General Motors is returning to Europe with its sights set on the battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment, and the first car from its renewed portfolio to be sold on the Old Continent is the Cadillac Lyriq luxury crossover, which can now be ordered in Switzerland.
Deliveries of the Lyriq are set to begin in the first half of next year, GM said today, with the American automaker planning to expand its presence in Europe with an all-electric lineup in Sweden, France, and three additional countries on the continent over the next two years.
The maker of Ultium-based EVs all but disappeared from Europe in 2017, when it sold the Opel and Vauxhall brands to France’s PSA Group, which is now part of Stellantis but continued to import limited numbers of high-end models like the Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cadillac XT4.
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The Lyriq’s price starts at 82,000 Swiss francs ($89,705) in Switzerland and offers an estimated driving range of 530 kilometers (329 miles), thanks to its Ultium battery. By comparison, a BMW iX xDrive40 that offers a maximum estimated range of 435 km (270 miles) starts at 95,900 Swiss francs ($104,700), while an Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron goes from 88,800 Swiss francs ($97,000) and offers up to 498 km (309 miles) of range on a full charge.
However, price and range aren’t the only metrics relevant to EV customers – just like any other vehicle category – so it will be interesting to see how GM’s European return will pan out, especially since the American giant has had a hard time ramping up production and deliveries of new EVs in the US. The company sold just 3,018 Lyriqs in the previous quarter (more than double compared to Q2) and a total of 20,092 BEVs as a group, including the Chevy Blazer EV, Bolt EV, Bolt EUV, Silverado EV, and GMC Hummer EV (both pickup and SUV).
On the Old Continent, General Motors wants to sell its Cadillac EVs directly to consumers via its website and flagship stores, including one in downtown Zurich, eliminating dealers in the process, much like Tesla.
GM’s return to Europe was confirmed by CEO Mary Barra in May of last year, and different reports suggested that the automaker could bring the GMC Hummer EV, as well as mass-market models like the Chevy Blazer EV and Equinox EV SUVs to the region.
