Revealed during Monterey Car Week, the Cadillac Elevated Velocity concept is an SUV counterpart to last year's Opulent Velocity.
The electric crossover has huge gullwing doors, sleek aero-friendly bodywork, and dazzling LED lighting.
The cabin mixes red Nappa leather with a scruffy boucle fabric and brushed metal accents.
Last year during Monterey Car Week, Cadillac unveiled the Opulent Velocity concept, a low-slung, smoothly styled look into the electric future of Cadillac's V-series performance cars. Now, Cadillac has translated that car's design language into a taller, more off-road-oriented concept called the Elevated Velocity.
Dramatic Styling Inside and Out
This all-electric crossover hints at the design direction that Cadillac could take with future performance SUVs, following the reveal this year of the brand's first two V-series EVs: the Lyriq-V and Optiq-V. The new concept's styling is sleek and graceful, with a fastback roofline and an aggressively raked windshield. The front overhang is tiny, and the hood is long, with most of the visual weight situated over the rear axle, making the concept look like it's launching forward. Illuminated 24-inch wheels fill the arches and feature a mix of flax fiber and black crystal acrylic.
The front end has a clear connection to the Opulent Velocity, with a large, black central panel in the same trapezoidal shape as Cadillac's current grilles. The headlights are pushed to the edges of the vehicle, with a vertical element augmented by crystalline LEDs that converge inwards and meet beneath the central panel. At the rear, fluted LED taillights are tucked into the curves of the rear haunches, while a repeating LED U-shape is visible through the glass tailgate.
The subtle Vapor Blue exterior paint carries gray undertones and draws inspiration from glacial ice. It's juxtaposed against a vibrant red interior, revealed by massive gullwing doors. The cabin features a 2+2 seating arrangement, with elegant seats finished in a mix of Morello Red Nappa leather, which also appears on the doors, floors, and headliner. Garnet red boucle fabric is also found across the dashboard. The cabin is decorated in brushed metal, tinted acrylic, and glass accents.
Cadillac says it drew inspiration from the niche sport of desert polo, and the designers created a bespoke set of polo gear to go in the Elevated Velocity's cargo hold. Mirroring the car, the case is painted Vapor Blue, while the Cadillac-branded helmet, gloves, kneepads, and mallet are finished in Morello red. (This isn't the first time Cadillac has crafted unusual accessories for a concept, with last year's Sollei coming with a custom set of 3-D-printed bird calls.)
Drive Modes Galore
Just like last year's concept, Cadillac outfitted the Elevated Velocity with several "user experience" modes. Welcome mode lights up the seats, floor, doors, and dashboard with a soft white glow as the driver approaches, playing an animation on the steering wheel screen of a "shifting desert."
Elevate mode turns on the SUV's autonomous driving system, with the steering wheel and pedals tucked away, while the cabin turns into a sort of wellness spa. The ambient lighting turns red, while the seatback lighting uses infrared light, which Cadillac claims will "promote the optimal performance" of each passenger and help in recovery from physical exertion. The cabin filtration system moves dust particles, while refreshing fragrances are dispersed. A light on the dashboard moves back and forth, to apparently "aid in breathwork" as the passengers "get into the headspace for performance."
While we're not sure we're going to start taking health advice from a car company, perhaps that headspace will encourage the driver to activate Velocity mode, bringing the steering wheel back out. The white interior lighting dims to help the driver focus on the road ahead, while the steering wheel screen shows data like speed and battery temperature. An augmented reality head-up display hosts the navigation.
On top of these experiential settings, there are also a series of drive modes that tailor vehicle performance. The e-Velocity mode is for on-road driving, Terra mode focuses on off-road performance and raises the ride height, and Sand Vision purports to provide better visibility in a sandstorm, with Cadillac comparing it to its current Night Vision technology. Lastly, there's something called "Elements defy," which seems to effectively shake the SUV clean, removing sand and dirt using a "dust-phobic vibration." Just the thing you need for when you have a red carpet event, but Waze decides to route you through the Dakar Rally first.
While the Elevated Velocity won't go into production as seen here, it demonstrates the direction Cadillac's future EVs might take. And with Cadillac doubling down on the front and rear styling from last year's Opulent Velocity concept, we wouldn't be shocked to see a toned-down version of this design language appear on Cadillac EVs by the end of this decade.
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