Cadillac Escalade IQ Electric 3-Row SUV: Innovative Luxury for the Electric Age
The era of full size electric luxury is here: Cadillac Escalade IQ 3-row SUV has a 450 mile range, fast charging and clever features, all with the Cadillac pampering we expect.
Scotty Reiss
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The electric SUV race is picking up speed — and power and range.
If you have kids and have been in carpools, if you have ever been a guest of a top-notch car service, or if you’re lucky enough to live the jet-set life (or if you’ve just see it on Instagram), you know Cadillac Escalade.
This 3-row SUV is the queen bee: A leader in space, capability and luxury, and, space and capability as a luxury. Now, the Cadillac Escalade IQ takes spacious, capable luxury into the electric age.
Related: Discounts, Incentives and Bargains Abound. Is it Time to Buy An Electric Car?
The rear of the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ still carries a nod to the iconic fin design. Photo: Scotty Reiss
IQ: How You Know It’s Luxury Electric
You might notice a commonality among Cadillac’s electric car names: they all end in ‘iq.’ Lyriq. Celestiq. And … Escaladiq? Nah. For this model, Cadillac went with a more familiar name, pairing the brand power of Escalade with electric power of IQ. I’m glad they did; this makes it easy to understand, and for others to easily understand what you’re talking about — because you will be talking about it.
But IQ is more than just a name; it’s the mark of mastery of both electric driving and innovative technology. The Escalade IQ will have a long electric range — up to 450 miles on a single charge; a high voltage electric system that quickly recharges the car’s battery; a ‘vehicle to load’ reverse charge system that, with the right accessories, will allow you to power a device, a vehicle or a home with your car.
You can immediately tell that the Escalade IQ is electric by its rear badge: IQ is seen on the left, and on the right a bit of Cadillac braggadocio: The 1000E4 denotes the Escalade IQ’s horsepower, which at 785 lb.-ft, is just over 1000NM, or newton-meters. The E stands for electric and the 4 stands for all wheel drive
Then, the technology can update while you sleep (or while you drive). Hands-free Super Cruise driving allows you to relax behind the wheel when driving on the highway. And all the best Cadillac features and innovations — those you expect and those you don’t— will be included. When the Escalade IQ is delivered to dealers, it’ll have a starting price of $130,000. And it’ll be one of a few 3-row electric SUVs on the market; competitors are expected to include Lucid Gravity and the Volvo EX90, but the Escalade IQ will be the largest full size SUV.
Related: GMC Hummer EV SUV: A Kitschy-Cool EV with Functional Space, Utilitarian Interior
The pillar to pillar media screen. Photo: Scotty Reiss
WOW Features Set the Luxury Meter to “Over the Top”
Escalade IQ’s innovative features are impressive. On the power side, it’ll have a capacity of up to 450 miles of electric driving range, and will be able to replenish up to 100 miles of charge in 10 minutes at a public DC Fast Charge station. There are caveats to this based on the power delivered by the plug at the charge station, but the Escalade IQ is designed to accept the maximum power available.
Then, it has a “pillar to pillar” multimedia screen on the dashboard as well as a command center screen; the wide dashboard screen incorporates a driver information screen, multimedia and a passenger screen that can’t be seen by the driver when it’s in use. The command center screen holds key functions like seat controls and climate functions.
This large screen is something we’ve seen in concept cars and are starting to see in cars that will be built in the near future. If you see this as overwhelming, don’t; it really sets the stage for more control and tech advances in our cars.
And it will have multiple drive features, such as four-wheel steering that can be used to drive diagonally into a tight parking spot; “Velocity Max” mode which adds 80 additional horsepower for acceleration until the Escalade gets up to speed – which it will do quickly.
It has enhanced park assist, so you only need to pick your parking spot and the Cadillac does the rest (steering, braking and shifting gears). And it will come with Super Cruise hands free highway driving.
What won’t it have? Cadillac leather. Sorry, fans. Cadillac’s leather is iconic and lovely, but also, it’s heavy and environmentally not the best choice for our cars. Cadillac used a leatherette it calls Nuvoluxe, a vegan leather that is far lighter and far more sustainable than cow leather.
Related: 6 Reasons the 2021 Cadillac Escalade Luxury 3 Row SUV is the A-List Mom Taxi
Interior of the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What Else to Expect from Escalade IQ
Don’t let the electric power and technology throw you off; this SUV is all we except from Cadillac. Luxury seating for 7, rear seat amenities, all wheel drive capability and passenger and cargo space nearly identical to its gas-powered siblings; the battery doesn’t eat up valuable interior space.
