5 Reasons You Should Check Out the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V
One hundred extra horsepower is just one reason we suggest you take a close look at the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V.
Earlier this year, we reviewed the Cadillac Lyriq and were impressed by the power, styling, handling, ease of use, and overall aura of it. It was classy, not ostentatious, and for the price, lots of wonderful features were standard. Unlike the Cadillacs of old, it wasn’t a land yacht, either. It’s the perfect size for both families and for singles who love a touch of luxury in their lives, and the range—even with all-wheel drive—is plenty reasonable.
With a price range of $60,090 to $72,490 from the base singer-motor RWD Sport model to the top-shelf Luxury AWD model with a range of 326 or 319 miles, it’s not all that unreasonable, either. It opens a lot of doors for more buyers to experience what made (and makes) Cadillac worth ponying up for over other EVs on General Motors’ Ultium EV platform, like the Blazer EV, GMC Hummer EV, and the Silverado EV.
Even with all those stars next to the Lyriq’s name, Cadillac wondered, “What if we made the 515 horsepower-producing EV even more powerful?” And not too long after that question was uttered into the universe, the Lyriq-V, which stands for “Velocity,” was born. Cadillac says it’s the quickest Cadillac ever, and comes with impressive—and very important—performance upgrades to make sure the Lyriq-V is poised to impress every single time, while also being incredibly easy to live with.
Even so, how do you justify ordering an even more powerful and capable $80K+ EV? Let me count the ways.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. Also, I was a guest of Cadillac’s, but all impressions and opinions are my own.
1. Cadillac Added Important Upgrades to the Lyriq-V and 100 More Horsepower
I won’t get too deep into the weeds with car talk here, but I can promise you, Cadillac’s engineers spent a lot of time discussing the extensive suspension, steering, braking, thermal regulator, and mechanical changes they had to make to ensure the Lyriq-V could handle 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. In case you’re like me and bad at math, that 100 more horsepower the standard Lyriq has with AWD, as either the Sport or Luxury trim.
The “V” part of the equation is activated by a button on the steering wheel, and from there, you can put it into “Comp” (for “competition”), which activates the brake torque vectoring to the inside wheels in a corner to distrubite torque to the outside wheels like a limited slip differential, helps mitigate understeer (while still letting you brake ‘er loose in the corners). Comp mode turns it into such a different animal, and I got to experience that during the autocross section of the event.
The Lyriq-V, with all those upgrades, costs quite a bit more than the standard Lyriq. It starts at $80,090 and maxes out at $85,290 for the Premium model. After sitting behind the wheel, the price is still less than other performance EVs, like the BMW iX, Porsche Macan EV, Tesla Model X, or the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
READ MORE: How the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq Defines Cadillac’s Future-And What Makes This SUV So Luxe
2. The Lyriq’s Launch Mode Made Me Giggle Like a Piglet, Every Time
One of the other things Cadillac was careful to mention was the “quickest Cadillac ever” bit. The Blackwing is the fastest, but the Lyriq-V is the quickest off the line, thanks to standard all-wheel drive and 100% of the torque at 0 mph. It can reach 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds (though Joel Feder was able to get a time of 3.0), and it does so with blistering ease.
You press the “V” button on the steering wheel, wait for the “launch control” prompt, and it tells you to firmly press the brake. With the brake pedal depressed, you feel the EV hunker down as it pushes all those ponies and pounds-feet of torque to the wheels. Another prompt will tell you, essentially, to floor it after releasing the brake. When you do, it feels like you’re being launched into space. Not a single tire chirped, either. The Lyriq silently flew down the runway, and before I had time to blink, it was time to slow down.
I did the 0-60 test three times, which is thanks to Cadillac’s improved battery and motor temperature regulation systems that have been improved for the V in anticipation of shenanigans like this. Each time I squealed, as you’re never truly prepared for something so inconspicuous to take off that quickly. No wonder they’re starting they’re own F1 team. Folks at Cadillac truly know what they’re doing.
3. Though She is Fast, She’s Still Daily Drivable
When you’re not being everyone’s favorite guest at a party with the Comp and V driving modes, the Lyriq-V can be quite tame when it needs to be. After a day of putting the Lyriq-V through its paces on the autocross and 0-60 sections, my driving partner (none other than Top Gear’s Alex Kalogiannis) and I enjoyed listening to ’80s hits and driving the same car we pushed hard yesterday through the gorgeous countryside of Washington’s King County.
As we drove past the Snoqualmie Falls parking lot (yes, the same waterfall in Twin Peaks), I realized just how comfortable I was in the passenger’s seat. The largest tinted sunroof I’ve ever seen let in a lot of natural light, which helped me take in the gorgeous white leather, piano black accenting on the center console and dashboard, and of course, the 33-inch wide screen that stretched from the driver’s door to over the center console.
When it was my turn to drive, I was amazed by how easy it was to drive, even when I was caught behind a slow-moving Hyundai. My only gripe was how limited the steering wheel adjustment options were. I wanted to move it closer to me, but couldn’t—and the range going up or down was damn near non-existent. It’s a good thing the center console is huge, because there was always a place to put my elbow, even if I had to be almost pressed up against the steering wheel. The suspension was soft enough to absorb the bumps on country roads, but stiff enough to remind you what it’s made to do.
READ MORE: 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ EV First Drive: Modern Tech Meets Classic Caddie Elegance
4. The Interior is as Luxurious as it is Spacious
I’m one of those people who bring a million things with them wherever they go. A large purse, an even larger water bottle, my phone, a just-in-case hat and jacket—you name it. Thankfully, my driving partner wasn’t subject to my trove of treasures because there was a place to put every item without compromising passenger space. My water bottle and purse fit into the center console’s pocket (thanks to a lack of transmission tunnel), and everything else fit in the rear footwell. If I had passengers back there, all those items would easily fit in the massive trunk.
There was a place to put my phone and my sunglasses up front, too, so I didn’t have to take up any of Alex’s space, which I loved. The center console’s capacity is nearly endless, the glove box is cavernous, and there are plenty of cubbies, slots, and pockets for items in the door panels. While the engineering spells out “performance,” the interior features and space spell out “family car,” which helps fit into Cadillac’s mission to make the Lyriq-V the best at wearing multiple hats.
READ MORE: The Cadillac Vistiq is the Luxury Electric 3 Row SUV We’ve Been Dreaming Of
5. The Overall Range is Cut, But Not By Much
As a rear-wheel drive EV, the Lyriq’s range is 326 miles, which is impressive. With all-wheel drive that’s cut to 319, and compared to other performance EVs, like the Acura ZDX Type S, it has a much lower range-to-horsepower ratio (when I was reviewing it, I got 310 miles on the range meter), is still great. Adding power to the Lyriq for the V trim cuts the overall range to 285 miles. Before you cringe and decide on the Sport, it’s still not as low as other sport-luxury EVs. The Mercedes-Benz I mentioned before has less, as does the Tesla Model Y Performance. One of which is a six-figure EV.
A range of 285 is plenty to get your daily chores done. For an EV that size and weight, I was definitely impressed to see that 100 extra horsepower, suspension, battery, motor, and brake upgrades didn’t cause the range to drop by too much. If you’re careful and turn the regen braking on, I’d bet you could get 300 miles of range without too much hassle.
But if you’re not? You’ll burn through the range—and love every single minute of it. Isn’t that the point, though? To love the drive, the performance and the head-spinning acceleration? If it’s not the point, the standard Lyriq may be the one for you. But if it is, book a test drive. You won’t be sorry.
READ MORE: Why We’re So Excited to Drive the Cadillac Escalade IQ… It’ll Be Worth the Wait
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