Electric Cadillac Lyriq SUV revealed two years before it goes on sale

The Cadillac Lyriq show car that debuted online Thursday offers a sneak peek at the brand’s first electric model, which will go on sale in late 2022.

The five-passenger utility vehicle features chiseled styling, an illuminated faux “grille” and a driving range of over 300 miles per charge.General Motors North America President Steve Carlisle said the Lyriq will start under $75,000 and act as a cornerstone for Cadillac’s future as it transitions into an EV-focused brand over the next decade.

“It marks a turning point for the brand, a pivot point for the brand, an opportunity to regain momentum and position the Cadillac brand for its next chapter,” he said.

Cadillac’s only previous plug-in models were the poorly received 2014 ELR hybrid compact coupe and 2018 CT6 Plug-In hybrid full-size sedan, which cost $76,000 each and could only go 37 miles and 31 miles, respectively, on battery power before their internal combustion engines kicked in. Fewer than 3,000 ELRs were sold in the U.S. over a three-year run before it was succeeded by the China-made CT6 in 2017, which was only offered in the U.S. for two model years. Cadillac never said how CT6 Plug-Ins were sold.

The Lyriq will be offered in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models, both designed with performance and sporty handling in mind. It will also launch with the latest version of Cadillac’s Super Cruise driver aid system, which currently allows for hands-off driving on over 200,000 miles of highway and will be adding additional features in the coming years. Interior features include a 33-inch widescreen LED display.

GM recently announced a partnership with charging station operator EVgo to expand the number of its fast chargers across the U.S. by 2,700 in an effort to make living with an electric car easier, similar to what Tesla did with its Supercharging network.

Carlisle, who spent two years running Cadillac before being promoted to his current position, said the rand is being positioned as the “technology spearhead” for GM. An ultra-luxury, handbuilt sedan called the Celestiq has also been confirmed that will be manufactured at the rate of 1.2 cars per day and sold for an estimated $200,000.

READ MORE ABOUT THE LYRIQ FROM FOX NEWS AUTOS

The midsize Lyriq is being positioned as more of a volume model that will compete in the largest luxury vehicle segment against internal combustion-engine models and electrics like the Audi E-Tron and Tesla Model X.

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“It would certainly be our aspiration that Lyriq takes its fair share and ideally, as an early entrant into that segment, more than its fair share,” Carlisle said.

Cadillac has not announced where the Lyriq will be built, but sales are scheduled to begin in China shortly before the United States.