2026 CADILLAC VISTIQ

2026 CADILLAC VISTIQ

The Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still
And I caught Maybellene at the top of the hill*
*Lyrics by Chuck Berry, 1955

It’s been 75 years since Chuck Berry caught Maybellene in his V8 Ford. Today, Chuck would be driving a V8-powered Mustang (that’s if, of course, he wanted a V8…or a Mustang), and – notably – Maybellene’s Coupe de Ville is no more. In its place on the Cadillac showroom is a range of Cadillac SUVs, both gas and electric powered. And if Maybellene splits her time today between honkytonks and carpool lanes, she might pop for Cadillac’s Vistiq EV, the GM division’s midsize offering to an eco-sensitive lifestyle.

For the record, Cadillac continues to build sedans (but not coupes), and that lineup includes the easy-to-remember CT4, CT5 and range-topping Celestiq EV. And those sedans still sell, but in very small numbers relative to Cadillac’s crossover and SUV lineup. Notably, Trump’s ‘Beast’ is ostensibly a Cadillac, while our test subject – Cadillac’s Vistiq EV – is ostensibly midsize. On the driveway it looks anything but, its mass attempting to conceal or minimize some 205 inches of length sitting atop 122 inches of wheelbase. To its credit the unladen weight is just a tad more than three tons, which – in the still-porky EV segment – is commendable.

That sheetmetal is more straightedge than organic, but to the design team’s credit, it isn’t as brutalist as the larger Escalade. (And thankfully, GMC’s Hummer team apparently occupied its own studio.) In this application I like the angularity, but still can’t get my head around – literally or figuratively – its footprint. Our garage is shared by an undersized Miata and, to some eyes, a right-sized Grand Cherokee. (While the Grand Cherokee L is the more valid comparison, I don’t have that sitting in my garage – and seriously doubt if it would fit in my garage.) But the Jeep’s wheelbase is five inches shorter than the Vistiq, and its overall length is a full foot shorter, while the GC’s width – a critical factor in this garage – is two inches less than that of the Caddy. On the street you’ll get used to the Vistiq’s proportions, but if easily slipping in and out of your garage or a parking spot is a priority, try before you buy. 

Inside, a moderate step up into the cabin affords you the luxury you’d anticipate for the Vistiq Sport’s $80K price point; however, in our test EV its Jet Black seating bordered on the oppressive. You can’t fault the comfort, however, as these are big-ass cushions, presumably allowing for your big-ass billfolds. Outfitted with front buckets, 2^nd-row captain’s chairs and supplemental seating in the 3^rd-row, you have seating for six, along with 35 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind that 3^rd row, and 54 cubic feet with the 3^rd row folded. There’s enough room for that Ikea couch, if – or course – Caddy owners shopped at Ikea. 

Behind the wheel you are fronted/confronted by 33 inches of widescreen infotainment. Happily, HVAC controls are mounted beneath it, affording easy access. Unhappily, to open the globe box you have to go to the touchscreen, something I didn’t know (or discern) until visiting Moore Cadillac, near my home in Northern Virginia. It’s easy enough once the owner is instructed by a member of Moore’s very professional sales staff, but WHY do I have to go to the screen (if the vehicle is turned off!) to open a glove box. Who-the-hell are these product people?

What I at one time described as ‘under the hood’ is now two motors – front and rear – powered by a largish battery pack under the Vistiq’s two-box bodyshell. Combined horsepower is 615, while torque is 649 lb-ft. As you’d hope and I’d guess, acceleration is quick (Car and Driver’s team went from 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, and hit 100 in just over 9 seconds) and the sensations predictably serene. In fact, the ease in which you can go about your commute or errand running is amazing. And once finished, all you have to do is park it or garage it.

Offering a purported 300-mile range, the Vistiq is viable as a luxury EV. But there’s a disconnect – in this view – between that capability and the restrictions incumbent when trying to recharge. If you’re doing what a large 3-row luxury SUV should be doing, you’re heading for the hills on any given weekend – but those hills might not have a viable recharging infrastructure. And if you’re electing to stick around town, why are you driving three tons and 206 inches of SUV?

With all of that, at $80K the Vistiq does represent a good value argument. An admittedly hard-loaded Hyundai Ioniq 9 is offered at $77K, and while I like its footprint better, it’s still a Hyundai pushing $80K. And I gotta’ tell you – the showroom at Moore Cadillac could be a ballroom. And given its proximity to downtown DC and the White House, it should be a ballroom. 

Chuck would have liked it. And Elvis would have loved it!