2026 Cadillac OPTIQ-V: Cadillac's New Pocket Rocket

[Drew Dowdell]

We reported back in April that Cadillac would be releasing a V-Series version of their OPTIQ EV for the coming model year, joining the Cadillac Lyriq-V in the V-series lineup.  Today we finally get the details.

While the base Cadillac Optiq already makes 300 horsepower, the OPTIQ-V bumps that up to a robust 519 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque when the car is in Velocity Max mode. That is sufficient to sprint to 60 in just 3.5 seconds.  Carrying an 85 kWh battery pack, Cadillac's preliminary range estimate comes in at 275 miles.  Naturally, that range would decrease with a lot of Velocity Max driving.

For charging, the OPTIQ-V is the first GM vehicle to come standard with the NACS charge port. Home charging at 240V is available at 7.7kW, 11.5 kW, and if a 100-amp breaker is available, 19.2 kW. DC Fast-Charging allows the OPTIQ-V to take on power at a rate up to 70 miles in 10 minutes.

Accessing Velocity Max is done through the V-Mode button on the steering wheel or in the drive mode app in the center screen. V-Mode allows the driver to customize their experience and pre-select performance settings that are activated by the V-Mode button. Drivers can select from Launch Control for maximum straight line acceleration and Competitive Mode for extra traction management to enhance agility. Handling is managed by Continuous Damping Control (CDC) dampers. Brembo performance brake calipers are standard on the front and available in blue or red with a V-Series logo.  When you want the car to take over driving, Super Cruise is standard and available for use on approved roads.

All Go, Plenty of Show

Cadillac makes sure other drivers know you're in something special with V-Series specific looks. The front fascia is unique to the OPTIQ-V, complete with the signature V-Pattern mesh lower grill, high gloss black front splitter, and body color lower trim.  A Carbon Fiber package is available which upgrades the front splitter, rear diffuser, and rear mid-spoiler to carbon fiber. Wheels are 21-inch satin graphite alloy by default or optional 21-inch dark painted sport wheels are available. The roof is painted black standard with a panoramic fixed-glass section while two new limited-edition exterior colors: Magnus Metal Frost and Deep Ocean Tintcoat join the color palette. V-Series badging is placed prominently around the exterior. 

The Inside Counts Too

Optiq-V offers two interior color schemes: Noir with Santorini Blue accents or Noir and Sky Cool Gray with Santorini Blue accents. An additional darker accent fabric is woven from yarn made from 100-percent recycled materials.  Standard genuine carbon fiber trim decorates the center console. 

The standard audio system is a 19-speaker AKG Studio unit with Dolby Atmos paired with a 33-inch diagonal LED display.

 

 

Starting price for the OPTIQ-V rings up at $68,795, including destination charges and before taxes and fees.

 

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[G. David Felt]

There is lots to like here, performance, comfort and that Cadillac has moved away from their electric charge door that moved down and has seemed to be glitchy at times to a normal opening door.

Two things I do not like, lack of AA/AC and the interior color choices. 

Why Cadillac, why can you not have more warm inviting color options for the interior. The black and gray thing is so overdone, and this blue accent is just cold and NOT inviting to me for a luxury product line.

Edit: Adding a third thing I am surprised by is the slow charging of DC charging. if Kia can give you a 80% recharge in 18 minutes, then why have such a slow rate on a Luxury auto. 70 miles of range in 10 minutes, 140 in 20 and so pretty much 38 minutes to get to the 275 miles they are stating.

Cadillac, hello McFly, wake up and stop equaling Tesla, better them!

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

Why Cadillac, why can you not have more warm inviting color options for the interior. The black and gray thing is so overdone, and this blue accent is just cold and NOT inviting to me for a luxury product line.

 

I dunno, I think that's pretty cool.

[ccap41]

On 6/9/2025 at 8:00 AM, Drew Dowdell said:

While the base Cadillac Optiq already makes 300 horsepower, the OPTIQ-V bumps that up to a robust 519 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque when the car is in Velocity Max mode. That is sufficient to sprint to 60 in just 3.5 seconds.  Carrying an 85 kWh battery pack, Cadillac's preliminary range estimate comes in at 275 miles.  Naturally, that range would decrease with a lot of Velocity Max driving.

