• Production of the Cadillac Celestiq is already spoken for for the first 12 to 18 months.
• Demand for the model already exceeds production capacity.
• The Celestiq is assembled by hand and no more than two units per day are produced.
• The price of the model will hover around $300,000.
Production of the Cadillac Celestiq is slowly getting underway and full capacity should be reached by this time next year. The brand's new flagship car is being hand-built and will sell for around $300,000. Cadillac is targeting a new niche with this vehicle, which is an interesting gamble.
It looks like the company is well on its way to winning this one. In fact, according to recent reports, the demand far exceeds the company's expectations, as well as its production capacity.
This is based on a recent visit by the engineer in charge of the Celestiq, Tony Roma, to the weekly podcast of the Autoline website. He used that occasion to reveal some pertinent details about the development and production of the model. He confirmed that the demand was exceeding the company's forecasts. So much so that for the first 12 to 18 months of production, everything is reserved.
“The number of people interested in a model is greater than what we will be able to build in the first year or 18 months,” he told Autoline. Of course, everything has to be put into perspective, as the Celestiq's production is nothing like that of a mass-produced model that is built in series. Although no figures have been confirmed, Tony Roma suggested that the company would produce no more than two units per day. The number of 400 units has been put forward for the first year of production.
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Still, at a price of $300,000, before the selection of custom options, it's still a good deal for Cadillac. However, it will be interesting to see what the demand will be once the initial appeal is over. With this kind of vehicle, it can melt away quickly once the first customers show up.
The car-buying process will be unique, it should be noted. Dealers will connect the future owner with a concierge who will coordinate communication with a designer, who will give each car built the exact look and feel desired by its buyer. In other words, no two cars will be identical because of the impressive number of customization options that will be available. Production is taking place at GM's Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The team responsible for bringing the models to life will work on no more than six units at a time.
The Cadillac Celestiq will take advantage of General Motors' Ultium platform and will enjoy a dual electric motor configuration providing an estimated 600 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque. This should allow a 0-97 km/h time of 3.8 seconds.