Cadillac's Lyriq EV Starts at Less Than Half the Price of Escalade-V, Does ICE Matter?

Sure, April brought us the debut of Cadillac’s CT5-V Blackwing 120th Anniversary Edition and within minutes the first unit was auctioned off for “just” $250k. But that might as well be treated as a traditional passenger car prologue to the new age crossover and SUV goodies that were coming. Soon after, we heard “the roar of luxury,” as the premium automaker kept its word and finally revealed all the juicy details about the eagerly anticipated high-performance Escalade-V SUV.

With the expansion of the Cadillac V-Series lineup to include the iconic full-size Escalade, there was also a highly anticipated switcheroo, as the SUV dropped the 3.0-liter Duramax inline-six diesel and 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 gasoline mill in favor of the CT5-V Blackwing’s LT4 supercharged V8 with even more oomph. So, instead of 668 horsepower like under the sedan’s hood, it churns out no less than 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft (885 Nm).

And that instantly made it the “industry’s most powerful full-size SUV.” Note the little mention, as other sport Utes like the 697-horsepower Aston Martin DBX707 would have had something to say about those bragging rights. However, upcoming owners might not care at all that an exotic British marque has a few extra ponies lined up for its posh ultra-luxury SUV.

Instead, the first-ever Cadillac V-Series SUV will probably mesmerize a lot more customers interested in standing out in all the right, affluent crowds, with this “elevation of design, performance, technology and the purest expression of the passion that exists at the core of Cadillac.” Already we can imagine all the aftermarket outlet’ bosses rubbing their hands when thinking about the upcoming uptick in customization and personalization orders. And we can be sure the Escalade-V will have a saying in the ongoing feud between the ultra-luxury Cullinan SUV and the Urus super-SUV, especially now that it can boast a starting MSRP of $149,990 (including destination charge).

It might sound like much at first, but U.S. aftermarket shops usually dabble with $500k Rolls-Royce Cullinans even before all upgrades and bespoke modifications are factored in, so a starting price of $150k might be considered a bargain, actually. On the other hand, there is one other major Cadillac novelty that might stand in the way of all-out spring glory for the 2023 Escalade-V. The company has also revealed the pricing details and kicked off the ordering procedures (on May 19th) for their first-ever electric vehicle, the 2023 Lyriq crossover SUV.

And while a $62,990 starting price (the Debut Edition was a tad less, at $58,795) might sound much when all things are considered, it is still more than twice (2.38 times, to be precise) cheaper than what an Escalade-V retails for. Sure, one might think that I am just comparing apples and oranges. In a sense, that’s exactly what everyone should do in this war-crazed, pandemic-riddled, chip-shortage world. Remember, EVs might no longer represent the best economic alternative to ICEs, now that Supercharging and fast charging rates are going through the roof.

Still, while I love the whole idea of a hulking, full-size SUV sporting a roaring, supercharged V8 and having the performance figures of a high-end sports car, my recommendation goes towards shelling out less cash for the sustainable Lyriq. There’s a big catch, though. One needs to have easy access to home charging and I also suggest investing the price difference (if there was enough cash from the start) into a fully sustainable solar/wind charging setup, coupled with a fixed battery pack to use your stored energy whenever needed.