I'm assuming "Velocity Max" mode is a 0-Xmph sprint.

Are there details on just everyday power numbers when you're not sprinting from a stop? Like, I'm just rolling around and floor it, what's it putting out then? 

Or, is this just a version of Sport mode and you leave it in that for just everyday driving, if you want max output? 

24 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

Edit: Adding a third thing I am surprised by is the slow charging of DC charging. if Kia can give you a full recharge in 18 minutes,

You're not getting a full charge in 18 minutes. That's probably a 20-80% number. 

[Drew Dowdell]

7 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Are there details on just everyday power numbers when you're not sprinting from a stop? Like, I'm just rolling around and floor it, what's it putting out then?

I don't know. Good question.

[G. David Felt]

31 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

You're not getting a full charge in 18 minutes. That's probably a 20-80% number. 

Yup, sorry, 80%, but still it is way more than what Cadillac is doing and I feel they need to do better in this regards.

Will edit my post to reflect the 80%

[ccap41]

2 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

Yup, sorry, 80%, but still it is way more than what Cadillac is doing and I feel they need to do better in this regards.

Will edit my post to reflect the 80%

20-80, 10-80, or 0-80%? 

[Drew Dowdell]

11 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

Yup, sorry, 80%, but still it is way more than what Cadillac is doing and I feel they need to do better in this regards.

Will edit my post to reflect the 80%

 

8 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

20-80, 10-80, or 0-80%? 

So, the Ultium platform is only 300kW charging or higher when you have the really big batteries, and that's only because they are actually two regular batteries sandwiched together. The DC-Fast charger can take the 300 kW/350 kW charge and split it over two battery packs at 150kW/175kW each. The smaller EVs have a single battery pack that can take on power either at 150 kW or 190 kW. 

150kW is what the base Teslas charge at. 250kW is what the higher end Teslas charge at. I don't see 190kW in the Optiq-V as being a big letdown. Most people are going to charge it at home anyway. 

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

 

So, the Ultium platform is only 300kW charging or higher when you have the really big batteries, and that's only because they are actually two regular batteries sandwiched together. The DC-Fast charger can take the 300 kW/350 kW charge and split it over two battery packs at 150kW/175kW each. The smaller EVs have a single battery pack that can take on power either at 150 kW or 190 kW. 

150kW is what the base Teslas charge at. 250kW is what the higher end Teslas charge at. I don't see 190kW in the Optiq-V as being a big letdown. Most people are going to charge it at home anyway. 

That's interesting how GMs packs work, two packs each charging at 150/175kW. Cool information. Thanks for the knowledge. 

Which ones are the small packs and what are their large "double" packs? 

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

That's interesting how GMs packs work, two packs each charging at 150/175kW. Cool information. Thanks for the knowledge. 

Which ones are the small packs and what are their large "double" packs? 

The BIG full-sizers are the double packs. EValanche, Sierra EV, Escalade IQ, Hummer EV, etc.  Vistiq and smaller all have the single layer battery. 
I think (I'd have to look) some of the low range EValanche work trucks might be single battery also. 

[ccap41]

59 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The BIG full-sizers are the double packs. EValanche, Sierra EV, Escalade IQ, Hummer EV, etc.  Vistiq and smaller all have the single layer battery. 
I think (I'd have to look) some of the low range EValanche work trucks might be single battery also. 

I guess I should have asked more pack sizes. I assumed it was the trucks + Escalade EV. 

[Drew Dowdell]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I guess I should have asked more pack sizes. I assumed it was the trucks + Escalade EV. 

It's just some multiple of their other packs. Optiq gets 85kW, Vistiq and Lyriq get either a 95kW or 102kW.  Double the 102kw pack and you get an Escalade iQ pack.

Now, those are usable sizes. Because of the peculiarities of lithium ion batteries, they keep some in reserve.  Because there is double the pack in the IQ, they can release more reserve power, so I think the total is more like 212kW, but the hardware is still the same.

