Cadillac Vistiq: An Electric SUV That's Not Entirely Bad
Image Credit: Cadillac.
Cadillac has decided to grace us with yet another electric SUV. This time, it's the Vistiq, a three-row behemoth that's supposed to replace the gas-guzzling XT6. Another electric SUV? Yeah, but I have a soft spot for Cadillacs… Let's give this one a fair shake.
The all-new Vistiq is not exactly what you'd call a head-turner, but it's not entirely offensive either. It shares a similar design language with its bigger brother, the Escalade IQ. Imagine the Escalade IQ went on a crash diet, got a slightly less aggressive haircut, and maybe, just maybe, discovered a hint of subtlety. That's the Vistiq. It's still got that "look at me!" presence, but it's not quite as shouty as its big brother. It's still a foghorn, but a slightly smaller foghorn.
Image Credit: Cadillac.
The Vistiq measures 205.6 inches long, 79.8 inches wide, and has a wheelbase of 121.8 inches. That's about 6.8 inches longer than the XT6 but still considerably smaller than the 224.3-inch Escalade IQ. Interestingly, the Vistiq is longer than the Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX, and even the swanky Mercedes EQS SUV. There will be the usual variety of trims available. Initially, you'll have your choice of Luxury and Sport; the Premium Luxury trims will join the party later on.
All-wheel-drive is standard in all of the Vistiq versions, courtesy of a dual-motor setup that delivers 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. Cadillac claims this will propel the Vistiq from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, which is pretty darn quick for a three-row SUV. Of course, we'll have to wait and see if those numbers hold up in the real world.
Image Credit: Cadillac.
As for range, Cadillac says the Vistiq will go 300 miles on a single charge, thanks to its 102.0-kWh Ultium battery pack. I'm always a bit skeptical of manufacturer range claims, but we'll give Cadillac the benefit of the doubt for now. The Vistiq also supports DC fast charging, which means you can add 79 miles of range in just 10 minutes. That's not too shabby, I suppose.
Inside, the Vistiq is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's got all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a luxury SUV, including a massive 33.0-inch curved display that houses both the gauge cluster and the infotainment system. There's also a five-zone climate control system, which is sure to keep everyone happy, even if they're all complaining about the temperature.
On the other hand, Vistiq's interior design is a bit bland, even uninspired. It's not exactly what you'd call a sanctuary of luxury. At least it's got seven seats as standard, with the option of second-row captain's chairs for the extra effect.
Image Credit: Cadillac.
The final piece of the puzzle - the price. The Vistiq starts at $78,790, and initially, I thought it was a lot of dough for an electric SUV. But then I checked the prices for Audi, BMW, and Mercedes, and I realized this Cadillac was a bit of a deal.
Equivalent in performance and dimensions Mercedes EQS SUV 580 4MATIC starts from an eye-watering $127,350. BMW wants $111,500 for the iX M60, and Audi demands $89,800 for the SQ8 e-tron. Cadillac steals the show here, hands down. I never imagined the day would come when I'd say a brand-new Cadillac was a bargain.
So, the Cadillac Vistiq: an electric SUV that's not bad at all. In fact, it's quite good. It's not exactly the most exciting car on the market, but it's not the worst, either. If you're after a three-row electric SUV and you've got a spare $80,000 lying around, you could do much worse than getting a new Vistiq.
