GM teases bespoke Cadillac Celestiq, outlines more EV plans

Cadillac's future electric flagship sedan, the Celestiq, will feature customizable experiences for each occupant, including a full glass roof that can be adjusted to different levels of transparency in each of its four quadrants.

The Celestiq, expected to go on sale in 2023, will have all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, Cadillac said Tuesday during CES. The "smart glass" roof also can be illuminated with lighting to match the mood of the cabin, Cadillac said.

The driver and front passenger will have access to a free-form display spanning the width of the vehicle, and rear-seat passengers will have personalized entertainment screens, Cadillac said.

Details on the six-figure, low-profile sedan, which General Motors teased in March, were included in a wide-ranging keynote address by CEO Mary Barra. Barra and other executives outlined GM's Ultium battery development plan, explained changes to customer experience and announced a new commercial EV brand called BrightDrop.

EVs mark the most significant design change since the 1920s, said Michael Simcoe, vice president of global design. GM is "rethinking how an entire range of electric vehicles should look and feel," he said.

GM has pledged to invest $27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicle development and launch 30 EVs globally through 2025. The automaker has positioned Cadillac as its lead EV brand.

The Celestiq, which will be powered by Ultium batteries, will be hand-built in low volumes at the GM Tech Center in Warren, Mich., at a rate of 1.2 vehicles per day.

GM also said Tuesday that Buick will build two electric crossovers and one electric SUV in China. The automaker did not provide production timing.

GM also announced its new commercial EV brand, BrightDrop, with FedEx Express as its first customer, and the automaker showed two concepts: a shared van and a personal vehicle for air travel.

"GM clearly laid out a vision that included a solid mix of future ambitions with more immediate products and plans to back them up," Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of insights, said in a statement.

"GM has made it clear that it's thinking beyond just making cars. And although it's an ambitious goal to launch its own commercial delivery platform, it's fortuitous timing for GM to do so considering the e-commerce boom that the industry has seen over the last 10 months."