General Motors has teased a bunch of new electric vehicles at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show, including the upcoming Cadillac Celestiq. The carmaker described the Celestiq as an ultra-luxurious, fully electric … show car. ‘And although we do not yet have a release date or any applicable specifications, GM did reveal some interesting features that will definitely whet your appetite.
GM first showed off a handful of reporters with the Celestiq during its “EV Day” event in early 2020, but it has yet to release any images in public. The ultra-luxury sedan is intended to serve as a companion to the Cadillac Lyriq, which was launched last August. Both vehicles will be built on GM’s Ultium electric vehicle platform, which will offer a wide range of vehicle types and sizes, including the GMC Hummer EV and the new BrightDrop delivery vehicles.
The Celestiq has four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and a full glass roof. There is nothing unique about a panoramic glass roof, but Cadillac takes it to the next level by making the roof modularly adjustable. The carmaker describes it as a smart glass with four quadrant hanging particle devices, enabling each occupant in the vehicle to set its own level of transparency. Crystal Windham, director of interior design at Cadillac, said during the CES presentation that the tinted glass matches the ambient lighting in the interior cabin.
If it’s not interested, a massive touch screen from pillar to pillar might grab you. The Cadillac Lyriq has received a lot of attention (positive and negative) for its curved 33-inch LED infotainment screen. And now Cadillac looks ready to make pole vault across the screen with an even bigger one in the Celestiq.
There is currently an arms race for infotainment screens in the automotive industry, with old-fashioned automakers and startups trying to outdo each other in size and functionality. Mercedes-Benz threw down its glove last week with the unveiling of its surprisingly giant 56-inch hyperscreen that came to the EQS electric sedan later this year. Cadillac did not disclose the size of the Celestiq screen, but it promises to stretch the entire dash of the vehicle.
The image quality promises to be the next level. Cadillac previously described the Lyriq screen as the “highest pixel density available in the automotive industry today and capable of displaying more than one billion colors, 64 times more than any other vehicle in the automotive industry.” Prepare your eyes to be overwhelmed by pixels.
Of course, it remains to be seen how distracting for the driver all these screens will be. Without a robust driver monitoring system to ensure drivers stay focused on the road, these ultra-large screens can pose a major liability and safety risk. A recent study by AAA found that many digital infotainment systems that pop up in newer cars are distracting enough to increase the risk of accidents, especially for older drivers.
To be clear, the Cadillac Celestiq is likely to include Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free ‘advanced driver assistance system that does include a driver monitoring feature. Let’s hope it’s successful in keeping drivers’ eyes on the road and not on the screen.