babby caddy The 2025 Cadillac Optiq: Sensibly sized and improves on the Equinox EV The AWD Optiq is quite competitive in the sub-$60,000 EV crossover segment. Michael Teo Van Runkle Mar 24, 2025 8:00 am | 5 We've previously tested Cadillac's mid-sized and supersized electric cars, now it's time for the smallest one, the Optiq. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle We've previously tested Cadillac's mid-sized and supersized electric cars, now it's time for the smallest one, the Optiq. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreCadillac provided flights from Los Angeles to San Fransisco and accommodation so Ars could drive the Optiq. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.Badging on the rear of the new Cadillac Optiq may confuse some American buyers. This crossover is fully electric, so the alphanumeric nomenclature can't refer to engine displacementand not horsepower, either. Instead, 500E4 refers to 500 Newton-meters of torque, the metric units for more familiar pound-feet, plus dual-motor all-wheel drive. Rating the Optiq's output in kilowatts might have at least rendered something at least somewhat more comprehensible, but the designation hints at the Optiq's intended global market, which in turn reveals just how important this crossover EV is for Cadillac's future.The Equinox slots in as an upmarket variant of the Chevrolet Equinox EV, featuring a suite of enhancements unveiled at a Downtown Los Angeles preview last spring. With the exterior design, interior materials, and tech features all known quantities, I arrived to a drive program held in the San Francisco Bay Areaconcurrently with the Escalade IQmore curious to experience how much the Optiq's additional power and refinement can possibly improve on the already solid Equinox.On paper, the Caddy bests its Chevy counterpart despite using much of the same hardware. In this case, an 85-kilowatt-hour battery allows for an EPA-estimated range of 302 miles (486 km) despite output from dual motors matching the AWD Equinox at 300 hp (223 kW), just with a bit more in the torque department at 354 lb-ft (almost, but not quite, that 500Nm figure). Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle The Optiq also weighs 5,192 pounds (2,355 kg) despite a diminutive footprint, proportions which a low and raked windshield angle only help to emphasize (in addition to improving aerodynamic drag). But in practice, the major mechanical difference between the Equinox and Optiq comes down to suspension tuning. Cadillac's marketing materials highlight both the luxury and sporty spirit of this crossover, and the shock dampers needed to live up to those somewhat divergent goals.On the rough roads of San Francisco, and then up to the headlands of Marin County, the Optiq first rode with more supple compliance, drowning out speed bumps and streetcar tracks with ease. Then, when the roads started winding, the adjustable drive modes let me switch up the character, as I set the steering to the lightest mode to avoid torque steer and ramp up feedback from the front tires. Of course, I also selected the maximum acceleration and brake responsiveness, then started hustling through a long series of corners.Almost more impressive than the suspension improvement versus the Equinox, which I drove in Michigan, the Optiq's lack of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) stood out throughout the drive. This in turn highlighted the Dolby Atmos-enabled sound system, made up of 19 AKG speakers controlled via a 33-inch touchscreen. Though the Escalade IQ absolutely blew the smaller Optiq out of the water, despite lacking Atmos for model-year 2025 due to development timelines, I still wanted to test everything from Pink Floyd's tripped-out Comfortably Numb to the peculiar pitches of Animal Collective, the electro bass of Major Lazer, and some shriller dance pop by Lady Gaga. The 33-inch display is common across most new Cadillacs. CarPlay is absent, but the Google Maps integration is very good. Michael Teo Van Runkle The 33-inch display is common across most new Cadillacs. CarPlay is absent, but the Google Maps integration is very good. Michael Teo Van Runkle There's physical controls for the infotainment if you don't want to use the touchscreen. Michael Teo Van Runkle There's physical controls for the infotainment if you don't want to use the touchscreen. Michael Teo Van Runkle The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive. Michael Teo Van Runkle The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive. Michael Teo Van Runkle There's physical controls for the infotainment if you don't want to use the touchscreen. Michael Teo Van Runkle The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive. Michael Teo Van Runkle Searching through the Amazon Music app hoping to find songs optimized for Dolby Atmos surround sound proved nearly impossible, though. If I owned an Optiq, I'd need to create playlists in advance rather than just aimlessly scrolling (or relying on curated options from Cadillac and Dolby). That type of mindset shift applies to much of EV life, in the end, similar to how Optiq's total range dropping about 5 percent versus the Equinox FWD's 319 miles (513 km) should matter less than many urban buyers may imagine.For the additional torque and dual-motor AWD, the Optiq starts at $55,595 (or $61,695 for this loaded Optiq Sport 2). Compare that to the AWD Equinox with 285 miles of range (459 km) and a starting sticker of $49,400which represents a big jump up from the FWD at $34,995. The Optiq includes far more standard features, especially Super Cruise hands-free driving, which I thoroughly enjoyed activating on the 101 freeway crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.I also experienced zero screen glitches or blackouts, so hopefully the Optiq's additional development time solved some of the struggles seen on the Equinox and its other General Motors (ne Ultium) EVs. Yet similarly to the Equinox and Blazer EVs, and even the Acura ZDX, the Optiq's driving dynamics overall can easily fall onto the more anaesthetized side of the luxury-sporty divide. Sluggish initial responsiveness to the accelerator pedal emphasizes that impression, though the Optiq can sprint about quite quickly once underway. Certainly don't expect the instant torque punch of other EVs, even ones with similar total power output ratings, though. The Super Cruise hands-free driver assist is quite mature now. Michael Teo Van Runkle The Super Cruise hands-free driver assist is quite mature now. Michael Teo Van Runkle The 2025 Optiq is still a CCS1 EV, not NACS. Michael Teo Van Runkle The 2025 Optiq is still a CCS1 EV, not NACS. Michael Teo Van Runkle Will this badging make sense to anyone? Does it matter? Michael Teo Van Runkle Will this badging make sense to anyone? Does it matter? Michael Teo Van Runkle The 2025 Optiq is still a CCS1 EV, not NACS. Michael Teo Van Runkle Will this badging make sense to anyone? Does it matter? Michael Teo Van Runkle To me, that personality works best for a Cadillacjust climb in and experience the glidepath of electric luxury. And all without needing to make serious sacrifices to the laws of physics, versus an Escalade IQ that weighs just about twice as much. The back seats fit my 6-foot-1-inch (1.85 m) frame with plenty of leg and headroom, while the rear trunk allows for plenty of storage, including two plastic recesses behind each wheelwell that a Caddy rep certainly didn't describe as perfect for bringing melons home from the grocery store. As with those other GM EVs, though, the Optiq does lack CarPlay. But that controversial decision seems less and less important to me every time I drive a Chevy, GMC, or now Cadillac EV, since the onboard Google software actually does a remarkably accurate job of predicting range and finding charge stations. The lack of CarPlay may turn off some buyers, but compared to more typical Cadillac prices, this crossover looks downright reasonablenot to mention when compared to the rest of the industry, including the now pass Tesla Model Y, the lackluster Audi Q4, and more conceptual Genesis GV60. 5 Comments