Cadillac Lyriq still on course for NZ launch

The Cadillac brand will be on sale here in NZ soon with the new Lyriq. And the company has no intentions of scaling things back in the face of slowing EV sales. 

While Nissan NZ recently canned its intended launch of the Ariya indefinitely, and Kia has delayed the on-sale of its EV5, Cadillac will be here by year’s end with the all-electric Lyriq. 

General Motors Australia and New Zealand managing director, Jess Bala, told media recently she is confident of the Lyriq’s potential and that the time is right for the new luxury brand with its EV focus. 

And there are more electric Cadillacs coming with another two models confirmed for local launch in the second and third quarters of 2025.

“We want to set ourselves apart through the vehicle and the customer experience, and in activation terms, we are looking at everything,” Bala says, while making sure that ‘everything end-to-end is very customer centric’.

Cadillac will open Experience Centres in major Australian cities, with one planned for Auckland too. For those outside the Auckland area, Cadillac is working on a special delivery experience via regional Customer Experience Centres.

Bala says the Lyriq isn’t intended ‘to sell in high volumes’.

“From our standpoint, it’s still intended to be a niche entry. We’re not going after mainstream volumes. 

“We’re going after that higher end luxury premium space where we think we can really deliver not just the stunning car that matches the brand and delivers on the brand promise, but also the customer experience.”

“I truly believe that once people get in and see the Lyriq in person, it will blow them away.

“I think once we get it out and into the public, it will do an amazing job of selling itself and that will allow us to set ourselves apart.”