2026 Cadillac Optiq review: International first drive

Cadillac said at the time of the announcement that the availability of the third prong in its luxury EV range – the Cadillac Optiq – was an acknowledgement of the manufacturer's commitment to right-hand-drive (RHD) markets like Australia.

Coupled with RHD production of the Corvette and local availability of the Chevrolet Silverado and now GMC Yukon, it's hard to argue with that point.

With the Lyriq – and soon the performance flagship Lyriq-V – on sale, and Vistiq not far away, the Optiq will be the crucial, smaller-sized electric SUV in the manufacturer's showrooms by the middle of 2026.

We've written it before, but it's worth mentioning again here. Cadillac isn't an electric-only manufacturer in its home market, but it is here in Australia. And, if you're going to take on the established competition, you need variety.

We speculated at that announcement that the Optiq might be priced around the $100,000 mark, and pricing will indeed be crucial when it is announced closer to local launch. In the US domestic market, Cadillac is broadly known as a luxury – even aspirational – brand, but making that cut through in a market as cutthroat as Australia won't be easy.

Weird 'ick' naming conventions aside, appearance alone indicated the Optiq would be one to take a closer look at. The physical size of the Optiq is interesting, and something for those of you considering a Lyriq but concerned that it's too big.

It's longer than an Audi Q4 e-tron or a Mercedes-Benz EQB, by enough margin that you would notice it if you parked them side by side. A Genesis GV60 isn't much shorter in the wheelbase than the Optiq, but is significantly shorter in overall metal terms.

What that larger platform does do, though, especially between the wheels, is afford the fitment of a beefy 85kWh battery pack. The US EPA estimate 486km of driving range, which is impressive for the segment and on par with what we'd expect from a modern, family-focused EV – luxury or otherwise.

The Optiq gets two electric motors – one that is a permanent-magnet synchronous motor that is always working. The rear (induction) electric motor comes into play when needed, like under a hard launch or acceleration on the move. There's a simplicity to the system that GM has chosen here, and in modern terms, having the front motor as the main driver makes the most sense for balance and braking regeneration too.

Cadillac quotes 224kW and 480Nm for US-market cars, which are more than enough to get the Optiq cranking when you need to. More on that in a minute.

We tested Cadillac's 'Super Cruise' semi-autonomous driving function at launch, and while it worked (mostly) as you would expect, it's not coming to Australia any time soon. I write mostly, because there are still random scenarios that can confuse the system and require the driver to take over, as there are with every autonomous system that I've tested.

Given Cadillac's focus on price and competitiveness for the Optiq, you will find steel springs and regular dampers under the skin rather than fancy adaptive units. That's not the end of the world, though, as the ride comfort, bump absorption and insulation are all excellent. I'd say it's more compliant than a European SUV on non-adaptive suspension, which can often be quite firm on harsh surfaces.

The long wheelbase ensures the cabin is a comfortable place to be, along with the aforementioned insulation and ride quality. Even in the second row, with tall occupants up front, there's plenty of room, and long road trips would be easy to knock over with four adults on board.

We've written this whenever we've tested a Cadillac previously, the cabins are neatly designed, classy and user-friendly. At launch, CarPlay worked well for me, as did the native infotainment system as a whole. There's a genuine feeling of quality when you're driving the Optiq that will ensure buyers feel like they are getting a premium product.

The first thing I noticed on the drive loop at launch was the feel of the brakes around town in stop/start traffic. They are nicely progressive and have a feel to them few electric vehicles can match. It means you can hop straight into the Optiq and drive it smoothly – something that often takes time with a new EV, even for those of us who do it often. Even when in its most aggressive regeneration mode, the Optiq brakes always feel smooth.

While 224kW and 480Nm aren't headline numbers for power and torque in 2025, they do the job required without offering stupid power that no one really needs. We've written this before, but it doesn't really matter how fast an EV is anymore. They need to do other regular car things well, now that they are more commonplace in the market.

While the Optiq lacks the savagery of the Lyriq-V, then, it has enough power and torque to do what you would expect it to do with regard to daily driving. Our launch variants were riding on the optional 21-inch rims and tyres, but I'd be more than happy with 20s, especially in Australia, where our road surfaces can be diabolical.

The general smoothness we have come to expect from a quality electric drivetrain is evident regardless of the speed – up to highway cruising – or the road surface. We had to go looking for some choppy roads outside Detroit, but when we did find them, and the Optiq was unfussed.

The steering is good, too, and you can hook in on a twisty road if you really want to. You probably won't, especially if you have passengers, but you can, should you want to. We're looking forward to assessing the final specification for our local market and finding out how the Optiq copes with our local roads.

The 2026 Cadillac Optiq is an impressive electric vehicle that drives nicely, and features the kind of luxury and attention to detail you would expect from Cadillac. The Cadillac badge will also represent a state of difference if you're looking to park a luxury vehicle in your driveway that isn't from the more established brands in our market.

Sales success will be tough in a market as viciously contested as ours, though, there's no doubt about that.

Whether the Optiq can appeal to those EV buyers not wanting a larger vehicle, but willing to think outside the box, remains to be seen. On paper, though, and from behind the wheel, it's an enjoyable drive on any road.

Trent Nikolic has been road testing and writing about cars for almost 20 years. He’s been at CarAdvice/Drive since 2014 and has been a motoring editor at the NRMA, Overlander 4WD Magazine, Hot4s and Auto Salon Magazine.

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