2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V Review: 3 Tons of Balance

Is the New Cadillac Lyriq-V Quick?

• Absolutely! Cadillac quotes the Lyriq-V’s 0-60 mph time at 3.3 seconds, made possible by the SUV’s impressive 615 horsepower, instant 650 pounds-feet of torque and standard launch control.

What Does the Cadillac Lyriq-V Compete With?

• Main competitors include the more expensive Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV and BMW iX M70, the smaller Porsche Macan Electric and the less powerful Audi SQ6 e-Tron.

I’d be genuinely impressed if you understand the true ethos of the new 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V purely from Caddy’s messaging. The brand is quite vocal that this 615-horsepower all-electric SUV is the quickest-accelerating production Cadillac in history but doesn’t mention that this is more of a happy personality quirk than an intentional characteristic. In other words: Caddy’s first all-electric “V” was always going to be quick by virtue of its electric powertrain.

Related: 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V: Slicker and Quicker

The rest is more subtle. The lack of a Blackwing nameplate appendage here is the biggest tell: In the same tempo as the non-Blackwing CT4-V and CT5-V, think of the new Lyriq-V and forthcoming Optiq-V as Caddy’s alternatives to Audi’s S-line e-Tron products, Mercedes-AMG’s EQs and BMW’s iX M70. Like the rest of this competitive field, the Lyriq-V’s character is that of balance, not brutality — the latter available in the Blackwings and AMG’s hybrid E Performance variants.

How Much Power Does the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V Have?

A rather long-winded way to say the Lyriq-V offers measured fun that’ll mash your face on an empty on-ramp, then massage your rump on a clogged off-ramp. The V’s 615 hp and 650 pounds-feet of torque isn’t too hair-raising when compared to the standard dual-motor Lyriq’s 515 hp and 450 pounds-feet, but it’s the Lyriq-V’s delivery of this extra-cream top that’ll have passengers reaching for the “Please slow down!” grab handle.

A regular dual-motor Lyriq cracks 0-60 mph in the sprightly, modestly thrilling high-four-second range, so achieved through simply flooring it from a stoplight, on-ramp, Trader Joe’s parking lot exit or your annoying neighbor’s side yard. Engage the Lyriq-V’s standard launch control function, and the official 0-60 figure drops to 3.3 seconds en route to a quarter-mile time “under 12 seconds,” according to Cadillac.

Impressive on paper, impressive in the real world. I engaged launch control a number of times during the drive program’s feature demo and reckon the acceleration rides the fine, carbon-fiber line between neat and nauseating. Your average Lyriq buyer likely wouldn’t want more than what the Lyriq-V offers, as it has more than enough neck-straining accelerative gut pressure to surprise even the most jaded of CTS-V enthusiasts.

Equally surprising is how well this medium-spicy Lyriq takes to an autocross or one of the lovely wooded back roads weaving through the lush Pacific Northwest. An inventory of the V’s go-get-’em weaponry is telling: There are Brembo calipers for just the front wheels, and a traditional, valve-based adaptive suspension contrasts with the widespread use of magnetorheological-based Magnetic Ride Control in other GM performance cars.

How Does the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V Handle?

So, not a comprehensive motorsports-ready setup, but it’s a well-balanced one that allows for some dynamic fun when a Lyriq-V owner finds themselves facing down an empty mountain pass. With nothing at risk other than some crushed cones, I hurled the Lyriq-V through Cadillac’s parking-lot autocross with a level of aggression and abuse exponentially beyond what you can expect any electric crossover to suffer in day-to-day use.

It’s hardly the second coming of ye olde CTS-V Sport Wagon, but the Lyriq-V pulls a decent impression of a finely appointed 5,980-pound hot hatch. The standard performance tires — measuring P275/40R22 front and rear — return admirable grip, with loud, screaming understeer only occurring well beyond the threshold of reasonable capability. Directional changes are also impressive for the SUV’s size and bulk, but there’s absolutely no mistaking the Lyriq-V for the mid-size electric crossover that it is.

Steering and braking are expectedly digital and nearly devoid of feel or nuance, but that’s the case all the way up the electric-vehicle ladder save for very few exceptions. Brake blend (the balance between the regenerative resistance and physical brakes) is average, with more than a few moments of herky-jerky braking during my 120-mile drive. Operator error? Most certainly, but I found it difficult to fully adapt to by the end of the day.

How Comfortable Is the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V?

The on-demand regen paddle on the left of the steering wheel is a hoot, as it is in other GM EVs. Familiar since the dearly departed Chevrolet Volt, this cheeky regen paddle has evolved from a moderately effective binary on/off brake button to a well-tuned rheostat that can provide a bit of braking or seriously scrub speed. In concert with the automatic max-regen setting and front Brembo clampers, the 3-ton Caddy hauls itself down from a 615-hp rush with face-smushing effectiveness.

As for drive modes, I oscillated between the Lyriq-V’s Tour (comfort) and V-Mode settings, depending on both environment and attitude. Left alone, the Lyriq-V is a requisitely comfortable day-to-day luxury crossover, with only a moderate amount of compromise in ride quality over broken or rough pavement. Noise and road-grain isolation is appropriate for the price, purpose and badge, though buyers who simply want the topline Lyriq might do well to get a loaded, non-V dual-motor version instead.

Still, you can expect a loaded Lyriq-V to have all the interior finery and tech present elsewhere in the lineup. This includes the model’s elegant 33-inch dashtop display that combos as both driver information cluster and center infotainment interface and is supported by an augmented reality head-up display as well as a strip of physical controls for climate and volume functions.

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• Shop for a 2026 Cadillac Lyriq Near You

Does the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V Have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

Cadillac’s Google-based infotainment system is both handsome to look at and reactive to use. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are present, but the built-in Google navigation is begrudgingly becoming my preferred method. Everything else is exactly what you’d expect in an $80,000-plus Cadillac, with its heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, wireless device charging, available leather upholstery, intricate trim, knurled accents, and a comprehensively muted and softened environment that’ll be familiar to the modern Cadillac customer.

And for those already versed in Lyriq, both charging and range will be familiar. Though it’s powered by the same 102-kilowatt-hour battery, all that extra power predictably cuts the Lyriq-V’s estimated driving range to 285 miles, down from the regular dual-motor Lyriq’s 319 miles. The brand was a bit cagey about the V’s max DC fast-charging rate, but I expect it’ll be identical to the regular Lyriq’s 190-kilowatt maximum rate based on the stated charging scenarios. According to Cadillac, the Lyriq-V will gain “up to 75 miles of range in about 10 minutes of charging” and will go “from a low state of charge to 80% in about 41 minutes.” Not bad, but not great.

It’s satisfying when a vehicle adheres solidly to its expectations even if there’s a bit of a philosophical tangle to unravel. The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V is one of the brand’s high notes, embodying all the duality expected of the badge. Just make sure you wouldn’t be better served by the less expensive, longer-legged and still-powerful dual-motor Lyriq.

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