519 Horsepower in a Cocktail Dress - Meet the Cadillac Optiq-V
Image Credit: Cadillac.
If you, just like me, thought the world had enough small, zippy, electric crossovers to fill a stadium, it turns out we were both wrong. Cadillac, fashionably late as always, just waltzed in and slid another one onto the dance floor. Meet the 2026 Cadillac Optiq-V. It's the brand's newest, smallest, and feistiest electric toy, and it's arriving with the kind of swagger that makes you lean in for a closer look.
For decades, that little "V" badge on a Cadillac meant something wonderful was about to happen to your eardrums, usually involving a very large, very loud, gasoline-burning engine. Times have changed. The V-Series has gone electric, and while it may have lost its voice, it certainly hasn't lost its kick. This little Caddy is packing a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system that delivers a rather silly 519 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque.
Image Credit: Cadillac.
Naturally, with that much power, it's quick. Cadillac says it'll scamper from a dead stop to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. It's the kind of acceleration that's completely unnecessary for the school run, which, of course, is precisely why we love it. It's a silent assassin, ready to surprise that smug-looking sports car at the traffic light.
The all-important battery has an 85 kWh capacity that Cadillac claims will give you about 275 miles of range. And here's where my enthusiasm takes a brief pause for a cup of tea and a gentle sigh. Two hundred and seventy-five miles? It's adequate. It's fine. It'll get you where you need to go, most of the time - as long as you don't enjoy that mountain of torque too often. But when some rivals are breezing past the 300-mile mark, it feels a tad underwhelming, but we need to remember that the Optiq weighs a hefty 5,445 pounds. That's a lot of Caddy to haul around.
Image Credit: Cadillac.
Thankfully, there's a brilliant silver lining. The Optiq-V is one of the first GM vehicles to come with a native NACS plug. For those of you who don't speak fluent "Electric," that means you can plug it directly into a Tesla Supercharger without fumbling with one of those clunky, embarrassing adapters. This is a huge deal, and it makes road-tripping anxiety just a little bit smaller. Plus, on a proper DC fast charger, it can suck up about 70 miles of range in 10 minutes. Not bad at all.
Curiously, Cadillac's engineers are calling the Optiq-V a "canyon carver." A 2.7-ton crossover that carves canyons? It sounds a bit like teaching an elephant to do ballet, but to be fair, they've thrown the whole toolbox at it: a sophisticated adaptive suspension, clever torque vectoring technology, massive 15.4-inch Brembo brakes up front, and tires specially developed to handle the shenanigans. I'm reserving judgment, but I'm still picturing a very graceful elephant.
Image Credit: Cadillac.
There's no denying that the Optiq certainly looks the part of a performer. It's got an aggressive face with a gloss black splitter that looks like it wants to scrape squirrels off the pavement. It wears stunning 21-inch wheels, a sleek black roof, and can be optioned with a carbon fiber package for that extra dash of "look at me." There are even some exclusive V-Series colors, like Magnus Metal Frost, which sounds exactly like something a Viking would name his favorite battle-axe. It's handsome, in a slightly angry sort of way.
Inside, the spectacle continues with a jaw-dropping 33-inch screen that curves gently around the driver. It's gorgeous and has Google built right in, so it's smart, too. There are lovely little V-Series touches everywhere, from the sporty steering wheel to the subtle carbon fiber trim. And in a nod to saving the planet while you're speeding across it, some of the fabrics are woven from yarn made of recycled materials. So, you can feel virtuous while enjoying the 19-speaker AKG sound system and the vast panoramic glass roof.
Image Credit: Cadillac.
There's only a tiny bit of bad news. If you were planning on using your high-performance electric Caddy to, say, tow a small boat or a couple of jet skis, you're out of luck. The standard Optiq can pull a modest 1,500 pounds, but the go-fast V-Series model has a towing capacity of precisely zero. It's all show and go, but no tow.
What's the price for all this silent speed and high-tech luxury? The Optiq-V starts at $68,795. That's a considerable pile of cash, but it's nearly ten grand less than its big brother, the Lyriq-V. Its main nemesis, the Tesla Model Y Performance, is expected to be about $10,000 cheaper. So, Cadillac is betting that the plusher interior, the striking design, and that prestigious badge are worth the premium. Is Cadillac right? I can't wait to get my hands on one and find out if this electric Caddy can really dance.
