To us, the optics are crystal clear: The Cadillac Optiq is a winner.
Though spawned from General Motors’ now ubiquitous battery-electric-vehicle architecture, Cadillac has managed to carve out a unique experience with the new 2026 Optiq, just arriving at U.S. dealers.
Simply put, the small luxury CUV embraces risk – and we like that. But more importantly, the creative swings designers take inside the cabin don’t miss, and that’s what lands the Optiq a prominent spot on the 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX list.
As one judge puts it, the Optiq is a “truly modern vehicle” and marks a huge departure from more staid Cadillacs of old, perhaps setting a new design path for the storied brand. (View slideshow: 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX Winner: Cadillac Optiq)
Our $60,095 test vehicle features a striking Sky Cool Gray and Santorini Blue color scheme that perfectly complements the vehicle’s Coastal Blue Metallic exterior. The colorful accents are carried along the center console, door inners and dash and offer eye-popping contrast to the snow-white seats and trim deployed elsewhere throughout the cabin. Stunning Dolby Atmos sound piped in by the AKG audio system through flashy, stylized matte metallic speaker grilles boosts the Optiq’s luxury quotient.
Clever accent lighting that runs along the dash, console and doors and shines through the blue instrument panel trim at night provides the capper to the Optiq’s overall aesthetic.
There are also a lot of shiny silver metallic accents, such as the drive mode dial and rings around cupholders on the center console, an area also home to a unique smoked acrylic trim piece covering the console’s fabric trim that is both protective and decorative.
“There’s a lot of eye candy here,” notes another judge’s scoresheet.
Designers add some warmth and texture via that gray fabric trim throughout the cabin, giving the Optiq a midcentury-modern bent that’s bright, welcoming and contemporary.
“The vehicle tells you to relax and have fun the minute you open the door and sit down,” sums up one tester.
The infotainment system also is an immediate eye-grabber as you ease behind the wheel for the first time. The screen stretches from the left A-pillar across the center console, bending slightly toward the driver for easier control and visibility. Graphics are crisp and colorful, and the system’s flat menu is easily navigated by touch or the large control wheel on the center console. A Google virtual assistant also can help control key functions, as well as provide a pathway to the internet.
The instrumentation screen is fully flexible, capable of displaying a number of functions, including a full-width navigation map. A head-up display and some unique apps such as Waze and Tidal, round out the infotainment suite.
The all-electric powertrain benefits the interior, which offers considerable passenger room for a vehicle with the Optiq’s footprint. Front seats include a massage feature and there are heating controls for both rows of occupants.
There’s convenient bonus storage room below the center console and physical controls for radio volume and the climate system, as well as fixed quick-access virtual buttons at the bottom of the screen to trigger other often-used functions. Plentiful USB-C ports, a wireless phone charger and a 115V AC outlet also help drivers and passengers on the go stay connected.
There are plenty of driver-assist features as well, topped off by GM’s solid Super Cruise Level 2-plus hands-off autopilot technology.
Add it up and the Optiq hits all the right notes. Its interior is easy on the eyes and seems to have Cadillac heading toward an intriguing new design direction.
“This is so stunning,” concludes one tester. “Both the design and the tech sell this car. If you aren’t awed by one, you’ll be amazed by the other.”
