Dolby Atmos to Feature Across Cadillac’s Entire 2026 EV Lineup
Cadillac is doubling down on immersive in-car audio with the announcement that Dolby Atmos will be available across its entire 2026 electric vehicle lineup.
The move marks a significant expansion of General Motors' commitment to high-fidelity sound, bringing a cinematic listening experience to models like the 2026 ESCALADE IQL, ESCALADE IQ, LYRIQ-V, OPTIQ, VISTIQ, and others. Select 2025 models will also receive Dolby Atmos integration via over-the-air software updates.
Dolby Atmos has redefined audio experiences across cinema, home entertainment, and personal devices, and its integration into Cadillac’s EVs represents the next step in bringing spatial audio to the automotive world. Unlike conventional stereo sound, Dolby Atmos creates a three-dimensional listening environment, allowing music to be heard with enhanced clarity, depth, and spatial accuracy. The result, the company says, is a driving experience that immerses passengers in sound like never before.
John Couling, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories said:
Whether you are listening to music to pass the time on a long commute or sharing a special moment on a family road trip, music can transform mundane moments into something remarkable. Cadillac’s lineup of Dolby Atmos-equipped vehicles is re-imagining the driving experience, ensuring every journey is unforgettable no matter where it takes you.
As consumers spend more time on the road, demand for high-quality in-car audio has never been greater. According to the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. drivers collectively log over 3 trillion miles (4.8 trillion km) annually, a distance equivalent to approximately 6,500 round trips to Mars at its closest approach to Earth—a staggering figure that underscores the growing importance of premium automotive entertainment. A Dolby survey reinforces this trend, with nearly 90% of music streaming subscribers stating that enhanced audio quality is a must-have feature. Cadillac’s Chief Engineer, John Cockburn, emphasised how the partnership with Dolby reflects the brand’s commitment to innovation.
“Together, we are taking audio to new heights by ensuring the music experience stays true to the artist’s original vision, delivering a sound experience that makes consumers feel like they are in the music studio with them.”
Dolby Atmos has moved beyond home theatre setups and is already transforming how listeners experience music. In 2024, 93% of Billboard’s Top 100 Artists released music in Dolby Atmos, allowing fans to experience their favourite tracks in a way that goes beyond traditional stereo or surround sound.
With Cadillac’s latest move, Dolby Atmos is poised to become a standard feature in high-end automotive audio, ensuring that music lovers enjoy spatially immersive sound on every drive. Whether at home, on the go, or perhaps behind the wheel of a 2026 Cadillac EV, Dolby Atmos is redefining how music is experienced.
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Jason Sexton
Joining StereoNET in 2025 as Deputy Editor, Australia & New Zealand, Jason’s decades of experience comes from a marketing, brand development, and communications background. More recently, a decade in specialist retail has armed him with the knowledge required to deliver the right information to a captive and curious audience.
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