2026 Cadillac OPTIQ-V: The Electric V-Series With Bite
The 2026 OPTIQ-V injects Cadillac’s V-Series with 519 horsepower, a 3.5-second sprint, and a NACS charging port, finally, an EV for drivers who actually like driving.
Why does this car matter right now?
Because Cadillac finally remembered how to have fun.
The 2026 Cadillac OPTIQ-V isn’t just another souped-up SUV with leather seats and an LED strip, it’s the brand’s first all-electric V-Series to pack a proper punch. With an estimated 519 horsepower, 650 lb-ft of torque, and a launch-controlled 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, the OPTIQ-V is less about “mobility solutions” and more about good old-fashioned hooliganism (in a responsibly electrified way, of course).
Better still, it’s the first GM vehicle with a native NACS port, giving you direct access to Tesla’s vast charging network, meaning you can blow the doors off a Mustang Mach-E and still juice up without swiping three apps and praying.
This is the car Cadillac needed to build. Not because the world was begging for another electric SUV, but because someone had to build one that didn’t feel like homework.
How does it compare to rivals?
In a word? Aggressive.
The OPTIQ-V sits in a segment where most EVs sip soy lattes. It’s got its eyes on performance-forward competition like the Audi SQ8 e-tron, BMW iX M70, and perhaps the dark-horse Rivian R1S. But unlike its more softly spoken competitors, the OPTIQ-V throws a carbon-fiber splitter in your face and dares you to push it.
The dual-motor AWD setup delivers all 519 hp to the ground via summer-only tires, Brembo brakes, and launch control. There’s even a customizable “V-Mode” that saves your preferred aggression levels, steering weight, sound profile, and traction looseness, accessible via a dedicated button on the wheel.
And while some may whinge about the Cadillac-estimated 275-mile EV range from its 85-kWh battery, it’s par for the segment when you’re juggling weight, aero, and real driving dynamics.
Inside, it’s no less serious. A 33-inch curved LED screen, a 19-speaker AKG system with Dolby Atmos, Super Cruise, and Google built-in round out a tech-forward cabin trimmed in blue-accented carbon fibre and recycled sport fabric.
Yes, even fashion is fast.
Who is this for, and who should skip it?
If you’re the kind of person who’s ever turned off traction control just to “see what happens,” this is your crossover. If the phrase “launch control in an EV” makes your pupils dilate, welcome home.
The OPTIQ-V is for drivers who aren’t interested in neutered compliance cars or soft-roading suburban sleds. It’s for someone who’d spec blue brake calipers not for the look, but because they’ll need to be hosed down after a track session.
However, if you’re chasing maximum EV range, obsess over rear cargo specs, or panic at the sight of a matte finish, look elsewhere. The OPTIQ-V’s priorities are loud and clear: fun, style, and power.
Also, it starts at $68,795 before taxes and fees. That’s not nothing. But then again, neither is this car.
What’s the long-term significance?
The OPTIQ-V signals a seismic shift for Cadillac. Not just because it marks the electrification of the V-Series lineage, but because it shows GM understands that EVs need to do more than just exist, they need to excite.
It also demonstrates a strategic leap with the integration of the North American Charging Standard. This isn’t a port adapter, it’s a structural commitment to real-world usability. And for once, it puts GM ahead of the curve rather than trailing it.
The V-Series badge was always meant to mean something. With the OPTIQ-V, it does again.
This isn’t Cadillac trying to keep up. Cadillac reminds you that they still know how to lead, just now, without the engine noise.
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