By all accounts, General Motors is currently experiencing one of its strongest product eras ever. Case in point; the 2026 Cadillac Optiq-V reviewed here.
The Cadillac Optiq-V is the marques’ smallest high-performance EV and its fastest street legal product — ever.
New for the 2026 model year and planned when GM was envisioning an all-electric future, Optiq is Cadillac’s smallest EV model, which makes Optiq-V the marques smallest high-performance EV and its fastest street legal product — ever. Said by its chief engineer to be a canyon carver rather than a track car, the Optiq-V certainly hit all the right notes during my week with the svelte crossover EV. Handsome, fun to drive and comfortable, my time with the Optiq-V went by so much faster than I would have liked.
Powertrains and Fuel Economy
The Cadillac’s all-wheel drive powertrain is energized by a pair of electric motors — one feeding each set of wheels. The two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors generate a total system output of 519 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, drawing from an 85kWh liquid-cooled lithium battery pack. Optiq-V’s peak charge rate is 150 kW watts DC. The motors drive their wheel sets directly, so there is no transmission in the traditional sense.
Optiq-V’s maximum range is a quoted 250 miles. A NACS charging port is standard, which grants the Cadilac access to the Tesla supercharger network. Optiq-V’s engineers say the charging system is capable of adding about 70 miles of range in roughly 10 minutes. I saw the battery pack go from 80% discharged to 80% fully charged in just under 25 minutes.
Interior Accommodations
The Cadillac’s all-wheel drive powertrain is energized by a pair of electric motors — one feeding each set of wheels.
Distinguishing the V-Series Optiq’s passenger compartment are tastefully applied blue accents on the door panels and dash. The perforated Sky Cool Gray seat upholstery in my test car was also accented with blue piping. The “floating” center console treatment hosted a pair of cupholders along with the dial for the infotainment system. The cantilevered design opened considerable storage space beneath the center console.
As for seating comfort, I found more than enough room in both the front and back seats to accommodate my 6’1” frame, even over extended distances. Cadillac’s materials choices were more than suitable to my tastes as well, despite the lack of cowhide on every imaginable surface — as can be typical for cars in this class. Along with quilted leather upholstery, the interior design team prescribed fabric and carbon fiber trim. I found this to be a refreshing change.
While ingress and egress were easily accomplished, front and rear; headroom in the rear was slightly compromised by the sloping rear roof line. That also had a bit of an effect on cargo capacity, though not significantly so. Cadillac quotes 26 cubic feet with the rear seatback deployed and 57 cubic feet with it folded away. My 60cm (size large) road bike fit back there with no problem — after removing the front wheel. However, unlike several of its competitors, the Optiq-V has no front trunk.
Comfort, Convenience & Safety Tech
The Optiq-V occupies the top tier of its model range, so amenities were plentiful.
The Optiq-V occupies the top tier of its model range, so amenities were plentiful. These included massaging, heated and ventilated front seats, as well as heated outboard rear seats. There was also a head-up display and a 19-speaker AKG Studio audio system featuring Dolby Atmos.
The Optiq-V’s most prominent interior feature was the 33-inch curvilinear frame hosting displays for instrumentation and the infotainment system. The choice of Google as the supplier for the infotainment system’s operating system might lead you to believe it negated the incorporation of Apple CarPlay. However, Android Auto is not offered either.
This was a deliberate decision by GM corporate.
Keeping users native allows the company to collect driving, usage, and telemetry data rather than handing it over to Apple. Further, running a proprietary ecosystem gives GM the ability to offer paid software updates and subscription-based in-car connectivity packages. Of course, Bluetooth is more than capable of accommodating streaming audio from mobile devices, and Google Maps is native to the system, as is a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Cadillac’s SuperCruise semi-autonomous hand-free driving platform is standard, along with automated emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist. Along with all of this comes some pretty impressive warranty coverage. Battery components are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. The powertrain warranty covers six years or 70,000 miles, and bumper to bumper coverage is provided over four years or 50,000 miles. Plus, the first scheduled maintenance service is gratis. Well actually, stated more correctly, it’s included in the price of the Optiq-V.
The Optiq included massaging, heated and ventilated front seats, as well as heated outboard rear seats.
Driving Impressions
Cadillac’s chassis engineering team has made the Optiq-V behave like a well-tuned sport sedan. While ride quality is supple in day-to-day driving, body roll is kept to a minimum when the Cadillac EV is dispatching twisty roads. The Optiq-V cornered with confidence, even when it was traveling fast enough to put a smile on this jaded reviewer’s face.
Weighted nicely, with just enough resistance, the steering provided good feedback too. Figuring out how to stop the Optiq-V smoothly, took me a couple of tries, as the regenerative braking system slightly disrupts the linearity of its response. Once I got used to it, things worked out just fine though. Plus, taking advantage of the one-pedal driving style EVs offer meant I seldom needed the brake pedal to stop the car. Timed just right, I could ease off the throttle gradually and bring the Optiq-V to a smooth stop.
As for acceleration, the Optiq-V offers up 650 lb-ft of torque at throttle tip-in. That’s typically good for an eye-widening, jaw-dropping experience with a full throttle launch. However, I’ve driven EVs with more dramatic acceleration, so the Optiq-V just felt, well, normal. There was no “Hooo-Ahhh!!!” moment. It was more like; “Okay, this is pretty quick—right on.”
And yeah, I know my @$$ is spoiled.
Optiq-V’s engineers say the charging system is capable of adding about 70 miles of range in roughly 10 minutes.
In Summary
With that said, the 2026 Cadillac Optiq-V is a truly impressive automobile. Caddy’s baby EV is a refreshing take on the high-performance crossover. Granted the Cadillac’s range could be better and its acceleration off the line could be more dramatic. But when it came to style, comfort, amenities and driving pleasure, the Optiq-V nailed every category.
What’s more, the Optiq-V has one of the most potent powertrains you’ll find at its price point. Which raises one more reason to like Cadillac’s smallest performance model. Pricing starts at $67,300; price as tested for the Optiq-V I drove was $78,245.
Further, Optiq-V demonstrates GM CEO Mary Barra’s commitment to EVs — despite the headwinds the technology faces here in the United States. And, with cars like the Optiq-V manifesting that commitment, even if it isn’t going as smoothly as it could, there are some good things coming to which enthusiasts can look forward. The future is looking good.
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