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Cadillac has unveiled the Elevated Velocity idea, a high-performance electrical 2+2 SUV previewing future luxurious EVs. It debuts at Monterey Automotive Week as a rugged-glamour present automobile constructed for extremes. Cadillac design chief Bryan Nesbitt notes it’s “gullwinged” and engineered for each high-speed highway driving and off-road occasions just like the Dakar Rally or Excessive E races. In different phrases, it’s an EV you possibly can showcase on the nation membership after which deal with a desert course in the identical day.

The Elevated Velocity has an imposing stance and big gullwing doorways. Its profile is lengthy and aerodynamic with a fastback roof, a broad flat nostril, and a tiny entrance overhang. Vertical LED lighting components echo Cadillac’s signature look, whereas 24-inch wheels trace at off-road grit. The idea’s excessive floor clearance and adjustable air suspension imply it could possibly deal with dunes or metropolis streets as wanted, all whereas previewing Cadillac’s new “Artwork of Exhilaration” design language.


The cabin is a futuristic 2+2 format with surprisingly beneficiant house. By mounting batteries and motors in a skateboard chassis underneath the ground, there’s room behind the entrance seats extra like a luxurious cruiser than a cramped sports activities automobile. Cadillac’s designers swathed the inside in shades of deep crimson – for instance, Morello Pink Nappa leather-based on seats, doorways and headliner, paired with garnet-red wool boucle cloth accents. Pure and sustainable supplies abound, together with 3D-printed “black crystal” trim on door panels. The general impact is lush but minimalist, with sculpted bucket seats that seem like sci-fi creations and a streamlined instrument format. Notably, the hexagonal steering yoke and pedals slide away in autonomous mode to rework the cockpit.
Elevated Velocity packs cutting-edge tech. Its new “Sand Imaginative and prescient” digicam system can see by desert sandstorms, an off-road twist on Cadillac’s night-vision tech. The local weather management is very superior too: an “excessive climatization” system filters out sand, mud and smog whereas robotically adjusting for dry air, sudden temperature swings or altitude modifications. Inside, well being and rest options kick in when in autonomous driving mode. Sensors monitor the motive force’s pulse and respiratory, and in Elevate Mode the cabin turns into a sort of wellness pod: ambient lighting shifts to a delicate crimson, the seatbacks emit infrared remedy mild, and a pulsing mild guides respiratory—all to assist occupants get better and focus.
Key driving modes on the Elevated Velocity embody:
- e-Velocity: The usual on-road efficiency mode (electrical model of Cadillac’s present V-Mode).
- Terra: Off-road mode that raises trip peak and adjusts suspension for tough terrain.
- Sand Imaginative and prescient: Enhanced visibility mode for driving by sandstorms (like a desert night-vision).
- Parts Defy: A self-cleaning mode the place ultrasonic vibration helps shake mud and sand off the outside.
- These modes let the motive force tailor the automobile for pavement, trails, dunes, and even red-carpet occasions after a dirt-road detour.
Below the hood (or under the ground, actually), the idea hints at V-Collection efficiency ranges. Cadillac received’t disclose the precise drivetrain, nevertheless it seemingly borrows tech from GM’s newest EV muscle. For instance, the brand new Lyriq-V crossover has twin motors with 615 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque, reaching 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Much more excessive is the GMC Hummer EV’s tri-motor setup (as much as 1,160 hp and 13,000 lb-ft with torque multiplers). The Elevated Velocity idea might draw on these improvements (together with options just like the Hummer’s “crab stroll” steering and the Escalade IQ’s four-wheel steering) to push Cadillac EV efficiency even larger.


Cadillac emphasizes that the Elevated Velocity is a working present automobile, not a manufacturing mannequin. The purpose is to discover what’s potential and gauge suggestions, fairly than to construct this actual automobile. As Nesbitt explains, it’s an opportunity “to check the waters – to see how far we are able to take electrification and efficiency”. Look ahead to the idea to debut publicly on August 15, 2025 at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering in Monterey, the place Cadillac will gauge reactions and trace at design cues for future EVs.

