Designer Cadillac Experience Centre to Open in K Rd

Cadillac’s new home in New Zealand is on Auckland’s Karangahape Road. Known as the Auckland Cadillac Experience Centre, the facility that was once the Tesla showroom will open in Q2 2025.

Created in cahoots with architecture firm Gensler, the site was chosen because it isn’t in a traditional car sales location. Gensler designed Cadillac’s first European showroom in Zurich, Switzerland.

The new facility is nestled amongst funky boutiques, bars, and restaurants along one of Auckland’s most lively and energetic streets.

A two-storey, colonial-style building, it features an exposed brick facade and large glazed windows for plenty of natural light.

Inside, the showroom features a specialised vehicle delivery area with a luxurious guest lounge and a feature-vehicle ‘runway’. There’s also a design and personalisation centre, and an on-site service centre. 

The new building will also house GM New Zealand, which will relocate from Māngere East.

Jess Bala, Managing Director of GM Australia and New Zealand said: “The Cadillac brand is bold, luxurious, and future facing, so this incredible Karangahape Road location is the perfect launching pad for Cadillac in New Zealand.

“From the outset, we’ve said we want to bring Cadillac to the people, and not the other way around, so a location just moments from Auckland’s CBD makes experiencing vehicles like the Lyriq easy.”

The Lyriq will arrive here in dual-motor AWD range-topping trim.

Hooked up to a 102kWh lithium-ion battery, a combined 388kW of power and 610Nm of torque should make a 0-100 time of 4.6sec possible. Expect 530km of range on the WLTP cycle. With 190kW charging capability, you can add 200km in 15min.

The Lyriq measures 5005mm long on a 3094mm wheelbase, making it similar in size to a BMW iX/Mercedes-Benz EQE. Kerb weight is 2774kg.

Customer orders for Lyriq in New Zealand will commence from January 2025, first through Cadillac’s online configurator. Expect a special charge and warranty offer, as yet unspecified, as part of the $117k-$119k sticker price (Luxury and Sport models). That’s on a par with Korean opposition, and comfortably undercuts German rivals. Check out the Australasian website here.

Test-drive vehicles will also be available from early next year, initially from pop-up locations, before moving to Auckland Cadillac Experience Centre in Q2.