Rolling Art: Cadillac’s CELESTIQ Revives the Glamour of American Automotive Luxury

By DaMarko Webster

The first time Cadillac dropped images of the CELESTIQ back in 2022, the internet didn’t know what to make of it. Was it real? A concept? A tech demo? It looked like something a designer would sketch after one too many Negronis in Palm Springs—long, low, electric, draped in chrome and confidence.

Well, it’s real now. Very real. And I got to experience the CELESTIQ up close, in motion, and under the California sun. Spoiler alert: Cadillac is no longer just playing catch-up. It’s playing couture.

This isn’t your uncle’s CTS or your rideshare Escalade. The CELESTIQ is something else entirely—a hand-built, ultra-bespoke electric grand tourer that dares to look Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the eyes and say: “Step aside.”

Let’s start with the design, because the CELESTIQ makes an entrance before you even step inside. It’s 18 feet of pure drama, stretched across a 130-inch wheelbase, with a silhouette that glides between sci-fi station wagon and runway-ready road sculpture. The fastback rear is divisive, sure, but only in the way bold design always is. Vertical light blades, an intricately textured front grille, and chrome accents (used just enough to remind you this isn’t mass-market) complete the look.

The drama only intensifies inside. Our test model came swaddled in electric blue leather with orange piping—a nod to high fashion, not high mileage. Every inch is customizable: materials, stitching, hardware, headliner, even the coat hooks. Yes, really. Cadillac walks you through the design process with a full concierge team, guaranteeing that no two CELESTIQ builds are ever alike. You’re not just buying a car—you’re creating a moving expression of your own aesthetic.

And then there’s the roof. The CELESTIQ’s Fixed Smart Glass Roof uses Suspended Particle Device tech (say that three times fast) to let each passenger control their own level of sunlight. Want moody shadows in the back and pure sunshine up front? Done. Or create a checkerboard of light overhead just because you can. It’s playful, dramatic, and 100% on-brand for this rolling piece of luxury theater.

Tech aside, the CELESTIQ drives exactly how you’d expect a $300K+ EV to drive—silky, surefooted, and shockingly quick. It delivers 655 horsepower and 646 lb-ft of torque with zero hesitation. Rear-wheel steering makes parking this beast less intimidating, and Cadillac’s full suite of driver-assistance tech ensures you’re never working harder than you need to. You can drive it yourself, sure—but it feels just as natural to slide into the back seat and let someone else handle the wheel.

Cadillac isn’t chasing Tesla here. It’s not gunning for EQS or Lucid, either. The CELESTIQ is aimed straight at the uppermost tier: Bentley, Maybach, Rolls. And while that’s a risky lane to enter, especially for an American nameplate, the execution feels refreshingly authentic. This isn’t Cadillac trying to be something else—it’s Cadillac remembering who it was before the SUV boom diluted the badge.

Starting in the mid-$300,000s and climbing north of $500K depending on how wild you want to get, the CELESTIQ isn’t just a car. It’s a canvas. It’s a return to form. And maybe, just maybe, it’s the beginning of a new golden era for American luxury.