Continuing in the automaker’s grand tradition of untraditional naming conventions, Cadillac recently trademarked the word “Symboliq.” Considering that its two already-announced all-electric vehicles — the Lyriq and the Celestiq — have made full use of the new “iq” suffix, it’s widely expected that the Symboliq is Cadillac’s next luxury EV.
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News of the trademark originally came from Cadillac Society’s Alex Luft and was subsequently corroborated by Cnet writer Steven Ewing. According to Luft, the luxury automaker filed applications for both “Symboliq” and “Cadillac Symboliq.” The article also states that both documents specify “‘Motorized land vehicles, namely automobiles’ as the Goods and Services with which the names will be associated.”
Unfortunately, we don’t have much more information about the prospective vehicle at this time. What we do know is that both trademarks originated in Switzerland, were submitted on July 22, 2020, and were drafted in the German language. What does that say about the upcoming EV? Your guess is as good as mine.
Symboliq assumptions
Despite the fact that the sum total of everything we know for sure about the all-new Cadillac Symboliq amounts to its country of origin and the language in which its trademark application was written, there are a few gleanable details worth looking at.
First is the fact that Cadillac has had a notoriously spotty history with its naming schemes, most recently adopting a CT#- or XT#-based plan, with the former referring to sedans and the latter identifying crossovers. Its shift to real — if creatively spelled — monikers is justifiably associated with the automaker’s increased interest in EVs. As such, we can safely assume that the Symboliq — a name which, siren-like, calls out to me for a bad pun — will be powered by a battery rather than an internal combustion engine.
The next requires a bit of speculation. The Lyriq is a premium SUV, and the Celestiq is a “flagship sedan,” according to Motortrend’s Alisa Priddle. As more and more brands move away from sedans and coupes in favor of crossovers and SUVs, the ultimate form of the Symboliq bears consideration. Will it be a high-end compact hatchback, another sedan, a full-size SUV in the vein of the Escalade, or something in the middle of the range? My money’s on another SUV-type vehicle, but that’s pure conjecture.
No matter what kind of car the Cadillac Symboliq end up being, it’s exciting to be front and center for the next generation of the world’s most iconic luxury brand.
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