Cadillac Could Have Used a $2 Sticker on the Optiq. It Chose to Etch Glass Instead

If you haven’t been up close to one of Cadillac’s electric SUVs anytime recently, you might not know that the brand does something pretty interesting with the rear-quarter glass near the D pillar of these models. What you see above isn’t a decal; it’s actually an etching, styled after the Mondrian pattern featured in the Cadillac logo, with a pop of blue on the go-fast Optiq-V.

It’s a neat touch of flair, and, at least in the Optiq’s case, it doesn’t adversely impact visibility inside the car. That glass still functions as a window, and the strakes from the pattern are translucent and not too distracting. Cadillac, however, has opted to remove it from the Vistiq for the 2027 model year.

We got in touch with Cadillac to learn why and whether the change to the Vistiq foreshadows the elimination of the graphic across the lineup. According to Cadillac, it doesn’t sound like that’s the plan.

“Cadillac updated the rear quarter-panel etched pattern on the VISTIQ in response to feedback from customers and dealers,” a spokesperson told The Drive. “This change does not represent a broader removal of the design treatment across the lineup.

“On the 2027 model-year Cadillac OPTIQ, the etched pattern will remain, with a subtle tint introduced as a mid-model-year update on all trims except the V-Series,” the statement continued. “The OPTIQ-V will retain the current untinted pattern to preserve clear differentiation for the V-Series model.”

In other words, the Optiq will retain the etching, though it will look different depending on the model you buy. As the brand’s configurator shows, it appears uniquely on the V-badged Optiq compared to the other trims. You get that stripe of blue along the top edge, which neatly corresponds to some interior surfaces and the bright blue Brembo calipers, and there’s a different fade to the Mondrian pattern.

Is this graphic likely to really be a deal-breaker—or car-seller—for a specific buyer? Probably not, though I can say it impressed me when I got an Optiq-V for loan a few weeks back, as an attention to detail that you’d figure Cadillac should want to exercise, being the crown jewel of the GM family and all.

Got a news tip involving car design? Email the author: adam.ismail@thedrive.com