Cadillac Lyriq-V first drive, a 3.3 second sport-luxury beast

Cadillac is throwing a whole bunch more of the HPs and performance into the Lyriq and adordning it with its legendary “V” moniker for 2026’s model year and we got flown to Seattle to get a first drive. It did not dissapoint!

Cadillac first announced the 2026 Lyriq-V in January and already knew it would be the quickest Cadillac ever. With the dual-motor AWD producing 615 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque in Velocity Max mode, the Lyriq-V takes off as fast as a Ferrari while still seating five, luxuriously.

While I think most drivers would prefer to have all of that power available at any time, it does require a process to get it to go into “V-Mode” which gives full access to all of that horsepower and torque. You can either select the V icon from the steering wheel, located near the SuperCruise buttons (shown above) or select it from the menu in the center screen.

Then you must push the brake down very hard until the screen animation gives you the go ahead. Then with your right foot, you hit the accelerator while keeping the brake down. When ready to lurch forward, you release the brake and chirp out.

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In my testing in the parking lot and on the streets of Seattle, the acceleration to 60-mph took under 3.3 seconds and some of my collegues were able to get below 3 seconds, though the track had an almost unnoticable slight downhill slope to it. Cadillac stands by its 3.3 second 0-60 time and also puts the 1/4 mile in under 12 seconds.

Autocross in a Caddy?

Next up was Autocross in “Competitive mode”. The Lyriq-V turns into an agile machine capable of drifting through tight turns. A great way to really showcase the rigitity of those 22-inch tires.

• Stability control thresholds are elevated to allow more side slip before activation
• Traction control preemptively manages front axle torque based on lateral acceleration to reduceon-throttle understeer in a corner
• Brake torque vectoring applies inside wheel brake pressure in a corner to transfer torque to the outside wheels, similar to a limited slip differential

It almost seems unfair that this vehicle turns back into a luxury Cadillac once off the course.

The full list of upgrades that the $80,000 Lyriq-V includes:

• V-Mode takes performance customization further, allowing drivers to save performance-focused settings, including Competitive Mode and a unique sound experience. It’s intended to offer instant access to their preferred performance-driving settings via the V button, mounted on the steering wheel. V-Mode can also be accessed in the Drive Mode app within the 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED display.
• Unique, multi-layered sound experience. Interior and exterior signature sounds are synchronized for an orchestrated sonic experience.
• Launch Control, designed for consistently thrilling straight line acceleration. When engaged in V-Mode or Velocity Max, the vehicle will deliver an extremely rapid 3.3 second 0-60 acceleration.
• Competitive Mode enables a suite of traction management features specifically engineered to increase vehicle agility.
• Brembo performance front brake calipers are standard. In addition to providing excellent stopping capability, they’re designed to provide consistent, fade-resistant performance during spirited driving. Available red calipers are accented with the V-Series logo.
• Standard Super Cruise , the industry’s first truly hands-free driver assistance technology (with three years of OnStar connected service).

The added hardware, 22-inch wheels and sport tires bring the range down from over 326 miles in the normal Lyriq to 285 Miles for the V. Level 2 charges at 19.2 kW (80A @240V) provides around 44 miles/hour, while 190kW fast DC charging can add roughly 75 miles in 10 minutes. NACS adapter is included for access to Tesla Supercharger network.

We reviewed the much less expensive Chevy Blazer SS a few months ago and of course there are many similarities with these two GM vehicles. Both have 22-inch wheels, 615 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque and that 102kWh battery. The Blazer SS notches a .1 second slower 0-60 time but exchanges almost 20 extra miles of range somehow.

Cadillac is confident that V customers are willing to trade the extra miles for the performance of the V and it seems to really know its customers well. I certainly enjoyed the big tech features:

• 33-in diagonal advanced LED display (no CarPlay 🙁 )
• Standard Super Cruise with new advanced driver assistance enhancements
• Dual-Plane Augmented Reality Head Up Display
• 23-speaker AKG Studio sound system with Dolby Atmos

Electrek’s take

I don’t know what the Venn diagram looks like for $80K Cadillac drivers who also was to propel themselves from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds looks like but the fact that the company is successfully turning its customer base to electricity, perhaps better than any other legacy car brand. The company hopes to be 45% electric by numbers at the end of the year and hopes to be the first traditional car brand over the 50% electric by sales next year. It isn’t afraid of losing momentum when the $7500 federal tax credit ends since most of its customers are outside of the restrictions of the rebate anyway.

The Lyriq has been Cadillac’s best seller outside of the Escalade with over 60,000 sold to date and with this new perfomance model, hopes to grab even more share. The company notes that V customers are 6 years younger on average and more affluent and male. Lyriq and the smaller Optiq notched 71% conquests from other brands including a healthy percentage of Tesla owners.

As for the Lyriq-V, this is a best of both worlds luxury/sport SUV with all the creature comforts you’d expect from a Cadillac. Some people might be concerned about the 285 mile range or the lack of CarPlay but for most in this demographic, the Lyriq-V delivers both on luxury and sport.