Cadillac Announces First Road Test For Celestiq EV, Debuts Spacey Camo Wrap

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The 2023 Cadillac Celestiq made waves several months ago when the luxury brand unveiled the Celestiq near-production concept. It looked like it leaped off the pages of a designer magazine and had luxury trappings that firmly put it in the crosshairs of Rolls Royce and Bentley. The one key problem, though, was that the Celestiq was a concept at the time, and it didn’t offer a good look at what a full production version would look like. Cadillac revealed that it has now begun the road testing phase for the elegant four-door. 

 

Intergalactic Camouflage Hides Key Celestiq Details

Cadillac may have moved to the formal road testing phase, but that doesn’t mean that the brand is ready to reveal all the details just yet, with the test car sporting a camo scheme that’s filled with stars and other out-of-this-world elements. The suit of clothes proved to be a formidable challenge to our photo viewing software, but despite the brand’s best efforts to conceal it, some noticeable changes still leap out to the eye. The striped accents in the grille are gone, with the lower front fascia being slightly reworked versus what we originally saw on the show car.

The massive taillights appear to have been carried over from the concept, but the lower lamps look like they have been tweaked slightly to eliminate the blade look that the concept sported. The side profile itself also looks like it has been toned down slightly, and the car’s length becomes more apparent when you look at it in the real-world photos that Cadillac released. The use of GM’s Global Tech Center in Warren, Michigan, is no accident, either with the Celestiq being produced at the facility. The interior will also benefit from the hand-built nature of its construction, with Cadilac revealing in the past that the cabin will not only come loaded with high-quality materials but also an impressive arsenal of technology, including a massive 55-inch display screen and a four-zone dimming moonroof.

 

A Big Mystery Remains

While Cadilac’s latest round of photos is serving as our first glimpse of the production version, they don’t reveal the full extent of the performance side of the story. We know that it will be powered by GM’s Ultium technology, but Cadillac has still not released formal horsepower numbers for the bespoke four-door. We suspect that it could make over 1,000 hp and perhaps come with a few drive modes borrowed from the Hummer EV and other Ultium-powered models to help it perform to its full potential.

Another lingering question is the final pricing for the Celestiq. Cadillac has not revealed that potential slice of information either, but rumors have suggested that a base model could start at over $300,000, making it the most expensive Cadillac that the luxury brand has ever created. Like the horsepower question, we get to wait a while longer to see the final sticker price for the production version of the Celestiq but look for it to reflect the kind of bespoke and ultra-wealthy clientele that Cadillac is attempting to reach with this model. We look forward to getting behind the wheel soon to see if it manages to outshine Rolls and Bentley and whether it succeeds in writing a new chapter for Cadillac.       

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