• Auto123 compares the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq and 2024 Genesis Electrified GV70.
As we continue headlong into the age of electric mobility, carmakers are rapidly coming to market with their takes on the latest electrified tech.
For now, though, the BEV world is still the purview of the luxury market. EVs are starting to move downmarket, and PHEVs are there to offer more choice, but even in the world of the “entry level” BEV, you’ll often get more features from the gas-only equivalent. And the prices to match.
Specifications sheet of 2024 Genesis Electrified GV70
Specifications sheet of 2024 Cadillac Lyriq
One reason the Cadillac Lyriq and Genesis Electrified GV70 are so interesting: they are from luxury manufacturers, but manufacturers kind of new to the EV game. The Ultium platform on which the Cadillac Lyriq resides is all-new, and Genesis has really only had an the electrified G80 sedan to talk about until recently.
Exterior of the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq – 8.5/10
The Lyriq has raked in positive reviews on this front. It takes all the things that have made Cadillacs stand out over the last few years. You haves the vertical headlights, big wheels, chrome trimwork and all that. But Cadillac’s gone the extra mile with the Lyriq, providing it with an ultrawide stance, taillights that climb the c-pillar and aggressively raked rear window.
Plus the grille eschews the chrome we’ve come to expect from Caddies, and replaces it with a set of etched “crossbars” that look exquisite and light up to greet you. Cadillacs and big grilles have always gone hand-in hand and if you’re GM, you don’t want the latest from your luxury division losing its identity just because it’s an EV.
The overall effect is one of smoothness, power, poise and presence and it’s a strong debut for Cadillac’s entry into the Ultium EV era. It’s a beauty.
Exterior of the 2023/2024 Genesis Electrified GV70 – 8/10
The GV70 is a different bird in that it started life as a gas-only vehicle, and a model with a grille style that is a tad… divisive. But love it or hate it, the diamond pattern design is an eye catcher. And like with the Lyriq, the GV70 doesn’t need a front grille but the company has kept the signature anyway.
One note of comparison, to do with the charge ports. The GV70’s is hidden behind a diamond-shaped door up front, and its position makes lining up to a charger easier. The Lyriq’s port is mounted just aft of the driver’s side fender, and it’s just not as easy to line up as the GV70.
Second comparison: Wheels for the Genesis are a nice mix of the retro with the new. Our tester’s wheels have a five-spoke design emitting a throwing star-like effect. The Lyriq’s wheels have nice styling but they are more traditional.
Interior of the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq – 8.5/10
The Lyriq’s designers stood steadfastly by the “keep it simple, silly” philosophy. The gauges and infotainment display are part of a single unit that spans two-thirds the width of the dash (for a total of 33 inches of screen area, capable of 9K resolution). Below it is a slim button bank for climate controls, a knob on the centre console to navigate the menus and that’s about it. The rest is just an exercise in low-clutter cleanliness.
Those gauges, not quite as out-of-this-world as the nested displays found in the Escalade, still look good and are packed with data. Cadillac’s gone the extra mile by making the leftmost corner of the instrument cluster an interactive display that let’s you press hot keys for your map, your trip computer and so on.
Being a Cadillac, the interior is finished in top-drawer leather and real metal, and there are a host of knurled surfaces throughout that tie the whole experience together. It’s a fantastic and airy place to be and it is incredibly spacious both back and front. It’s not just about size, though, and Cadillac has created a sense of openness and refinement.
Interior of the 2023/2024 Genesis Electrified GV70– 8/10
The Genesis is no slouch either. It’s a little snugger in here and the dash and centre console are somewhat busier that what’s offered in the Lyriq, but that’s to be expected given the model’s ICE-vehicle origins. You’re never going to get quite the feeling of openness you get with a “skateboard”-style EV like the Lyriq.
Still, a smaller vehicle can be made to feel bigger with smart geometry and shape usage and Genesis has shaped the dash and centre console to reduce occupant encroachment. Genesis’ climate control bank tapers as it reaches the front passenger, and the digital gauge cluster changes depending on drive mode. The Electrified GV70 also bests the Lyriq in offering a frunk - which is shallow, but better than nothing.
The rest is a bit more traditional than the Cadillac. The way the wide display pops up from the dash, the gauge cluster and even the steering wheel design is more akin to what’s seen elsewhere.
The infotainment wheel gets a touch-sensitive surface, below which is the gear select dial (whereas the Lyriq has a column-mounted gear), as well as a knurled metal dial with glass centre. The only problem is that both dials are the same size and aligned so close together that throughout my test, I often found myself twisting the scroll wheel instead of selecting reverse.
I liked the snug driver’s seating position which encouraged feeling in control of the car, more than in the Lyriq.
Tech and safety in the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq – 8.5/10
The big deal here is Cadillac Super Cruise, denoted by small lights at the 12 o’clock position on the steering wheel. This semi-autonomous level II/III driving tech allows for extended periods with no hands on the wheel, and no feet on the pedals. The Lyriq can whisk you along the highway without you having to, you know, control anything. So long as you’re on one of hundreds of thousands of kilometers of roads in the system’s database, most of them divided highways with no level crossings.
