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Cadillac Celestiq MSRP To Be Higher Than That of a Bentley Flying Spur, Bling Is Costly

The Cadillac Celestiq is shaping up to be the brand’s most advanced and luxurious vehicle ever built. It will debut in grand style for sure. It might turn out to be the product that will superbly showcase GM’s efforts to make Ford’s Lincoln a thing of the past. But, oh boy, the price is going to make you think hard before deciding on ordering one for yourself. Here’s what insiders say.
Cadillac Celestiq 9 photos
Photo: GM
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Cadillac will most likely make the Celestiq its crown jewel. This all-electric vehicle is poised for exclusivity and greatness in the EV era. It will probably overcome what we saw BMW do with the all-new i7. Keep in mind that the Germans pulled off an industry first and managed to successfully cramp in a generous TV in a production-ready vehicle.

It has been over a year since we saw the Caddy of the future being revealed as a promising expression of “ultimate luxury.” Since then, nothing important has been spilled by the automaker. All what’s confirmed for now is the start of production which is set for the second half of 2023. Without getting ahead of ourselves, we might see the first customer Celestiqs on the road in 2025. But now we got to learn something rather unsettling: the sedan will be very expensive.

And we’re not talking about the prices that were being thrown around at the beginning of this year. Insiders that talked with the WSJ confirmed the Cadillac Celestiq will have an MSRP of “around $300,000.” That’s nearing Rolls-Royce territory! It’s more expensive than a Bentley Flying Spur that's starting from $200,821 in its W12-powered form. If Cadillac will offer the personalization we expect, then another $50,000 or more could be easily added to the price.

But can we say that we’re entirely surprised by this discovery? The same sources cited by WSJ explain Cadillac isn’t preparing to make more than 300 units per year. They also confirm that the personalization program will rival what other well-known and respectable carmakers like Rolls-Royce are already doing.

Looking back at the CES2021 reveal, we remember hearing expressions like: “a designer’s dream,” “dramatic presence,” “curated selection of materials,” “handcrafted,” “smart glass,” and “active privacy.” Something is missing from these carefully selected words. There’s been nothing said about autonomous driving, but we should expect a high level of driver assistance features that will transform driving someone around into a trivial exercise.

That much money must also mean that the sedan will have a decent range between charges and an architecture that will support DC fast charging. For this kind of money, it should be able to handle the 350-kW stations.

All in all, an MSRP of $300,000 will have to come with a plethora of luxurious goodies as standard. If Cadillac gets this right, America might emerge once again as the leader in the automotive sector. Tesla proved that the switch to zero-emission cars can be done, while others like Rivian or Lucid showed there’s demand for well-equipped and properly built vehicles. After the incoming recession will end, open season for automakers will start. The winner might just take it all.
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About the author: Florin Amariei
Florin Amariei profile photo

Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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