Automotive Engineering - August 2022 - 11

ROAD READY
yield 102 kWh of capacity. (By comparison,
the Hummer EV effectively adds
another layer of modules to double battery-pack
capacity.) The rear-drive Lyriq
uses one permanent-magnet variant of
the Ultium traction motor lineup to generate
a peak 340 hp and 325 lb-ft (441
Nm). The all-wheel drive Lyriq adds a
PM motor at the front axle for total system
output of 500 hp, with torque rating
yet to be finalized at the time of the
media introduction.
At the pavement, it all amounts to a
driving range up to 312 miles (502 km)
for the rear-drive Lyriq, which seems adequate,
if not extravagant. Charging times
for 240V Level II charging are roughly 37
miles' range per hour using the base 11.5kW
onboard charger and 60-amp capability.
The RWD Lyriq is fitted with a 19.2kW
onboard charger that, combined with
a special 100-amp household circuit, can
provide a max of 52 miles' range per
charging hour. As part of its go-to-market
strategy, Cadillac is providing buyers with
a $1500 credit with charger-installer partner
Qmerit. Meanwhile, public DC fastcharging
yields up to 76 miles' range in 10
minutes of charging.
Slinky suspension
The 2023 Lyriq has a new short/longarm
5-link suspension attached by a
solid-mount front cradle. Its design,
said engineers, effectively is a doubleIs
there a reminiscence of GM's former Saab brand in the Lyriq's C-pillar and rear window?
wishbone " with an extra link. " We'd like
to say it makes magic for the car's handling,
but low-speed cornering and
steering response feels ponderous. At
higher speeds, feedback is at best muted
and benign. At the rear is another
5-link independent layout on an isolated
cradle. All corners feature what
Cadillac is calling " Passive Plus " dampers
with frequency-dependent tuning
meant to provide optimum response in
challenging frequency ranges without
the complexity and expense of adaptive
dampers - which may come in the future,
engineers admitted.
Driver-adjustable " one-pedal " driving
enhances the deceleration experience
and of course determines how much
regenerative energy is returned to the
battery. And Cadillac has innovated on
the steering-wheel-paddle regen actuation
introduced for the Chevrolet Bolt
by making it a proportion-based action
determined by how much the paddle is
pulled, with deceleration ranging from
0.23g to 0.35g. It's an engaging function
that's superbly executed.
Another driving-experience upgrade
Lyriq's GM-engineered traction motors are
designed as a single family to suit a range of 20
EVs by 2023.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
is acceleration-based. Brewer said engineers
wanted to avoid the slam-bang
acceleration feel common for EVs and
the instant maximum torque from their
motors. For the Lyriq, accelerator-pedal
mashing produces determined thrust,
to be sure, but it does seem more " metered "
and fluid than some high-powered
EVs. Cadillac doesn't quote a 0-60
mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration time, but
this developmental facet may marginally
blunt the hard numbers in favor of a
more luxury-prioritized experience.
The Lyriq's cabin's showcase feature is
its 33-in. (838-mm) continuous " freeform "
LCD encompassing the area of the
traditional gauge cluster and the center
stack. Well-regarded gaming developer
Unreal Engine provides the 3D graphics
and the operating system (OS) is from
Google. Look elsewhere for haptic feedback
from touch interfaces, which
Cadillac formerly tried without much
approval. Although the graphics indeed
are striking, many vehicles at the media
launch suffered from various degrees of
software and UX malfunctions. Engineers
were quick to say that the test vehicles
were in need of updates. And although
the tactile surfaces are generally highquality
- Cadillac's interior designers
noted they were determined that their
first EV would have no GM parts-bin interior
pieces - there is a smattering of
less-than-ideal minor trim.
The 2023 Lyriq is a roomy package
with a unique profile. The new-age exterior
styling blends many mostly attractive
cues - and genuine presence.
We wonder whether its appearance
(more on the wagon than SUV side of
the profile spectrum) will be enthusiastically
embraced, but the Lyriq has
class-competitive performance and features.
Cadillac seems to have learned
from past lessons about premium pricing:
the 2023 Lyriq seems aggressively
priced at its $62,990 base price for
RWD, with AWD adding $2000 - even
if Cadillac did concede many features
and options have yet to be introduced.
Bill Visnic
August 2022 11
BOTH IMAGES: GM
Automotive Engineering - August 2022

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