Cadillac’s ultra-luxury flagship, the Celestiq, was never meant to be a volume seller. It’s the brand’s grand statement piece, a hand-built EV designed to show what the company can do when the accountants leave the room. And now, it’s getting even more exclusive—thanks to a higher price tag.

For 2026, the Celestiq will start in the low $400,000 range, a bump of roughly $60,000 over the 2025 model, according to Automotive News. Cadillac justifies the increase by making the smart glass roof standard—an extravagant panel that lets each passenger dial in their own level of tint—and by bundling in eight years of connected services.

That’s right: even a $400K luxury EV isn’t immune to subscription talk. But at least Cadillac is throwing in a few perks for good measure, including a streamlined personalization process for customers who might prefer to spend less time in the configurator and more time deciding between the house in Aspen or the chalet in Verbier.

Introduced in late 2022, the Celestiq marked Cadillac’s most dramatic pivot toward electrification yet. Riding on GM’s Ultium platform, the dual-motor setup delivers 655 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, hustling the nearly 19-foot-long EV to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds when using Velocity Max mode. Underneath, adaptive air suspension and Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 keep things composed, while four-wheel steering ensures it can maneuver with grace that belies its size.

Inside, the Celestiq is a tech playground. There’s a pillar-to-pillar HD display, a 38-speaker AKG sound system, and even heated armrests. The cabin is dotted with 3D-printed parts, a nod to the car’s bespoke craftsmanship. Cadillac insists that no two Celestiqs will ever be alike—and given the made-to-order paint, materials, and trim options, that might actually be true.

For all its avant-garde features, the Celestiq remains an old-school luxury idea executed with new-school tools: hand-built in Michigan, limited to just 25 units per model year, and priced to squarely target the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Cadillac has already sold every 2025 example, but order books for the 2026 model are now open.

If the goal was to prove that American luxury can still rival Europe’s finest—just with electrons instead of V12s—Cadillac might just have built its strongest argument yet.

Source: Automotive News