2024 Cadillac CELESTIQ Aims for The Ultimate in Luxury

Cadillac has designed the all-new 2024 CELESTIQ to be not just a new standard of luxury but a whole new stratosphere of luxury. The CELESTIQ will be hand built at the Warren Tech Center and nearly ever aspect of it will be customizable. No more than six vehicles will be assembled at any time. Buyers can choose from hundreds of exterior paint colors as well as hundreds of interior colors. The designers use several different terms to describe the electric ultra-luxury sedan: handcrafted artistry, bespoke, personalized and customized.

The Cadillac CELESTIQ is Cadillac’s new flagship, designed to reestablish Cadillac as the “Standard of the World”. It is aiming for Rolls-Royce and Bugatti levels of luxury.

“CELESTIQ is the purest expression of Cadillac, acknowledging our incredible history and driving us to a bolder and brighter future,” said Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey. “It is a completely bespoke work of automotive art, built around the most advanced and innovative technology that we have ever engineered into an automobile.”

Each CELESTIQ will be personally commissioned. No two CELESTIQs will be alike. Clients will work directly with their selected dealer, a one-on-one concierge to guide them, as well as access to a Cadillac designer and exclusive services to realize their vision for the car. Cadillac is offering unprecedented levels of personalization tailored to reflect the owner’s tastes. 3D printing will make much of the customization possible. Cadillac will be able to personalize different parts out of plastic or metal.

“CELESTIQ is like no Cadillac before it and the client experience is equally exceptional,” said Harvey. “Each vehicle is a unique expression of its owner, leveraging leading-edge technologies that make the driving experience personal and rewarding.”

“With an extremely low volume of hand-built vehicles to be offered globally each year and an exclusive declaration process, CELESTIQ will truly be a custom-commissioned one-of-one,” said Harvey. “Each client will experience a personalized journey to make their vehicle exactly the way they desire.”

CELESTIQ and Ultium

CELESTIQ combines a 111-kWh battery pack and a two-motor, all-wheel-drive propulsion system to offer a GM-estimated 600 horsepower and 640 lb.-ft. of torque. It will have a GM-estimated driving range of 300 miles on a full charge. The CELESTIQ is expect to deliver an incredibly fast 0-60-mph time of 3.8 seconds.

The CELESTIQ will have Regen on Demand Braking which will help maximize driving range by converting the energy of the vehicle’s forward momentum into electricity that’s stored in the battery pack. It also includes One-Pedal Driving, which can slow the vehicle to a complete stop using only the accelerator pedal.

“CELESTIQ offers responsiveness and athleticism typically associated with smaller performance vehicles,” said Tony Roma, CELESTIQ chief engineer. “We have incorporated Cadillac’s expertise developing advanced chassis and suspension systems into an entirely new experience for the client.”

CELESTIQ Features Include:

• Active Rear Steering - The rear wheels can turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels for greater maneuverability at low speeds. At higher speeds, the rear wheels will turn with the front wheels.
• Magnetic Ride Control 4.0: The system is the world’s fastest-reacting suspension technology, which allows for greater responsiveness and enhanced isolation from road problems.
• Advanced AWD: CELESTIQ offers a two-motor electric drive unit. These motors work with special modules that turn the front or rear motors on and off to provide optimal torque to enhance ride quality and electric driving range.
• Active Roll Control: The Active Roll Control feature enhances the feeling of stability on turns and other maneuvers.
• Active Rear Spoiler: The Active Rear Spoiler deploys at lower speeds to help improve aerodynamic efficiency.
• Ride-focused tires: CELESTIQ will feature available 23-inch forged aluminum wheels with 23-inch summer-only Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires to improve performance and precision steering.
• The Fixed Smart Glass Roof: The industry-first smart glass eliminates the need for a sunshade or headliner, maximizing headroom.

“CELESTIQ continues the 120-year Cadillac history of leveraging the most advanced automotive technology in the service of luxury. The innovations CELESTIQ uses to offer its sophisticated ride isolation are the pinnacle of Cadillac automotive achievement,” said Ken Althouse, CELESTIQ lead development engineer.

CELESTIQ Charging

CELESTIQ is equipped with a 200 kW DC fast charging system capable of adding up to a Cadillac-estimated 78 miles of range in only 10 minutes of charging at a public DC fast charging station.

CELESTIQ clients will also have access to Ultium Charge 360. It includes access to more than 110,000 publicly available charging points in the United States and Canada. And through the myCadillac Mobile app, clients can find nearby charging stations, see real-time charger availability, plan routes, start charging sessions and more.

CELESTIQ Will Have the Latest Cadillac Technology

• 55-inch-diagonal advanced instrument display: The largest in the segment, it stretches from pillar to pillar, with special technology to keep the passenger’s screen from distracting the driver.
• Connected Cameras: CELESTIQ will introduce a new connected camera platform. This platform will provide access to interior and exterior cameras through a mobile interface. It will include theft detection and crash recording.
• Ultra Cruise: CELESTIQ will have the most advanced hands-free driver assistance technology with Ultra Cruise. The vehicle will be equipped with all of the necessary Ultra Cruise hardware to enable incremental growth via over-the-air updates in 2024.
• 38-speaker AKG Studio Reference Audio System: It is custom tuned by professional audio engineers and uses three separate amplifiers powering 30 channels.

“With CELESTIQ, we’ve been able to push classic American luxury into a new modern space,” said Tristan Murphy, interior design manager, CELESTIQ. “Executed with exceptional craftmanship, there is a staggering variety of colors, trims and genuine materials that ensure no two vehicles will ever be alike.”

“Cadillac’s brand legacy was forged with hand-building the most advanced vehicles of their era,” said Roma. “We are returning to that tradition with CELESTIQ, creating a piece of automotive art with each one produced.”

CELESTIQ is expected to go into production in December 2023, with an expected MSRP to begin above $300,000 and increase based on level of personalization. CELESTIQ will be available by waitlist only. More details are available at www.cadillac.com.

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Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

Follow Mary Conway at @maryconwaymedia and send her car news tips for future stories.