This includes changing lanes for you or even exit the freeway once you’ve indicated. It works incredibly well, too. I had a hard time fooling it on straight roads and even some curving roads that had other systems – ahem, Ford Blue Cruise – yelling to put hands back on the wheel were handled by the Lyriq.
There’s also a digital rear-view mirror as well as an available 19-speaker AKG sound system – with headrest-mounted speakers! – and active noise cancellation. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also here as well as Google Built-In tech, which means that your native navigation system is done via Google Maps and there’s also Google Assistant Support and Google Play access.
You can even log in to your own Google account and various cloud-based features – playlists, for example – will carry over to your car. You don’t even need to have your phone on you for it all to work.
Tech and safety in the 2023/2024 Genesis Electrified GV70 – 7.5/10
There’s CarPlay and Android Auto here as well, but it’s wired only (tThough there is a cooled wireless charge pad). And there’s nothing like a digital rear-view mirror or speakers in the headrests. It’s just slightly less cutting-edge – though the 15-speaker Lexicon sounds system – you’re only choice – is a sharp one.
The central touchscreen is 14.5 inches, and I found the screen’s high mounting position makes it touch to reach its far edge. There is the scroll wheel, mind you.
While it does have adaptive cruise control, lane centering assist and all that, it’s not on the level of the Caddy’s Super Cruise system. You do get additional tools to help you while you are in control, including one of my favourite drive-assist tools, the blind spot indicator.
Driving the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq – 7.5/10
The Lyriq is available with either RWD or AWD, the former delivering up to 505 claimed km. The AWD will do 494 km but it does make 500 hp to the RWD’s 340 hp. Both get the option to improve range via a one-pedal drive system that can be kept off or set on either of two levels of regeneration.
We tested the RWD option and you do feel every one of those 340 horses. Power comes on with zero hesitation and since it’s so quiet inside, you’ll be piling on three-figure speeds and hardly notice it. There’s power to pass at most speeds, power to enter the freeway without drama and while you will start to run out of puff as speeds increase, there’s always the 500 hp option if that’s a problem for you.
The width of this SUV (nearly 2,000 mm) helps it stay planted through corners with minimal body roll and good grip. The width of the track matters, so does the low position of the big 102 kwh battery, ensuring a low centre of gravity.
That width also means that this thing can be a challenge to manoeuvre through tight city confines, traffic and parkades.
Driving the 2023/2024 Genesis Electrified GV70 – 8.5/10
The GV70 is only a little smaller, but that’s enough that it’s less stressful to manoeuvre through traffic. Outward visibility is better and the steering more responsive. You can tell it’s a vehicle made to handle the hectic roads of, say, Seoul, as opposed to the wide boulevards of, say, Scottsdale. It also gets on-pedal drive system and four levels of brake regen (five if you include Off), accessible by flipping the wheel-mounted paddles.
All this praise for the urban chops of the GV70 doesn’t mean it’s a slouch on the open road. It certainly is not that.
The SUV is available only as a dual-motor AWD vehicle with a smaller 77.4-kwh battery – that means just over 380 km of range, which is on the light side, to be sure. But it also delivers 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, generous figures that will spirit you down the road in really short order. There’s even a boost button that gives you a additional 54 hp for a limited time. It’s a darn fast thing, surprisingly so.
The direct steering so well suited to the city is also weighted to do well on more open, twisty tarmac. It feels much more the performance crossover in these situations than does the Lyriq. From the seating position to the responsiveness of the chassis and powertrain, the Electrified GV70 just delivers the goods more than does the Caddy. We’re talking BMW-like dynamics, and that’s no small praise.
The final word
Let’s see: The Lyriq offers two powertrains and more tech than does the GV70 and that will help it win over many prospective buyers. But I would encourage even those folks to really take the Electrified GV70 for a fling before any decisions are made. If you want a little more driver involvement from your electric crossover, then the Genesis may be the more compelling choice.
If range, tech and interior space are your goals, and if price matters? Know that you can get into a RWD Lyriq for under 70 grand and an AWD one for just a little more than that. That’s a screaming deal when you consider the Electrified GV70 starts at 83K. On that front, the Lyriq takes it.
Our verdicts
Which is the best looking? Cadillac Lyriq
Which offers the more comfortable cockpit? Cadillac Lyriq
Which is more dynamic? Genesis Electrified GV70
Which has better infotainment? Cadillac Lyriq
Which offers the most luxurious interior? Cadillac Lyriq
Competitors of the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq and 2023/2024 Genesis Electrified GV70
- - Audi Q4 e-tron/Q8 e-tron
- - BMW iX
- - Fisker Ocean
- - Lexus RZ
- - Mercedes-EQ EQE 350 4Matic SUV
- - Rivian R1T
- - Tesla Model Y/Model X
