The Cadillac Lyriq EV Has Completed Its “80 Percent” Validation Drive

The all-electric Cadillac Lyriq recently completed its “80 percent” validation drive, the automaker says. That means that the SUV has crossed an important development threshold and all that’s left for the engineers to do is fine-tune.

To pass the test, the Lyriq had to run through a barrage of tests in varying conditions. The team created a special route that included freeway, urban, and rural driving scenarios. Driving under real-world conditions the engineers assessed the Lyriq’s drive quality.

“We have spent countless hours behind the wheel of our Lyriq test fleet and in virtual testing environments to be sure we deliver our customers a comprehensive luxury experience expressed in an all-new electrified package,” said Jamie Brewer, executive chief engineer. “All the while we are remaining true to our brand promise by placing high priority on meticulous craftsmanship and intuitive integrated technologies.”

The development was also facilitated by virtual tests that supported parallel processes, as well as testing in the southern hemisphere to complete cold-weather testing on time.

“We’re now fine-tuning Lyriq’s touchpoints,” said Brewer. “We’re making tweaks to a variety of areas as we do after every development drive, but we’re nearly there. Customers will love this driving experience and, we feel that it will redefine their expectations for electric luxury vehicles.”

With a near 50/50 weight distribution, exceptional chassis stiffness, a low center of gravity, and five-link suspension front-and-rear, the automaker’s engineers are were offered a lot of flexibility when it comes to chassis tuning.

“Lyriq has exceptional torsional stiffness,” said Todd Bruder, lead development engineer. “As a result, we were able to dial in exceptional responsiveness in the steering and suspension systems while simultaneously elevating the brand’s signature feeling of comfort to an entirely new plateau.”

Production of the Lyriq is set to begin in spring 2022 at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant, starting with the Debut Edition. It is available with a range of advanced technologies, as well as a 12-module, 100.4kWh battery pack, and rear-wheel-drive. Power is estimated at 340 hp (345 PS/253 kW) and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque, while the range is expected to push 300 miles per charge.

Although Cadillac can take no more reservations for the Lyriq Debut Edition, it says it will open reservations for other models in summer 2022.