The Cadillac Celestiq is a luxurious battery EV with loads of tech on board that the company vowed to individualize for each customer and offer starting from $200,000. If sources of Wall Street Journal are to be believed, though, the real price will be closer to $300,000 with the annual production target of 500 units at most.
The matter is in the positioning: the Celestiq is being advertised as a high-end luxury item paving the way for Cadillac into the territory of Bentley and Rolls-Royce. High production costs of its electric powertrain are also a contributing factor.
It remains to be seen how Cadillac will try to explain the pricing. Insiders are reporting that the company wants to bet on natural trimming materials, including expensive wood, and the latest in self-driving tech.
To that end, the company may rename its Super Cruise tech to Ultra Cruise to highlight its cutting-edge status. Carscoops believes the system will be sufficient for ‘door-to-door’ unmanned trips, although keeping your hands on the wheel may remain a legal requirement. It will likely also be able to make correct turns at intersections, read traffic lights and park itself in tight spots.