By Sam McEachern, GM News
With its focus on attracting younger buyers to the Cadillac brand, the OPTIQ represents a unique interpretation of Cadillac’s bold and luxurious brand identity. This is especially evident in the OPTIQ’s cabin, where designers implemented various innovative materials to give the all-electric crossover a youthful and progressive look and feel.
Innovative materials
One example of innovative materials use is the OPTIQ’s patterned accent fabric, which is woven from yarn made from 100% recycled materials. The fabric serves as a unique complement to the OPTIQ’s available interior colors, which include Noir, Sky Cool Gray with Santorini Blue accents, Autumn Canyon, and Phantom Blue. These interior color options are another part of the OPTIQ’s appeal to younger buyers, explains Nina Cho, a colors, materials, and finish designer that worked on the OPTIQ.
“It’s not just the materials we use, but how we are applying them in a really exciting way for the customer,” Cho said. “We have really exciting color palettes and color harmony. We took a new approach to interior materials application and placement.”
Caption: The OPTIQ’s Sky Cool Gray with Santorini Blue interior uses contrasting colors to create a youthful, expressive environment.
Additionally, the OPTIQ’s center console features an available PaperWood veneer that is made up of equal parts tulip wood and recycled newspaper. If you look closely, you can actually see letters from the newspaper print embedded in the wood veneer.
“The PaperWood veneer is made by repeatedly stacking the thin layer of the dark tulip wood with the recycled newspaper, and then they essentially mill the laminates for use in the car from the stack, so that’s why you can see the newsprint letters in the white grain part,” she said.
“What’s really special and unique about this process is that the veneer is made up of different newspapers, so each trim piece is entirely unique to that vehicle.”
Caption: Look closely, and you can see yesterday’s headlines embedded in the OPTIQ’s available PaperWood veneer.
A new buyer demographic
Over the past five years, Cadillac’s percentage of younger buyers has increased by 5% in the U.S. – a figure that’s only set to grow with the arrival of the innovative, youthful and competitive OPTIQ. These new Cadillac buyers may find materials like the recycled yarn and PaperWood veneer particularly enticing.
“The target customer for this vehicle skews young, and this is an entry-level product for Cadillac,” Cho explained. “So we think a younger customer will appreciate the modern aesthetic that comes with using innovative materials.”
The Cadillac OPTIQ will enter production this fall and will be offered in two trim levels: Luxury and Sport. The recycled accent fabric will come as standard on both trim levels, while the PaperWood veneer comes with the optional Autumn Canyon and Phantom Blue interior colors.
With its focus on attracting younger buyers to the Cadillac brand, the OPTIQ represents a unique interpretation of Cadillac’s bold and luxurious brand identity. This is especially evident in the OPTIQ’s cabin, where designers implemented various innovative materials to give the all-electric crossover a youthful and progressive look and feel.
Innovative materials
One example of innovative materials use is the OPTIQ’s patterned accent fabric, which is woven from yarn made from 100% recycled materials. The fabric serves as a unique complement to the OPTIQ’s available interior colors, which include Noir, Sky Cool Gray with Santorini Blue accents, Autumn Canyon, and Phantom Blue. These interior color options are another part of the OPTIQ’s appeal to younger buyers, explains Nina Cho, a colors, materials, and finish designer that worked on the OPTIQ.
“It’s not just the materials we use, but how we are applying them in a really exciting way for the customer,” Cho said. “We have really exciting color palettes and color harmony. We took a new approach to interior materials application and placement.”
Additionally, the OPTIQ’s center console features an available PaperWood veneer that is made up of equal parts tulip wood and recycled newspaper. If you look closely, you can actually see letters from the newspaper print embedded in the wood veneer.
“The PaperWood veneer is made by repeatedly stacking the thin layer of the dark tulip wood with the recycled newspaper, and then they essentially mill the laminates for use in the car from the stack, so that’s why you can see the newsprint letters in the white grain part,” she said.
“What’s really special and unique about this process is that the veneer is made up of different newspapers, so each trim piece is entirely unique to that vehicle.”
A new buyer demographic
Over the past five years, Cadillac’s percentage of younger buyers has increased by 5% in the U.S. – a figure that’s only set to grow with the arrival of the innovative, youthful and competitive OPTIQ. These new Cadillac buyers may find materials like the recycled yarn and PaperWood veneer particularly enticing.
“The target customer for this vehicle skews young, and this is an entry-level product for Cadillac,” Cho explained. “So we think a younger customer will appreciate the modern aesthetic that comes with using innovative materials.”
The Cadillac OPTIQ will enter production this fall and will be offered in two trim levels: Luxury and Sport. The recycled accent fabric will come as standard on both trim levels, while the PaperWood veneer comes with the optional Autumn Canyon and Phantom Blue interior colors.