I know it's not to everyone's liking, but I am and have always been a big fan of the shape and style of the Cadillac Lyriq. As I wrote in my editorial on EVs for MotorTrend last year, I think this new era of EVs presents an excellent opportunity to rethink what a car should look like. The Lyriq does a great job of looking exactly like no other car on the road.

Ungainly from certain angles? Yes indeed. Oddly proportioned? Certainly. Distinctive and stately? 100 percent. I especially love the styling of the interior, which seems to take a good bit of inspiration from the overall layout that BMW's using in the iX and elsewhere, but with a bit more flair in most cases.

So, I was quite eager to see how that basic formula translates to a more familiar shape in the Optiq SUV. That's not to say that the Optiq is a boring-looking machine, far from it. It’s full of fresh details and styling cues that I really like. But stand back and squint, and this very much fits neatly into the sport utility template.

It is, then, a more traditional machine and, therefore, something that's surely meant to be a bit more mass-market than the Lyriq — or, indeed, the $340,000 Celestiq. It's priced that way, available for upwards of $8,000 less than a Lyriq despite being very similar in most regards.

You're looking at a similar selection of options and configurations, though with less output and range. This 2025 Optiq you see here makes 300 horsepower from its dual-motor configuration and is EPA-rated for 302 miles on a charge. In 2026, the Optiq gets a big boost, with the single-motor, rear-drive configuration making 315 horsepower and 300 miles of range per the EPA. The ‘26 dual-motor, all-wheel drive version has 440 hp and does 280 miles on a charge. Not enough? There’s the 519-hp Optiq-V, too.

The Optiq gives up a little on volume, too, and the curbside presence the Lyriq's dimensions demand. The rear seating in the Optiq feels a little less generous, but I'd gladly embark on a road trip from back there. I'm happier up front, though, where the seats not only offer heating and adequate ventilation but a basic massage program as well.

Seating is comfortable, visibility is good, and the panoramic roof above makes for a light, airy space. As if that Sky Cool Gray upholstery needed any more help. The blue highlights splayed across the dashboard and elsewhere here are even more lurid than on the Lyriq, and I love them, even if the materials don't always match the allure. But, given the relatively accessible pricing, everything seems fair.

The 19-speaker, Dolby Atmos sound system from AKG is better than average, and it's powered by an Android Automotive-based infotainment system that's only lacking one thing: smartphone projection. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are two features sadly left behind due to GM's asinine decision to not give consumers what they want. I hope there's a revision to that policy coming soon, but I fear whoever made that unfortunate call is too deeply invested in this course of action to reverse now.

When it comes to the actual driving, the experience from behind the wheel of the Optiq is much the same as the Lyriq. That is to say, a little underwhelming. Or maybe a lot underwhelming. It really depends what you're looking for. The trim I drove had plenty of power and torque, but delivered in such a way that, even in Sport mode, a foot to the floor is more of a persuasive shove than a snap to the neck.

Still, it's plenty quick, quick enough to get you to a corner far faster than the extremely plush handling rewards. The sluggish steering here is a good reminder that you shouldn't enter turns too quickly. High-speed cornering is more of a wallowing than a winnowing experience.

But, like I concluded in my Lyriq review for Yanko Design last year, that's okay. Not every EV needs to try to be a rocket ship, and the Optiq clearly isn't that. Maybe Cadillac's gurus can find some friskiness in a next year’s Optiq-V. Or maybe not.

Either way, I was perfectly content cruising in this Optiq, hands off the wheel as often as not (thanks to the already-excellent and always-improving Super Cruise), enjoying the ultra-plush suspension and interior that I think would take me a very long time to get sick of looking at.

If only I didn't have to look at my phone whenever I wanted to queue up another playlist.