GM’s Cadillac Set To Re-enter Australia With Lyriq EV – Is Malaysia A Possiblity?

GM looks set to re-boot the Cadillac brand Down Under starting with its Lyriq luxury EV SUV.

General Motors (GM) looks set to reboot its Cadillac luxury marque in Australia and New Zealand starting from the end of 2024. The first model reportedly set for launch from this effort is the Cadillac brand’s Lyriq luxury electric SUV.

Entering the Australian and Kiwi markets will see the Lyriq sold in right-hand-drive (RHD) form which, fortunately for GM and its Cadillac brand, isn’t a stretch. Like the latest eighth-gen and now mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette sportscar, the Lyriq already has a RHD version available from the factory.

Cadillac's first ever EV model, the Lyriq packs a 102 kWh NCMA battery pack that juices either a single (rear) or dual-motor driveline setup outputting 240 HP and 500 HP respectively.

As a refresher, the Lyriq stands as Cadillac’s first ever electric vehicle (EV) when it was debuted back in 2021 before entering production last year. The mid-sized luxury EV SUV is built in GM’s Spring Hill Manufacturing plant in Tennessee, as well as in Shanghai, China through partners SAIC-GM.

The Lyriq features a sizeable 102 kWh lithium-ion NCMA type battery pack juicing either a single (rear) or dual-motor driveline setup that outputs either 240 HP and 441 NM (single-motor) or 500 HP and 610 NM (dual-motor).

Both regular AC and DC rapid charging inputs are accepted by the Lyriq, the former up to 19.2 kW and the latter up to 190 kW. 

Moreover, the Lyriq accepts AC charging up to 19.2 kW, as well as DC rapid charging up to 190 kW. As for range, the single-motor variant boasts a claimed EPA-rated figure of 314 miles (505 KM) whilst the dual-motor variant’s claimed EPA-rated figure of 307 miles (494 KM) instead.

For Australia, the Cadillac Lyriq will reportedly see nappa leather interior offered as standard across the board, along with heated and ventilated front seats with massage functions, heated rear seats, tri-zone climate control, ambient lighting, panoramic glass roof, 16.5-inch 9K OLED infotainment touchscreen, 16.5-inch digital dash display, and a 19-speaker AKG Studio audio system with active noise-cancellation.

Set to rival against things like the BMW iX, the Cadillac Lyriq does come richly-kitted with a bevy of tech including an ultra-wide dual 16.5-inch digital display module.

Also set to be featured in Australian-bound Lyriqs are a panoramic glass sunroof (left), as well as heated and ventilated plus massage function-equipped front seats.

GM plans to retail Cadillac Down Under via an agency model, with the aim of “providing an elevated luxurious experience to that customer from the minute they may enter their details in a website or visit one of our Cadillac Experience Centres, all the way through to purchase and beyond that,” says Jess Bala, managing director of General Motors Australia and New Zealand.

The exec further notes that the Lyriq will compete against the likes of the BMW iX, Audi Q8 e-tron, and perhaps the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. More details surrounding its retail price, dedicated brand outlets, as well as after-sales offers will be disclosed closer towards the model’s official Australian launch date too.

GM looks set to retail Cadillac and the Lyriq in Australia and New Zealand through an agency model starting end of 2024.

With the Cadillac brand’s re-entry into Australia and New Zealand via its Lyriq EV SUV, some have posed the question if parent company GM would look into doing the same in other RHD markets in the region – Malaysia being one of which.

Presently, there aren’t any indication of GM doing so just yet despite Malaysia’s warm incentives towards EVs – both fully imported (CBU) and localised (CKD) models. Regionally GM withdrew its operations due to waning sales, culminating with the 2020 sale of its plant in Rayong, Thailand to Great Wall Motors.

Despite withdrawing from the ASEAN region some years back, GM's push to reboot Cadillac with an EV in Australia does show promising signs of a future return in this region.

Nevertheless, the push to reintroduce Cadillac in Australia and New Zealand might be the first step towards GM’s return into ASEAN, more so given the region’s rapidly-growing acceptance and uptake of luxury EVs.

What do you folks reckon? Should GM consider a similar push with the Cadillac Lyriq here in Malaysia? As always, hit the comments below - as well as our social media platforms - with your thoughts on this...