One of many huge challenges the business faces proper now’s affordability. When instances are good, there are many individuals who will pay the typical value for a automobile. Many are prepared to pay extra. Just a few will pay much more. However, when the economic system is gentle and automobile gross sales decelerate, producers can’t plan on a bunch of individuals shopping for a $130,000 Escalade or a $105,000 pickup truck. So, they’re discovering that they should step partially again from such costly automobiles and focus extra on the inexpensive finish of the market.
One factor I didn’t anticipate to see just a few days in the past was that GM was going to do that within the Cadillac division. Why? As a result of GM doesn’t ship inexpensive automobiles to Caddy sellers. In the event you don’t have Cadillac bucks, you go to the Chevy vendor, proper? However, a current announcement from the corporate exhibits us that even Cadillac is needing to give attention to getting costs down a bit.
The division goes to do that with the upcoming Cadillac OPTIQ (pictured within the featured picture). In accordance with the very meager press launch/teaser, the OPTIQ would be the entry-level providing in GM’s luxurious division, and will probably be taking on a price-point under the LYRIQ.
Particulars are very skinny proper now, although. Pricing? We’ll discover out subsequent 12 months. Battery sizes and vary? Subsequent 12 months. Motor and drive wheel choices? You guessed it: subsequent 12 months. The one factor we all know is that it’s going to be a “luxurious compact SUV.”
However, the dearth of particulars doesn’t cease us from making some educated guesses about them.
First off, it appears fairly clear that it’s going to be a five-seat automobile. It’s simply not lengthy sufficient to accommodate a 3rd row. This implies it’s more likely to be corresponding to the Chevrolet Equinox EV or the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Whereas there’s no engineering purpose for GM to not make each automobile a unique variant of the Ultium platform, it makes extra sense to have totally different variants of comparable automobiles share as a lot as potential for price financial savings, even when the automobiles look fairly totally different on the floor.
Let’s have a look at a press picture of the Equinox EV from the identical angle because the OPTIQ:
The entrance finish seems to be prefer it might have match on the physique of the price range Equinox, however the again finish of the OPTIQ is lots smaller and narrower. The doorways of the Equinox additionally appear to go lots nearer to the again of the automobile. However, what in regards to the Blazer EV?
Now, we’re beginning to see some extra similarities. The place of the B and C pillars, the entrance finish, and the again finish all look much more much like the OPTIQ. So, this looks like a more likely candidate for the automobile to share manufacturing facility area and/or provide chains with.
Right here’s a blended picture for a extra shut comparability:
The pictures I might discover had been at barely totally different angles (7/8 vs 3/4), but it surely’s fairly apparent that they line up fairly properly. The scale of the entrance, the slope of the roof, and just about every part else appears to be a superb match. So, if I needed to guess cash on it, I’d say that the OPTIQ goes to be a Cadillac variant of the Blazer.
After all, the OPTIQ may have extra bells and whistles, Cadillac’s entrance finish, and another issues that make it nicer than the Chevy. However, on the finish of the day, the remainder of the battery and drivetrain choices will probably be largely the identical, however with the chance that the OPTIQ will supply extra energy within the high trim than the highest Blazer trim.
It’ll positively price just a few grand extra, however that’s apparent.
All pictures by GM.
