Most automobiles exist within the hopes that a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals will purchase one yearly. A tiny handful exist, as a substitute, to show what’s doable. There’s no different rationalization for the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ.
Sure, some folks will purchase these unicorns. Most, although, will simply be taught one thing from their existence. So let’s get that out of the best way immediately: The Cadillac Escalade IQ is a full-size, all-electric SUV that comfortably seats as much as seven very giant adults, will get round quicker than many sports activities automobiles, and drives farther than 500 miles on a single cost (actually, we’ll get to that).
Sure, that’s an actual factor on the planet you may personal. Within the early days of electrification, it stands just like the Burj Khalifa amongst buildings. Like a Simone Biles vault amongst jumps. Like Harrison Ford amongst crotchety outdated males all of us love anyway.
It exhibits that it’s doable to do greater than we ever imagined.
I drove the Escalade IQ for per week, looking for out a mixture of stop-and-go city site visitors, freeway cruising, and windy nation roads. I examined each seat and leisure display screen as a result of who would get out of this factor?
Which Trim Stage
My tester was the Escalade IQ Sport 2 in Black Raven with an inside in a camel brown shade Cadillac calls Camelia. For those who’re looking for a 2025 mannequin, the Sport 2 is the highest of the road. For 2026, Cadillac has shuffled trim names. The closest equal will likely be known as Premium Sport.
New 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Costs
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Retail Value
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Honest Buy Value (92620)
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$150,590
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TBD
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Favourite Function
One of the best function of the Escalade IQ is the straightforward incontrovertible fact that its drivetrain exists.
It will get 750 horsepower from two electrical motors, one per axle, giving it all-wheel drive (AWD). Cadillac advertises a variety of 465 miles, however charged to 100%, my tester’s meter learn a jaw-dropping 506. I didn’t drive it to empty to check that determine.
It will get from zero to 60 mph in underneath 5 seconds and goes from New York Metropolis to Cleveland with out stopping to recharge. Two years in the past, feats like that have been not possible and routinely used as examples of why electrical automobiles (EVs) would by no means be sensible.
Now, they’re right here, solely at extraordinary costs. However first, you show it may be accomplished. Then you definitely mass-produce it and let economies of scale convey the price down.
What It’s Prefer to Drive
As a result of all-electric super-luxury SUVs are a brand new class, the one issues I can pretty evaluate the Escalade IQ’s efficiency to are internal-combustion-powered high-performance fashions just like the Cadillac Escalade-V or the Mercedes-AMG G 63.
Like these, the Escalade IQ leaps to freeway speeds as shortly as sports activities coupes a 3rd its dimension — 4.7 seconds, in line with Cadillac. In contrast to these, the IQ does it completely with out drama.
An Escalade-V lets explosions are powering it to a dash, and it’s taking nice pleasure within the immense effort. An Escalade IQ does it as if it has no thought what effort is. Race-car-like acceleration feels informal on this large SUV.
All 4 wheels steer, making the dealing with tighter than within the gas-powered equal, too. That’s all of the extra outstanding once you notice this one is over 15 inches longer.
Brakes are grippy and assured, as they need to be. The rotors alone are 18 inches — bigger than many wheels.
Inside Consolation and Expertise
Cadillac didn’t cease making an attempt to show a degree when it completed the powertrain. The Escalade IQ’s inside is a testomony to what’s doable.
For instance, to get in, you may pull the door open or simply contact a small button contained in the deal with and watch it open for you. Sensors forestall it from opening far sufficient to hit something in a parking zone. Don’t really feel like closing them, both? Simply faucet a button on the decrease of the 2 touchscreens. The Escalade IQ is joyful to shut its doorways softly for you.
The AKG Studio Reference sound system options 36 audio system. The one manufacturing automotive I’m conscious of with extra is the $300,000-plus Cadillac Celestiq, which has 38.
Some ultra-luxury SUVs appear to have as many buttons as a 747. Cadillac designers have laid out the Escalade IQ’s controls extraordinarily effectively. There’s an higher touchscreen dealing with car settings and infotainment capabilities, and a decrease touchscreen dealing with local weather and people cool soft-close doorways. The twin-screen structure prevents you from paging by menus – all the pieces you need commonly is in simple attain.
Two wi-fi cellphone charging pads up entrance are additionally a pleasant contact. This automotive has sufficient, or greater than sufficient, of all the pieces.
The second and third rows are spacious sufficient for big adults, and an accessible rear-seat leisure package deal offers second-row passengers their very own Netflix entry. It’s a $1,995 possibility, however at this value level, that’s not unreasonable.
Conserving with the outsized theme, the frunk (entrance trunk) presents 12.2 cubic ft of cupboard space underneath the hood. That’s not a lot smaller than the trunks of some automobiles. It’s so giant that Cadillac sellers provide a slide-out drawer for it, and I can see the purpose; not everybody might attain in all the best way.
Limitations
If I had a criticism throughout my time within the Escalade IQ, it will be that Cadillac’s haptic warning system is hyperactive. It vibrates the seat to warn you of risks. I like that it shakes on the fitting to provide you with a warning of right-side obstacles and on the left for issues in your left-side blind spot. However it signaled typically sufficient that I typically had no thought why it was participating.
See 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ stock accessible
