2025 Cadillac Optiq Quick Specs:
- 302-mile estimated range (85 kWh battery pack)
- 300 horsepower & 354 lb-ft torque (dual-motor AWD)
- Super Cruise standard (3-year trial included)
- Luxury interior: Massaging, heated, ventilated seats; premium finishes
- Google built-in infotainment: No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
Even though Cadillac has walked back its commitment to going all-electric by 2030, it’s pushing out new electric vehicles at a fast clip. Its OG EV was the Lyriq, which came out as a 2023 model, and now, for 2025, the entry-level Optiq will hit the streets along with the three-row Escalade IQ and the “by-inquiry-only” Celestiq.
The 2025 Cadillac Optiq is an attractive offering in the burgeoning compact luxury crossover segment, with the Audi Q4 e-tron, Genesis GV60, and Volvo EX30 as its primary competitors. While it may cost more base-to-base, the Optiq comes standard with more range, all-wheel drive, and more cargo and passenger space than the others.
But to address the elephant in the room, the Optiq, like all new General Motors Evs, does not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Depending on how much you use your phone in the car, and how, this may not matter to you, especially since the native Google built-in operating system is well executed.
Real-World Range Test: Does the Optiq Deliver 300 Miles?
The magic range number for people seems to be about 300 miles, which is far enough to take a short road trip without feeling range anxiety. The 2025 Cadillac Optiq, equipped with an 85 kilowatt-hour battery pack, hits that mark handily. It gets an estimated 302 miles of range, and I decided to put that to the test with a 200-mile road trip.
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Using Google built-in, I plugged in my desired address, and in addition to my arrival time, the system popped out what my percentage of charge would be upon arrival. The vehicle estimated we’d arrive at 33%. Assuming 302 miles of actual range, that would give us a buffer of about 100 miles. In most EVs, I’ve found that the sweet spot for speed is about 65 mph, so you don’t lose more range than the vehicle estimates. That means I often travel under the speed limit to keep as much range as possible.
With a 100-mile buffer and two known fast-chargers along my route, I decided to do something crazy: Drive the 70-mph speed limit. To my astonishment, I arrived at my destination with more than 114 miles of range and 35% of the battery left. What’s even more astonishing is that I drove through 100-degree-plus temperatures. Heat usually has a negative effect on range, but it didn’t seem to make a difference here.
Heat, however, did affect my charging speed. With a maximum charging speed of 150 kilowatts, GM says you can add up to 79 miles of range (26%) in about 10 minutes. It took me 36 minutes to go from 22% to 68%. According to GM math, that should have taken less than 20 minutes.
Though GM has committed to moving its EVs to the North American Charging Standard (NACS, aka Tesla Supercharging), the Optiq hasn’t switched yet, and it still comes with a CCS charge port. However, a GM-supported NACS adapter is available for $225.
Plenty of Pep for a 5,000-Pound Vehicle
One of the things I love about EVs is the instantaneous torque. It somehow makes a 5,192-pound vehicle feel light. The 2025 Cadillac Optiq is equipped with dual-motor all-wheel drive and delivers 300 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. I found this to be plenty of power for highway merges as well as aggressive passing maneuvers.
Plus, the heft of the battery and the low center of gravity have the added benefit of making the Optiq feel planted at faster speeds when hitting those on- and off-ramps.
Though Cadillac didn’t provide any 0-to-60-mph times for the Optiq, Car and Driver measured it at 5.7 seconds. For reference, the publication clocked the gas-powered XT4 at 7.0 seconds.
The Devil Is in the Details
Sliding behind the wheel of the 2025 Cadillac Optiq, you can’t help but notice the incredible amount of detail baked into the design. From the beveled edges of the cup holders to the stitching on the seats, every accent and detail is well placed and attractive.
My Luxury 2-trimmed test vehicle had the Autumn Canyon interior, which provided terracotta-colored leatherette seats and handsome grey cloth accents on the dash, console, and doors. It included standard features such as heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, massaging front seats, heated second-row seats, ambient lighting, a head-up display, and high-definition 360-degree camera views.
The Optiq seats five, though I recommend putting only two children or smaller adults in the back seat. Even with its “best-in-class” rear legroom, this is a compact vehicle. The cargo area behind the third row, at 26 cubic feet, is plenty big to hold three to four roller board suitcases, and with the low load floor, I found it easy to load my mom’s walker in and out during multiple short trips.
Tech Stuff
As previously mentioned, the Optiq is equipped with Google built-in, which includes Google Maps navigation, natural voice commands via Google Assistant, and app downloads like YouTube (for use in Park only). While this system will be good for most people, if you live in an Apple environment, there’s a bit of a learning curve.
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I use a lot of Apple apps for podcasts, music, and texting, and the Google system doesn’t play nice with those apps. I tried “hey, Siri” voice commands, which worked 50% of the time, which means I spent a lot of time picking up my phone to scroll through text messages, podcasts, and music while driving. If you were going to fully integrate with this system and you had an iPhone, you should consider switching to Spotify for podcasts and music.
Our saving grace was the fact that Super Cruise comes standard on the Optiq with a three-year free trial. If you aren’t familiar, Super Cruise is GM's Level 2, hands-free driving system that makes the car do all the heavy lifting (throttle and steering control) on approved highways. It adapts its speed to the car in front and can even do automatic lane changes to move around slower traffic.
Smooth and Quiet Cruiser
During my road trip, I spent a solid six hours behind the wheel in highway situations. At higher speeds, between 70 and 80 mph, I didn’t notice any egregious road or tire noise creeping into the cabin, and the Optiq was extremely quiet.
It handled various road surfaces well, and though I tried to avoid the speed bumps in our neighborhood as much as possible, the Optiq managed to even those out nicely so they didn’t feel as extreme.
The small size of the Optiq made it both nimble and maneuverable, and it did well in city situations. Living in Chicago, my garage is small and dark, and the ramp up to my parking space is at a 22-degree angle. I typically back up the ramp for an easier exit, and the Optiq provided a nice turning radius to deal with a narrow alley as well as an excellent backup camera that does well in both light and dark situations.
Pricey but Not Pricier than Competitors
If you look at base-to-base comparisons of the 2025 Cadillac Optiq versus its competitors, you might be lulled into thinking that it’s a lot more expensive. But it really isn’t. Yes, base to base, it’s about $5,000 more than the Q4 e-tron, and nearly $8,000 more than the EX30. But if you equip the vehicles comparably, the Optiq comes out ahead.
For example, the Luxury 2 test vehicle I was driving had a base MSRP of $55,085, but it added about $5,000 in options, and the as-tested price was $61,685. When I spec’d out the Q4 e-tron, I had to opt for the top-tier Prestige trim to get the same features, and without any other options, it was priced at $63,095. Though the EX30 remains significantly less than the Optiq, there are features like Super Cruise or ventilated front seats that you just can’t get. The GV60 in the Advanced AWD trim rings in at $60,900.
The 2025 Cadillac Optiq began arriving in dealers at the beginning of 2025 and is currently on sale. At the time of writing this article, including destination charges, the base MSRP for the Optiq Luxury 1 is $55,615, and the top Sport 2 trim starts at $57,715.
⚡Quick Takeaways
- Range: Estimated 302 miles (85 kWh battery)
- Power: 300 horsepower, 354 lb-ft torque (dual motors, AWD)
- Luxury: Heated, cooled, massaging front seats; premium cabin materials
- Tech: Standard Super Cruise hands-free driving; Google built-in
- Pricing: Starts at $55,615; competitive with Audi, Genesis, Volvo
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