Compact five-seat Optiq and mammoth seven-chair Vistiq signed off to join just-landing Lyriq.

ONE smaller, one bigger than the one just arriving here now.

That’s the end game for Cadillac with confirmation an expansion to its electric car range in New Zealand will occur in 2026, with the compact five seat Optiq and upsized, seven chair Vistiq.

These will site either side of the Lyriq that paves the make’s return after more than 50 years and is already in New Zealand, though apparently for testing and promotion rather than public use.

Pricing, specification and exact availability timing for the additional new models are set to be confirmed until next year.

All three site on General Motors’ ‘BEV3’ platform and use its ‘Ultium’ drive motors.

Optiq currently provisions with an 85kWh lithium ion battery for a claimed 480km range, while power comes from a 224kW/480Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive system.

Outputs for Vistiq (below) in the US market are up to 459kW/880Nm, feeding from a 102kWh battery for a range of around 480km. In its home market a dual-motor all-wheel drive drivetrain is standard.

Local and regional representatives for America’s premier marque expressed optimism for the opportunities they foresee from having alternates to the Lyriq, which is now available to order, initially in $117,000 Luxury and $119,000 Sport variants. A higher performance V-Spec edition is landing next year for an undisclosed price.

General Motors high-ups in the conference video call announcing the programme expressed confidence they can negotiate the increasingly tricky terrain for car makers in North America.

Donald Trump’s threatening of tariffs have caused huge alarm with domestic and foreign car makers assembling vehicles in North America.

While there was reference to economic and market factors making it difficult to estimate how the cars will likely position and for what price, Cadillac global vice-president John Roth - pictured at the top of this story- and General Motors Speciality Vehicles’ NZ managing director Jess Bala said confirmation of the Optiq (below) and Vistiq for NZ, Australia and Japan highlights the make’s “commitment to global right-hand drive markets”.

While no specific rivals in this market for the cars have been mentioned, in the US Optiq positions against the Mercedes-Benz EQB, Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX3

GM’s Roth called it a ‘gateway’ model for luxury electric vehicle customers.

It supports a maximum direct-current (DC) fast charging speed of 150kW, which is claimed to add around 127 kilometres of range in 10 minutes.

US specification runs to a 33-inch combined instrument and infotainment display, a 19-speaker AKG Studio audio system with Dolby Atmos support, 126-colour configurable ambient lighting, 21-inch alloy wheels, an illuminated front grille, and Super Cruise hands-free highway driving support.

Vistiq is known as a baby Escalade on its home turf. And is the second-largest electric SUV it builds, beaten only by the iQ L which has just revealed Stateside but is not yet being considered for right hand drive.

Vistiq is nonetheless longer than the Kia EV9 and the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 9, as well as the Mercedes-Benz EQS.

It places on the same platform as Lyriq (below), and has an identical wheelbase, but is 217mm longer, 226mm wider and 184mm taller.

US market appointments include heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, five-zone climate control system, a 23-speaker AKG Studio sound system, ambient lighting, unique speaker grilles with a herringbone pattern and a panoramic sunroof that is joined by a second glass panel over the third row of seats.

Cadillac will initially nationally represent from a single outlet, in Auckland, that has yet to open - Bala suggests it should be operational by April - with a direct sales programme planned.

She says with Lyriq, Lyriq V, Optiq and Vistiq, the brand will “have a Cadillac for every customer that is sure to exceed their expectations of what a luxury vehicle truly can be.”