GM Shares New Details On Upcoming Ultra Cruise System, Confirms Enhanced Mapping And Sensor Suite

The 2024 Cadillac Celestiq is shaping up to be a game-changer for Cadillac as the brand prepares to enter the EV age. While the $300,000 plus four door sedan is preparing to bring the fight to Bentley and Rolls-Royce with its bespoke levels of luxury. GM chose to share more details about the all-new Ultra Cruise system which will be a trademark feature on the Celestiq when it goes on sale.

 

Ultra Cruise Is What Happens When Super Cruise Goes To Reform School

The Ultra Cruise system is based on GM’s Super Cruise system. As such, Ultra Cruise shares some of the core essentials of that system including the mixture of LiDar, radar, and camera sensors that allow it to sense where the equipped vehicle is on the road. We had a chance to see this system in action on the Hummer EV and the GMC Sierra Denali. However, this system adds more powerful processing hardware and additional sensors that allow it to have a full 360-degree view of the vehicle. It also doesn’t hurt either that this system has more mapped roads at its disposal with the system being able to work on 2.9 million miles of roads which is a jump over the 400,000 miles of roads that Super Cruise has at its disposal. GM also claims that the feature is capable of working both on freeways and city streets.

“GM’s fundamental strategy for all ADAS features, including Ultra Cruise, is safely deploying these technologies,” said Jason Ditman, GM chief engineer, Ultra Cruise. “A deep knowledge of what Ultra Cruise is capable of, along with the detailed picture provided by its sensors, will help us understand when Ultra Cruise can be engaged and when to hand control back to the driver. We believe consistent, clear operation can help build drivers’ confidence in Ultra Cruise.”

GM claims that the way the system processes the various data streams together is called “sensor fusion” and marks an impressive evolution over past GM systems. This will also give the Celestiq a unique niche in the bespoke luxury car segment with neither Rolls Royce or Bentley offering a comparable system in their models.

 

When Can I Experience Ultra Cruise?

The Ultra Cruise system will make its debut on the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq with the model being the only one in GM’s entire lineup to offer the technology. Super Cruise owners hoping that they can perhaps upgrade their systems to match its specs are out of luck. GM claims that due to the additional sensors and hardware needed to make the system work, it cannot retrofit it onto existing Super Cruise equipped vehicles.

As a result, that means the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq will be the only way (for now) that buyers can experience this latest evolution of Super Cruise. Look for that to change in the future though especially if GM chooses to make the system more readily available in future Cadillac models like the Cadillac Escalade as well as some of its other upcoming EV offerings.

Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.

Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.

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