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Luxury, Power, and a Few Surprises S pending a week with a new car unveils attributes and issues that online research, a conversation with a salesperson, or a test drive may not easily uncover. It's hardly the same as living with a vehicle for a few years, especially after the bumper-to-bumper warranty has expired. But from time to time, I'm surprised at how different the reality of a new offering is from what my perception may have been. e 2026 Cadillac Vistiq, the luxury brand's fully electric seven- passenger SUV, seems to be a sensible fit in the company's portfolio. It certainly appears big enough, with its 122-inch wheelbase and 205.6-inch overall length. While I didn't rush up to Pismo Beach to test its sand crawling prowess, I'm betting its 21-inch all-season tires wouldn't leave me stranded. And it's hardly petite at a curb weight of 6,326 pounds, but that's nearly 3,000 pounds lighter than Cadillac's Escalade IQ, an EV built on the Hummer-size battery. Cadillac has determined that "IQ" will be the suffix of their electric vehicle offerings, so I spent little time wondering about the origin of Celestiq, Lyriq, Optiq, or Vistiq. Cadillac's executive designer Bryan Nesbitt has refined the brand's appearance and Zhou Fang expressed bold character in the sheet metal. Our Vistiq was finished in Radiant Red Tintcoat, a color that reminds some of us of the Candy Apple metallic paint applied to hot rods and custom show cars. e top and bright surfaces were finished in gloss black with the entire appearance package a reasonable $1,225 option. is very expressive Cadillac is a rolling mainframe computer, anxious to welcome a proper key fob carrying operator with LED illumination and flush door handles that unfold. I discovered that door operation is electronic, with no apparent mechanical connections. Good thing there's a very big battery underneath so one might not be stuck outside or inside this Caddy. I walked around to the back of the big fella and waved my foot beneath the bumper to see if the tailgate would respond. detour transportation PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CADILLAC A week-long drive highlights the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq's strengths, quirks, and place in the brand's EV strategy BY BRIAN DOUGLAS ranchandcoast.com 112 OCTOBER 2025 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE