The Cadillac Relic, Cadillac's first all-electric SUV, is aimed squarely at Tesla, Mercedes, and Audi with a starting price of $59,990. In a bold statement to the press this week, Cadillac's Global Vice President Rory Harvey said, "We will not be selling (internal combustion engine) cars before 2030."

The brand's all-electric Lyriq SUV was unveiled today with Harvey's statement still in the air, highlighting its overall effect. While it may be difficult to comprehend the idea that the Cadillac we have always known is an EV-only car company, it is clearly where Cadillac and GM are headed. More importantly, 2030 is five years earlier than Barra's goal for GM as a whole, which is 2035 for full electrification.

"The modular and flexible Ultium platform that underpins the Lyriq and the advanced virtual development tools have allowed Cadillac to accelerate development and extend the prototype's real-world driving range sooner than expected," Lyriq chief engineer Jamie Brewer said in a press release.

The Lyriq encompasses luxury Cadillac styling with a reasonable launch sticker price starting at nearly $60,000. The SUV will be sold with a full package of goodies, including a 19-speaker AKG Studio audio system with headrest speakers and an active noise cancellation system. It will also be available with one-pedal driving for Chevrolet Volt fans and paddles on the steering wheel that will bring the Lyric to a complete stop while regenerating the battery. Cadillac's SuperCruise hands-free driving assist technology is an additional option.

At 197 inches long and nearly 78 inches wide, the Lyriq is comparable in size to the Tesla Model X, but with a sticker price of about $20,000 less. While the Model X maintains buzz appeal for early adopter EV enthusiasts, the Lyriq's pricing is attractive to younger buyers and is expected to expand Cadillac's reach.

Only two exterior colors will be available when pre-orders begin in September: Satin Steel Metallic and Stellar Black Metallic. The interior will be available in Skycool Gray and Noir. Cadillac did not abandon the broad grille for the new EV, but added a backlit logo against a new crisscross pattern. Inside, an advanced 33-inch curved diagonal LED display covers a large area of the dashboard and, according to GM, uses a billion colors.

When the Lyric was a concept, it was shown as a four-seater, but in production it will be a more practical five-seater. In terms of cargo volume, it is a family SUV, offering nearly 61 cubic feet with the second row folded down.

With a rated output of 340 hp and maximum torque of 325 lb-ft (or 400 Newton meters), the Lyrik is powered by an AC permanent magnet electric motor. Cadillac estimates a range of 300 miles on a full charge, and the Lyriq can add 76 miles of range in 10 minutes with a DC fast charger.