in the electric SUV world right now is big three-row SUVs. They provide room for family, friends and luggage. Silent running over substantial ranges makes them good for extended trips. They come in a variety of sizes and price ranges, but the premium ones seem to have a quiet code: deliver everything you’d expect in a big gas SUV, but without that polluting gas thing.
Entrants in the premium/luxury end of this category come from all over the world, but among the electrics right now the big competition is American: The Lucid Gravity, Rivian’s R1S and this month’s test car, the Cadillac Vistiq. We tested the boxy Rivian last October and have taken short drives in the impressive Gravity.
All three do all that’s asked of them admirably, which is to be expected from these ~$100,000 machines. The Cadillac may be the most traditional of the group, but that’s not surprising when you see it’s from a 124-year-old company compared with its teenage-company competitors.
A Cadillac SUV in the middle
The Vistiq fits in the upper middle of a growing pantheon of Cadillac electric SUVs. It’s big, but not the biggest; that spot belongs to the Escalade IQ and IQL. But it dwarfs the smaller Optiq and Lyriq, the latter of which we tested last year and came away impressed.
Like many Cadillacs before it, the bigness of the Vistiq is very functional. Six adults can find comfort in the blue synthetic leather with the optional captain’s chair second-row setup (seven-passenger seating is standard). In front, comfort is paramount with seats that massage, heat, cool and which can be adjusted electronically 18 ways. You bask under three sunroofs and can be kept entertained with the standard 23-speaker AKG audio system with available Dolby Atmos.
Disruption will be minimal because the optional adaptive air ride suspension smooths out imperfections on the highway. From the driver’s perspective, this is a new Cadillac approach, one honed over recent decades as GM’s prestige brand sought to keep up with more nimble European competitors. You are allowed a feel for the road, but the main goal of undercarriage is to accentuate the comfort you’re feeling while tucked in those Phantom Blue quilted nouveauluxe seats.
The hardware
The tech underlying this Caddy has some other things to offer. Our model had optional rear-wheel steering, which made the 205-inch-long vehicle way more nimble than it had any right to be. U-turns became almost fun. The hefty 102 kWh battery kept the Vistiq firmly planted on the road while providing 300 real-world miles of all-electric range and fast-charging that can add up to 80 miles in 10 minutes at the fastest chargers.
Another tech aide that we put to the test in our more than 500 miles in the Vistiq was GM’s SuperCruise. The advanced Level 2, hands off but always ready to take back control, cruise control was great on the open road. Courteously and smoothly changing lanes to allow faster traffic to pass. Overall, I’d give SuperCruise a B+; it complemented the luxurious and serene long electric drive, but needing some further development.
The power of the Vistiq’s dual electric motors is impressive (615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque), but I was more impressed with its delivery. In keeping with the luxury image of Cadillac, it didn’t scream off the line, but stood at ready at the hint of need, adding quick acceleration when needed.
All that tech and range and power and luxury comes at a price. Our fully loaded test model was just above $95,000. Vistiqs with some but not all of the goodies we enjoyed start at under $80,000, but we recommend that if you can afford to shop in this class of vehicle, skimping is not recommended. Options like the rear-wheel steering and faster on-board charging really add to the enjoyment of the car, so are worth a longer look.