Cadillac is promising two trims to start: Luxury and Sport. Each will have tell-tale signs, such as darkened trim details on the Sport edition and brushed metal trim on the Luxury edition. Then, there are innovative features and technologies, such as:
- A curved 55” “pillar to pillar” multimedia system featuring Google with voice activation (“Hey Google”)
- Super Cruise hands free driving (this requires a subscription)
- Second row amenities including foldable tray tables, 12” screens, a rear seat command center screen, a wireless charge pad, USB-C and HDMI ports and massaging seats with headrest speakers
- 24” wheels
- A magnetic ride control system and adaptive suspension that promises a smooth comfortable ride and, as Cadillac says, “isolates passengers from undesirable road surfaces.” I love how they put that
- A suspension height adjustment of up to 2” so you can lower the car for loading in passengers and cargo, and drive a the lower height at low speeds
- 4-wheel steering for tighter turns or at low speeds
- “Arrival Mode” allows the SUV to drive diagonally by directing all 4 wheels the same direction
- Open or close all four doors by pushing a single button
- Power folding 3rd row
- Fixed panoramic sunroof
- 360 degree premium audio
- Ambient lighting that floods laser-etched patterns on door panels and surfaces; these can be color customized
- A “frunk” with 12 cubic feet of space; enough, Cadillac says, to hold two sets of golf clubs. Or, we say, LAX or hockey bags.
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. Photo: Scotty Reiss
The IQ Power Plant
This is probably one of the most luxurious parts of the Escalade IQ: 450 miles of range and fast charging to replenish those miles. GM has opted for a high voltage internal system that does both of these things, as well as a few other cool things. The Cadillac IQ will have:
- Dual motors, one on each axle, which also provides AWD
- 450 miles of battery range
- 680 HP, with a boost feature, called Velocity Max, that takes it up to 750 HP
- 615 torque, with up to 785 torque in Velocity Max mode
- Up to 8,000 lbs. of towing
- One pedal driving to save and replenish battery power
- A high-voltage electric system that can replenish 100 miles of range in 10 minutes at a DC Fast Charger, 37 miles in an hour at a level 2 240V 19.2kW charger or about 15 miles of range per hour at a standard 7.7 kW system,
- Bi-directional charging, so you can power your house with your car using GM’s Ultium Home system or simply, power other devices with the Cadillac’s battery
- A more aerodynamic design and interior details designed to maximize power usage
A side view of the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. Photo: Scotty Reiss
More Safety in Cadillac’s Systems
Super Cruise harnesses driver assist systems to do a lot of the driving on the highway, but these systems also enhance overall safety. The Escalade IQ will also have:
- Enhanced blind zone assist that will help to steer the car out of the line of a potential crash;
- Cross-traffic crash avoidance
- HD surround view so you can clearly see objects around the car
- Enhanced park assist that automatically steers, brakes, accelerates and shifts gears to park the car
- Pedestrian and bicyclist detection — at up to 50 MPG
- Enhanced park assist for hands-free parking
What It Shares With The Hummer EV
Some of the Escalade IQ’s features might seem familiar if you’ve followed the GMC Hummer EV SUV, Cadillac’s sibling in the electric lineup from GM. Hummer added innovative features like “Crab Walk,” an off-road version of “Arrive Mode” which uses the 4-wheel steering system to inch into or out of tight spaces. The Hummer also harnessed massive horsepower, fast charging and a battery range larger than its competitors.
The signature front grille of the Cadillac Escalade IQ. Photo: Scotty Reiss
Will Tax Breaks Apply? Sorry, No
Also like the Hummer EV SUV, the Escalade IQ will be built in Detroit’s Hamtramck plant. One of GM’s original plants, it got a $2.2 billion redesign to build GM’s electric cars and trucks.
While we love that these SUVs are built in the US, they won’t likely qualify for federal tax incentives, as many electric cars built in the US; that’s because it exceeds the price cap of $80,000 (at this writing, at least).
Chief engineer Mandi Damman. Photo: Scotty Reiss
Why We Love Escalade
The Escalade holds a special place in our hearts. With an unwavering commitment to large, luxurious SUVs, the brand is true American luxury, combining both lovely materials and designs with a robust powertrain and all wheel drive capability that ensures you get everywhere you need to go in comfort and style, and for hundreds of thousands of miles.
Its space is always among the best; it’s as comfortable for kids in car seats as it is for royals in regalia, or for prom dates in gowns and tuxedos. Or all of the above, all at the same time.
And now, it can add another luxury to the list of things it does for us: Escort us into the age of electrified luxury.
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