"The Cadillac Optiq is Cadillac's cheapest electric model, starting at a reasonably thriftyfor an electric luxury crossover, anyway$50,000. Underneath, it's essentially a really nice Chevrolet Equinox EV: made in the same factory, using the same 85-kilowatt-hour battery, and the same front-biased all-wheel-drive system. I wasn't sure how those guts would be worthy of the legendary Cadillac V moniker. It's like making an SS version of the Chevy Bolt EUV."
"Anyway, Cadillac went and pulled a fast one on all of us after the Optiq was on sale for just one model year. GM's engineers also decided the Equinox EV's hardware wasn't up for go-fast duty, so they swapped in electric motors from the 615-horsepower Cadillac Lyriq-V. Those changes are a needed glow-up for the standard 2026 Cadillac Optiq, but on the Optiq-V, they're good for 515 horsepower and a claimed zero to 60 mph time of 3.5 seconds."
"Well, that's a bit more convincing, isn't it? I'm always game for another sporty EV in a world of dull driving cars. So I drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to find out if the 2026 Cadillac Optiq-V is more than meets the eye. (Full Disclosure: I drove myself from Columbus, Ohio to Ann Arbor to drive the Optiq-V. Cadillac gave me one night in a hotel and a catered lunch.)"
Cadillac positioned the Optiq as an entry-level electric luxury crossover starting near $50,000 and sharing the Equinox EV platform, 85-kWh battery, and front-biased AWD. After one model year, engineers installed the Lyriq-V's more powerful electric motors into the Optiq to create the Optiq-V, producing 515 horsepower and a claimed 0–60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. The Optiq-V replaces the Equinox EV's original hardware where needed to achieve genuine performance. A manufacturer-arranged driving evaluation took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to assess the Optiq-V's on-road character.
Read at insideevs.com
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