Cadillac Unveils Upscale New Off-Roading Concept

Cadillac unveiled a new concept car called the Elevated Velocity, a dramatic electric vehicle (EV) designed for performance off-roading. This concept follows up on Cadillac's Opulent Velocity concept from 2024, which was the brand’s vision for a future supercar. Both concept cars are designed to demonstrate what future cars from Cadillac’s performance-oriented V division could look like. 

With the expansion of the V performance lineup to electric SUVs such as the Lyriq V and Optiq V, the Elevated Velocity shows what Cadillac’s designs could look like in the future. 

The Elevated Velocity takes its primary inspiration from the game of Desert Polo. The game is a combination of high-speed off-roading and precision, which is a perfect match for the design ethos behind this concept. 

Elevated Velocity refers specifically to the SUV’s two highlighted drive modes: Elevate and Velocity mode. 

Elevate mode takes the SUV into a fully autonomous mode, retracting the pedals and steering wheel while the cabin's ambient lighting shifts to red. This activates red light therapy in the car, allowing the driver to recover following a high-speed off-road session. This mode also activates breathing exercises and monitors the driver's temperature, as well as the external temperature. 

Velocity mode is focused on driving. In this mode, the lighting changes to a cool white, and the speedometer information is shifted to the steering wheel-integrated touchscreen. The whole idea behind this mode is to minimize driver distractions and strictly focus on the terrain ahead. 

The exterior design previews what Cadillacs could look like in the future, particularly with its dynamic exterior light design and light accents on the wheels. Meanwhile, the overall silhouette follows the contemporary styling cues set by the Lyriq and Celestiq. The Elevated Velocity also features full-length gullwing doors to allow all occupants to easily enter the vehicle. 

The interior goes for a minimalist look, with screens that take up less interior real estate than production Cadillacs. 

Overall, it follows the interior design of the Opulent Velocity Concept closely, which had a similar carved dashboard and seats that are designed to maximize interior space. The seats also feature cutouts in the headrests that allow for additional interior lighting and infrared technology. The centre screen has also been integrated to match the curvature of the dashboard. 

As for the interior materials, Cadillac continues to embrace bold monochromatic looks just like with the Celestiq. The Elevated Velocity concept showcases a vibrant red, made of a combination of wool and leather.

The SUV features a special vault compartment that features custom polo gear to match the interior of the Cadillac, including a helmet, kneepads, mallets, and gloves. 

While this is a concept vehicle and no specs or powertrain information has been revealed, a lot of the elements shown are likely to make it onto future Cadillac models or hint at the direction the brand intends to take its cars. Seeing this is a continuation of Cadillac’s Velocity concept, it’s safe to say Cadillac is embracing EV performance cars.