General Motors (GM) is gearing up to commence production of the Cadillac Optiq in Mexico, marking the luxury electric SUV’s second global production location after China. The manufacturing is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
According to a report from Cluster Industrial, GM plans to produce the Cadillac Optiq at its Ramos Arizpe plant in Coahuila, Mexico. This facility currently manufactures the Chevrolet Equinox EV, the mainstream counterpart to the luxury EV. The Cadillac Optiq is already being produced in China at a SAIC-GM joint venture factory in Jinqiao, Shanghai, as reported by GM Authority.
The Cadillac Optiq, confirmed for sale in Europe where Cadillac has a presence in France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, with plans to enter the UK later this year, is likely to be supplied to European markets from the Chinese plant. The Mexican production is expected to cater exclusively to North America.
Built on GM’s BEV3 platform, the Cadillac Optiq is available in single-motor front-wheel-drive (FWD) and dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) configurations. While Chinese customers can choose from two configurations, the US model offers no such options.
The base variant of the Chinese model features a front permanent magnet synchronous motor generating 180 kW and 330 Nm of torque, powered by a 68.4 kWh battery pack, offering a CLTC range of 536 km. The top-end variant adds an induction motor in the back, providing all-wheel drive and increasing power and torque to 211 kW and 465 Nm, respectively, with a larger 79.7 kWh battery pack and a higher CLTC range of 600 km.
For the US market, the Cadillac Optiq includes a front permanent magnet synchronous motor and a rear induction motor as standard, producing 224 kW and 480 Nm of torque. It is equipped with an 85 kWh battery pack, and while the EPA-estimated range is yet to be disclosed, Cadillac anticipates it to be 300 miles (483 km).
Specifications for the European version of the Cadillac Optiq will be unveiled closer to its launch later this year. Pricing details for these markets remain undisclosed, but in the US, the starting price is officially estimated at $54,000.
