General Motors on Tuesday confirmed 2023 Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV production will start March 21, and new orders will open May 19.

GM initially accepted orders only for an initial Debut Edition model. The automaker said that first allotment sold out in just 10 minutes, but it hasn't revealed how many vehicles that is. However, Cadillac now plans to make 25,000 annually, according to a recent Automotive News report.

While some dealerships didn't appear sold on plans to take Cadillac all-electric when they were announced in 2020, GM also said it's onboarding Cadillac dealerships to a "new Cadillac EV experience" based on the automaker's digital retail platform. This will provide a more convenient alternative to conventional shopping for consumers, while reducing cost and complexity for dealerships, the automaker claims.

2023 Cadillac Lyriq

2023 Cadillac Lyriq

Built in Spring Hill, Tennessee, at the former home of Saturn, the Lyriq is set to arrive well ahead of its original due date. GM announced in late 2020 that it had pulled the launch forward nine months, and is on track to hit the revised target.

Up close, we found the lighting and visual signatures of the Lyriq to be breathtaking, and there's good use of space—despite being a five-seater. GM is anticipating more than 300 EPA-rated miles of range from a 100-kwh battery pack in initial versions. While an all-wheel drive version is on the way, the Debut Edition gets a single motor sending 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels only.

At $59,990, including the destination fee, it's now looking like a much better deal when the price was first announced—thanks to all of Tesla's price hikes. The Lyriq now undercuts the Tesla Model Y, which just got a $3,000 base-price hike. The entry-level Model Y Long Range now starts at $64,190.