[Drew Dowdell]

5 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

It's just some multiple of their other packs. Optiq gets 85kW, Vistiq and Lyriq get either a 95kW or 102kW.  Double the 102kw pack and you get an Escalade iQ pack.

Now, those are usable sizes. Because of the peculiarities of lithium ion batteries, they keep some in reserve.  Because there is double the pack in the IQ, they can release more reserve power, so I think the total is more like 212kW, but the hardware is still the same.

@ccap41

The Equinox was originally suppose to be offered with a 65kw battery. The base Evalanche has a 119kw battery.
The Equinox and Optiq have an 85kw battery - The extended range Evalanche has a 170 kw battery.
The Lyriq and Vistiq have a 102 kw battery - The Max range EValanche has a 205 kw Battery.

Any differences where the number isn't exactly double is most likely just a software configuration. 

[Robert Hall]

4 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

 

I dunno, I think that's pretty cool.

I like the blue, but the blue w/ a cream or tan primary color would be nice...I find gray and black overdone.  

Edited Tuesday at 07:13 PM by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

@ccap41

The Equinox was originally suppose to be offered with a 65kw battery. The base Evalanche has a 119kw battery.
The Equinox and Optiq have an 85kw battery - The extended range Evalanche has a 170 kw battery.
The Lyriq and Vistiq have a 102 kw battery - The Max range EValanche has a 205 kw Battery.

Any differences where the number isn't exactly double is most likely just a software configuration. 

That sounds very smart on GM's part. That way they're only really making like 3 packs and adding them together for various uses. I'm sure other companies are doing things similarly, I just don't know about it. 

Thank you for the information. It's much appreciated! 

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

I like the blue, but the blue w/ a cream or tan primary color would be nice...I find gray and black overdone.  

While I think a lot of auto enthusiasts would agree, I think the masses think the opposite. I know a lot of people who just want all black interiors. Well, I think everybody I know who's bought a vehicle recently has wanted an all black interior, for whatever reason. 

I'm more of a fan of dark brown leathers. I'm a sucker for that. 

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

 

While I think a lot of auto enthusiasts would agree, I think the masses think the opposite. I know a lot of people who just want all black interiors. Well, I think everybody I know who's bought a vehicle recently has wanted an all black interior, for whatever reason. 

I'm more of a fan of dark brown leathers. I'm a sucker for that. 

I do have an all-black interior in my Cadillac..but a black Cadillac w/ black interior does look so good, IMO...and I do have have chrome and copperish trim along w/ the woodgrain...but if I didn't have the pano roof it would be pretty dour in there. 

Genesis has been doing a great job w/ interior color options, IMO.. blues, reds, browns..

 

[G. David Felt]

5 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I do have an all-black interior in my Cadillac..but a black Cadillac w/ black interior does look so good, IMO...and I do have have chrome and copperish trim along w/ the woodgrain...but if I didn't have the pano roof it would be pretty dour in there. 

Genesis has been doing a great job w/ interior color options, IMO.. blues, reds, browns..

 

Agree, this 2025 two-tone interior is striking in the brown/black design.

[smk4565]

Home run on the power and performance at that price point too, with the tax credit while it lasts this is a 3.5 second 0-60 car for like $61k.  There is lot to like here.  300 miles would have bene nice, I don't know if they could make an eco mode to decouple a motor to increase range.  Faster charging would be nice, but I think most people charge at home and won't care about that.

Where this car misses, like David said is the interior choices.  There are only black and that light gray leather and the dash is the same on all of them.  This is a problem with a lot of Cadillacs.  Every Cadillac should have 5 leather colors, 5 different dash trim options, 5 different wheel options.  You have to give luxury buyers customization choices.  The Lyric-V is black interior only, unless you get the Premium trim you have an option or tan.  Can't have 2 choices only on an $85,000 car.

The Mercedes GLC has 10 wheel options, 6 MB-tex seat options, 7 leather choices, 6 dash trim choices.  And that is a bottom end Mercedes, on par with Optiq.  Even if the Optiq offered 10 seat covering choices instead of 2 they still have less than the competition.