Cadillac is giving its electric SUV, the Lyriq, an over-the-air boost in power and speed, just like Mercedes and Tesla. Your all-wheel-drive Cadillac Lyriq can get a permanent “Velocity Package” upgrade for $1,200 (plus tax) while it is parked in your garage. Someone could think something is cool or dumb based on who they are. The Cadillac Lyriq has 500 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque right out of the box. It has two motors and an all-wheel drive. The Velocity Package doesn’t change the horsepower but increases the torque to 524 lb-ft. Cadillac says that the extra speed boost is enough to cut the time it takes to go from 0 to 60 mph from 4.7 seconds to 4.4 seconds. At first glance, changing your car using the entertainment system seems cool. But if you look deeper, it might be less enjoyable. If the higher torque can be uploaded to the car without making any changes to the hardware, it’s clear that the engine was created to give that higher output from the factory. And it’s different from Cadillac, which found a new way to boost power with software after the Lyriq came out. Cars sold in China have always been able to get that higher torque number. In North America, all-wheel-drive Lyriqs have a badge that says “600E4”. This represents the vehicle’s rounded-down torque number in Newton meters, electric drivetrain, and four powered wheels. This is, without question, the worst way for car companies to name their products. The Lyriq 700E4 can be bought in China. It has a torque power of 524 lb-ft (709 Nm). So, people can get more features by buying the Velocity Package from Cadillac. Most car fans don’t like this behavior because they think the company only wants to make more money from its customers. The Velocity Package adds a new Velocity mode to the Lyriq in addition to the Sport mode. Suppose the Velocity mode significantly affects how the Lyriq responds to the accelerator and how it feels to drive compared to the average performance level. In that case, it may be worth the extra money. At least, the change can be bought for a one-time fee instead of a monthly fee, which is something. With driving the Lyriq with and without the Velocity Package, it’s easier to say, but Cadillac may be making the extra speed pay for itself. Is a price in the four-figure range worth getting an additional 74 lb-ft of power and getting to 60 mph three-tenths faster? Please tell me what you think.
