Cadillac Lyriq Lands in Europe, GM Is Making a Comeback

The Americans left Europe with the sale of Opel and Vauxhall brands to the PSA Group for $2.33 billion back in 2017, retaining only a limited import operation network for Cadillac and the Chevrolet Corvette supercar, based in Zurich,

The Cadillac Lyriq SUV has been launched in Switzerland. It is the first step that General Motors takes before sending to Europe an entire lineup of electric cars. Friday, October 6, is the first day customers can order the Lyriq SUV. Five more countries will follow, with Sweden and France in the next two years, and three more countries to follow in the years to come.

The Lyriq will fight the Mercedes EQS SUV, the BMW iX, and the Tesla Model X in the European market. The model will be priced at CHF82,000 (€85,159 / $89,830). Meanwhile, the car starts at only $58,590 (€55,538) in the United States.

But it is competitive in the European market, where the entry-level BMW iX starts at CHF95,900 (€99,615/$105,080.) in Switzerland, while the Mercedes EQS SUV starts at CHF138,600 (€143971/$151,868). So this is where Cadillac might stand a chance, if the Americans will be able to speculate the price gap between the Lyriq and the rivals.

The model comes with the 102 kWh battery pack, which provides it with a range of up to 330 miles (531 kilometers). A dual-motor powertrain sets top of the line version in motion, generating a total of 500 horsepower (507 PS) and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque. Those are enough for an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in 5.7 seconds.

The rear-wheel drive version is powered by a single motor mounted on the rear axle, which delivers 340 horsepower (347 PS) and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm).

GM is committed to rolling out an entirely electric lineup worldwide by 2035. The car giant has been investing massively in the development of the latest Ultium EV architecture. It is the platform that the Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV SUV and pickup truck are based on. GM has been considering to launch the Hummer EV in Europe as well.

But the weight of the vehicle of 10,400 pounds (4,700 kilograms) would make homologation for the European market quite a headache. That is 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms) more than the maximum permitted for a regular European driving license. After January 1997, the limit is 7,716 pounds (3,500 kilograms).

As reported by Autocar, GM will sell the Cadillac EVs to European customers via the websites of the band as well as flagship stores, with the Swiss one in Zurich included.