More Names Emerge From Cadillac's Future

Here at TTAC World Headquarters, we’re all in lockstep agreement that Cadillac’s electric vehicle naming strategy is both awesome and timeless. Names like Lyriq and Celestiq defy any and all attempts at derision and joke-making.

With that lie out of the way, let’s move on to the next addition to the brand’s EV stable: Symboliq.

Cadillac Society recently uncovered the new addition to the growing lineup in the electronic bowels of a Swiss patent office. General Motor applied for the name on July 22nd.

While Caddy’s EV ambitions came into clearer focus this month, the names applied to the next three models remained cloaked in haze. This helps break up the clouds a bit.

The name “Lyriq” is bound for Cadillac’s first all-electric model, a midsize crossover due for a reveal later this year, with production following in 2021. Celestiq is reserved for a hand-built, ultra-high-end halo car. Elsewhere in the plan, a small, more attainable crossover will capture eco-conscious buyers in the XT4 arena, while a three-row EV crossover will tempt those who’d otherwise consider an XT6.

Meanwhile, the Escalade stands to gain a clean-running sibling. Might we suggest the name Diaboliq?

Sure enough, a quick perusal of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s listings shows Symboliq and Cadillac Symbolic among the automaker’s recent applications. And not only that — “Optiq” is there, too.

Optra? No. Optiq. This Cadillac’s all American, thank you very much.

Unfortunately, none of these applications reveal exactly which model the name will land on. And GM’s still missing one of the five. Regardless, it’s clear that the automaker’s not easing up on the development throttle, despite the new challenges and pressures posed by the pandemic. The company aims to introduce 20 EV models by 2023, with the briefly mothballed Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Detroit serving as GM’s green nerve center and dedicated EV production base.

The first of the Cadillac crowd, the Lyric, is destined for an August 6th reveal.

[Image: General Motors]