Cadillac OPTIQ vs Cadillac VISTIQ

The 2025 Cadillac Optiq arrives as the new entry-level electric vehicle in the General Motors luxury brand’s lineup, giving Caddy a rival to the Audi Q4 e-tron, Genesis GV60, Lexus RZ, Mercedes-Benz EQB, and Volvo EX40 and new car buyers a cheaper entry point below the brand’s larger electric SUVs, such as the Cadillac Escalade IQ and the Vistiq.

Verdict: The Optiq is surprising value among electric luxury SUVs.

Like the Vistiq, the Cadillac Escalade IQ already offers three rows of seats and electric power. However, just as Cadillac sells the midsize XT6 alongside the full-size Escalade SUV (both internal-combustion vehicles), there's space to launch a smaller (but still generously-proportioned) three-row EV with a Cadillac crest. Enter the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq, a new model the brand describes as a “baby Escalade” that’s perfectly sized to compete with the Lucid Gravity, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Rivian R1S, and Volvo EX90.

Verdict: The Vistiq is a practical three-row SUV that looks and drives like a true Cadillac, without the excess of its big sibling.