A Week with the 2026 Cadillac VISTIQ
For decades, the name “Cadillac” carried the image of a stately, comfortable luxury car — a trusted classic, but one that had drifted away from the pulse of modern drivers. It was a brand defined by its past, a symbol of luxury that, to many, felt like your grandfather’s car. But that story is over, the new Cadillac has a different story to tell. One of bold reinvention and a commitment to an all-electric future, aiming to establish itself as a leader in the luxury electric vehicle market and beyond.
By Olaf Robrecht
In 2019, Cadillac committed to be mostly — if not entirely — electric by 2030. The opening move came in 2022 with the LYRIQ, a sleek, all-electric SUV that turned heads and reset expectations. Then came the surprise — the ultra-luxury CELESTIQ, hand-built and aimed squarely at the likes of Rolls-Royce, followed by the Escalade IQ, an electrified take on Cadillac’s most iconic nameplate, and affordable luxury with the compact OPTIQ SUV.
Now comes the 2026 VISTIQ — a three-row electric SUV that slots perfectly between the mid-size LYRIQ and the imposing Escalade IQ.
We took one for a week-long road trip to the South Okanagan. No press-day sprints, no chauffeured laps — just real-life driving, every day, everywhere. The kind of test where a car’s true character has nowhere to hide!
I’ll admit it from the start: I’d never driven an all-electric vehicle as my everyday ride, so excitement mingled with a fair bit of nerves. Could one full charge take me to Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos?
The familiar Google Maps, integrated right into the VISTIQ’s massive 33-inch curved LED screen via Google Built-In—a seamless, smartphone-free experience that guided our charging strategy beautifully, showed me “6% charge left” at destination – enough to put my pulse in the upper range of super-cruise mode.
The plan: stop in Hope, top up to 80%, and resume with a comfortable margin—when we arrived at the resort, the battery still showed around 40%. And you know what? It all played out better than expected: an open charging spot greeted us, and a smooth 20-minute latte-and-leg-stretch break later, we were back on our way, charged up and calm.
Super Cruise!
If range confidence was my initial worry, hands-free driving was the next.
Cadillac’s Super Cruise system is standard on the VISTIQ. In the beginning, the steering wheel never felt further than an inch from my grasp—you know, “just in case.” But that green light flickering into life atop the wheel, signaling mapped roads suited for hands-free mode, was oddly comforting.
By the return leg to Vancouver, Super Cruise had practically chauffeured us—around 80% of the drive, hands off, calm, and relaxed. Love it? Absolutely.
Space, Sound, and Shades-of-Luxury
Beyond the tech wizardry, the VISTIQ is a study in refined spaciousness. Its three-row cabin is thoughtfully generous; even the third row offers padded armrests, cupholders, and USB-C chargers. In the Luxury trim (which is the base model), the seats are outfitted with power adjustments, memory, heating, ventilation—and yes—massage performance.
Ambient lighting bathes the cabin in 126 colours. A dual-pane panoramic sunroof (with shading for the front two rows) plus fixed glass over the third row floods the interior with a soft glow, dissolving any notion this is just another SUV.
The real star? The 23-speaker AKG Studio system with Dolby Atmos that envelopes you in studio-quality sound—including speakers overhead in the headliner and the front row headrests—creating an immersive concert-on-wheels experience.
Refinement Meets Practicality
Touch-sensitive screens and apps bring your world into the dashboard while parked or charging, or even on the go where appropriate. Yet Cadillac resists minimalism for its own sake—rather than bury every function, the VISTIQ still offers a tactile rotary dial, window switches, and physical mirror controls, making everyday usability far from a tapping-only slog.
The Intelligent ClimateSense system offers five-zone comfort, with subtle auto-adjustments based on sun and humidity.
Storage options are intelligently integrated: under-floor trays, pass-through sections, and reconfigurable seats ensure enough space for luggage, gear, and groceries.
Week’s End Verdict
A week of living with the VISTIQ genuinely surprised me—not just with the car itself, but with how quickly I adapted to driving an EV as my daily. I’ll admit, charging times can be a bit of a patience test. But if you have a home charger where you simply plug in at night and wake up to a full battery, it’s a game-changer. And when you factor in the cost savings—charging versus gas—the difference is hard to ignore.
As for the VISTIQ itself? Love it. Spacious, refined, and packed with technology that makes every drive effortless, it’s a confident step into Cadillac’s electric future.
