The Cadillac Optiq is one step closer to Australia, receiving government approval this week to launch sometime in 2026.
The midsize electric luxury SUV will slot beneath the Lyriq, Cadillac’s debut model in Australia, where customer deliveries began earlier this year.
A look at the government certification documents shows a single powertrain: a 224 kW dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration.
This lines up with Optiqs exported to Europe and the 2025 model year (MY25) Optiq sold in North America, the latter of which has been replaced by an updated MY26 range also built in Mexico.
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Still powered by an 85kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NCM) battery with a maximum DC charging power of 150kW, the MY26 Optiq gets a single-motor rear-wheel drive configuration producing 232kW of power and 450Nm of torque – an 8kW increase over the MY25 Optiq AWD, although down 30Nm.
In the US, there is still a dual-motor all-wheel drive option for the 2026 model year, which has seen a huge increase in power and torque to 328kW and 675Nm.
An even hotter Optiq-V, previously ruled out for Australia, produces 387kW and 880Nm and features further performance upgrades including adaptive dampers.
Despite the additional power, the range for MY26 doesn’t change much. According to the stricter US EPA cycle it is 486 km for the MY25 AWD, 482 km for the MY26 RWD and 451 km for the MY26 AWD.
It’s unclear whether Cadillac will launch the Optiq in Australia with the less powerful dual-motor AWD setup and introduce the MY26 powertrain later.
Only a single variant appears in the Australian government’s registration documents with a weight of 2379 kg and a maximum braked towing capacity of 680 kg.
It’s possible that Cadillac could do the same with the Lyriq in Australia, which will be offered with virtually the same standard equipment but with slightly different trim levels on the Sport and Luxury nameplates.
The Optiq is 4823 mm long, 1912 mm wide and 1644 mm high with a wheelbase of 2954 mm.
That makes it smaller than the Lyriq, but still 30mm longer and 20mm taller than a Tesla Model Y with a 64mm longer wheelbase, despite being 70mm narrower than Australia’s best-selling electric SUV.
It’s unclear how Cadillac will price the Optiq in Australia. In 2026, the cheapest members of each model range will be around US$8,000 (A$12,000).
In Australia, list prices for the Lyriq Luxury and Sport were $122,000 and $124,000 before on-road costs respectively until Cadillac recently introduced a higher priced deal.
Cadillac applies to new and demonstrator MY25 Lyriq models purchased by private buyers between now and February 28, 2026. Cadillac advertises both model grades at a pre-road price of $91,300. This puts the vehicle below the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for “fuel efficient” vehicles, which qualifies it for an exemption from the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).
On-road costs are limited to stamp duty, registration, compulsory third party insurance and license plate fees, with road fares ranging from $94,066 to $98,693 depending on the state or territory. It’s worth noting that this is a special offer and Cadillac has not yet announced Australian pricing for the Lyriq MY26.
While we expect the Optiq to undercut the Lyriq, it’s unclear how it will be priced compared to the luxury brand’s other electric SUVs.
Audi’s similarly sized Q6 e-tron starts from $99,900 before on-road costs, while Lexus’ similarly sized RZ has a base list price of $121,059 plus ORCs.
It’s unclear whether RZ prices will be increased with an update next year, as its Toyota and Subaru-badged platform mates have received significant price cuts.
In addition to the Optiq, Cadillac will also introduce a hot version of the Lyriq called the Lyriq-V as well as the flagship Vistiq SUV. The latter will be the only Cadillac model available in Australia with a third row of seats.
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