These three 2023 models are sumptuous studies in interior design
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If you hadn’t noticed, electric vehicles are a thing. And while Tesla has dominated the burgeoning EV marketplace in BC, a growing number of traditional automakers are bringing their decades—in some cases, centuries—of car-building expertise to the plug-in category.
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Apart from an EV’s obvious merits—zero emission, whisper quiet running, quick acceleration—the very nature of its flat, battery pack platform allows for a clean-sheet design when it comes to the interior of the cabin. With no transmission bump running down the middle of the passenger compartment, designers’ imaginations have been unleashed. Here are three of the best interiors from the impressive crop of 2023 EVs:
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2023 CADILLAC LYRIQ
Cadillac’s first fully electric vehicle has won several awards, including the 2023 Green Car of the Year, thanks to its slippery exterior design and advanced powertrain system. But what really sets the five-door SUV apart is its luxurious cabin, which is as spacious as it is elegant. Even backseat passengers get the full Cadillac treatment in the Lyriq, with massive leg room and first-class seating. After having lost its way for several decades, in the past few years, Cadillac has returned to high-end luxury, smart and sexy design, and a heightened sense of style. The Lyriq captures all those elements and incorporates Cadillac’s new EV design language in a cabin that is as beautifully sculpted as it is logically laid out.
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2023 BMW iX
The all-new iX is a mid-size luxury SUV and the first purpose-built electric vehicle by BMW in a decade. Highlights of the interior, of which there are many, include a unique hexagonal steering wheel, a center console designed, according to BMW, as “a high-quality piece of furniture,” and a control panel with feeler bars and active haptic inputs. In addition, the iX is the first BMW to feature the iDrive 8 operating system, which combines a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen in a single, driver-centric curved unit. The cabin feels airy and large, and the newly developed seats with integral head restraints and plush pleating set the tone for the luxurious ambiance.
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2023 KIA EV6
Korean automaker Kia is producing some of the best vehicles available in Canada these days in terms of quality, performance and design. And this all-electric five-door hatchback leads to the pack. Its head-turning exterior styling punches well above its price point, but it’s its interior that really sets the EV6s apart from its competition. From the meaty sport steering wheel to the well-organized and intuitive displays and switchgear, and from the generous and well-bolstered Nappa leather seats front and back to the long list of standard features, this spacious cabin cries out for a road trip. And the large cargo hold in the back swallows up luggage.
Andrew McCredie is Driving Editor at The Vancouver Sun and The Province and the host of Postmedia’s Plugged In podcast. Subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.
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