2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ ｜ MotorWeek First Drive

Motor Week is made possible by AutoValue and Bumper2Bumper and TireRack.com We're just back from San Francisco and our first drive in Cadillac's full-size EV SUV, the Escalade IQ. This is not the boxy Escalade you've seen gracing country clubs and rap videos over the past few decades, but rather a reimagined prime mover built for the brand's all-electric future. One look at the aerodynamic body form, sloping roofline and flush side glass and you see the balance that designers struck between crisp and curvy. LED lighting front and rear and sharp accent lines create an elegant design that fits the modern Caddy aesthetic to a tee. Inside, the driver faces a 55-inch LED display spanning the full dash width and incorporating three info screens. A large fixed glass roof brightens the interior space and highlights the architectural influences and bold color schemes. SuperCruise hands-free driver assistance is standard, as is a full suite of active safety systems. Second-row passengers can luxuriate in the available executive seating package with fold-out tray tables, massaging seats and 12.6-inch personal screens. Overall dimensions for the Escalade IQ are longer, wider and lower than the ICE Escalade. Interior cargo volume trails the traditional body style slightly, but makes up for that with a 12.2-cubic-foot trunk. Riding on GM's Altium platform, the Escalade IQ draws power from a 24-module battery pack holding over 200 kilowatt-hours of energy and feeds front and rear electric motors, making up the e-all-wheel-drive system. 800-volt EV architecture means ultra-fast charging speeds. Normal power output is 680 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque, but hit the VMAX button and those numbers jump to 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet. Magnetic ride control and adaptive air ride suspension isolate passengers from rough road surfaces while providing precise steering and feel. The driving experience is smooth, quiet and composed, as you would expect. The Escalade IQ shares many components with the Hummer EV and the Silverado EV, but its equipment and features really make it distinctly a Cadillac, meaning here it prioritizes luxury, comfort, design, technology and safety. For instance, four-wheel steering is used here more for maneuverability when changing lanes smoothly or parking. The turning circle is actually just 1.5 feet longer than a Chevy Bolt. The Escalade IQ really is a no-compromises three-row EV SUV that can seat seven people, tow 8,000 pounds and go 460 miles on a charge, the longest of any EV SUV. The Cadillac Escalade IQ, along with the Optic and Lyric crossovers, tops off an impressive EV lineup for this American luxury brand. On sale now, the Escalade IQ starts at around $130,000 including destination charges. We'll have more on this and others right here on MotorWeek. The MotorWeek app, which includes our latest reviews and feature stories, is now available for mobile devices.