2025
Cadillac Escalade IQ

Exterior

GM claims the Escalade IQ is its most aerodynamic, full-sized SUV ever, reducing drag by 15 percent over the regular Escalade. Some of these gains are made through curved surfaces and flush-mounted glass. And it is a factor in the Escalade IQ’s long estimated driving range.

It is hard to get a sense of scale in the photos. Hearing that it is a foot longer than an Escalade (making it more like an Escalade ESV) is hard to register until you learn that those are gigantic 24-inch wheels at the corners.

Vertical lighting, front and rear, carries forward a distinct Cadillac design element. The taillights are quite dramatic from the side, looking a bit like orange safety cones. The rear corners feature a “floating roof” design, as seen on many other recent models, like the Lexus RX. This styling technique uses black trim to visually lighten the appearance and separate roof and pillar elements.

There is a front trunk, aka “frunk,” under the hood where the engine would traditionally be located. This added storage is sized to hold two golf bags, adding to the vehicle’s versatility.

A panoramic glass roof lets the sun shine in and contributes to the spacious feel for the cabin.

An available entry system powers the front and rear doors open and closed at the touch of a button. The driver’s door can be programmed to open on approach.

Interior

There will be two trims: Luxury and Sport. Each is distinguished by trim flourishes, with Luxury wearing brushed aluminum accents and Sport dressed in black metal bits.

A two-tone appearance will be offered, with a black roof.The minimalist cabin is dominated by screens, with a curved 55-inch display stretching from pillar to pillar. Ambient lighting can be customized from 126 color choices. These features follow a trend we have experienced in Mercedes-Benz models.

Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, the infotainment system integrates Google services for Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play. Through this, drivers can access live traffic information, navigate to nearby chargers and provide charge location info, and add apps for further customization.

The standard stereo is a 19-speaker AKG Studio system. Nudging up the trims to Luxury 2 and Sport 2 upgrades to a 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference stereo.

An available Executive Second-Row package transforms that passenger space into business class, with stowable tray table, 12.6-inch screens, dual wireless phone charge pads, USB-C and HDMI ports, massaging seats, and head restraint speakers. This package enables an upgrade to a 40-speaker, surround-sound AKG Studio Reference stereo.

A power folding third row adds versatility, while providing seating for up to seven people.

What Drives It

The Escalade IQ is built on GM’s modular Ultium Platform, which will underpin many models throughout the automaker’s brands, including the GMC Hummer and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Here, it employs a two-motor setup with all-wheel drive.

In Normal mode, the motors generate 680 hp. But for passing, the driver can choose Velocity Max mode to uncork 750 hp, good for a claimed 0-to-60-mph scramble in less than 5 seconds. 

The regenerative braking can be set for one-pedal mode, allowing the driver to modulate acceleration and braking through the single accelerator pedal—a technique that many EV owners prefer.

The 24-module lithium-ion battery stores more than 200 kWh of energy, enabling a Cadillac-estimated 450 miles of range. It uses an 800-volt architecture, which enables rapid public DC fast charging. GM says this would provide up to 100 miles of range replenished in just 10 minutes under ideal conditions. The initial images show the Escalade IQ with a Combined Charging System (CCS) port, although GM has committed to switching to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) for 2025.

The Escalade IQ has bidirectional Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technology, enabling the SUV to send power back to properly equipped homes—a potential convenience in a power outage. (This feature will become active via a software update for the 2025 model year.) The Escalade IQ can also deliver power to another vehicle, using tech known as Vehicle-to-Load (V2L).

Wheels can make a significant impact on an EV’s range, often accounting for variance in claims. Versions with heavy, larger wheels can often be penalized by 20 to 30 miles. Yet Cadillac is boasting big numbers for the Escalade IQ, even with 24-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch tires.

The Escalade IQ uses an adaptive independent suspension, front and rear, enabling it to adjust to road conditions dynamically. This promises to smooth out rough patches and tighten up for tackling spirited handling maneuvers. This adaptive system allows the vehicle to be lowered a couple of inches to make access easier and improve aero efficiency on the highway. Similarly, it can be raised an inch from its neutral position to traverse obstacles, like a rough dirt road or even speed bumps. It normally has 6.9 inches of ground clearance.

Another tech trick: It has four-wheel steer that reduces the space needed for low-speed turns to aid with parking-type situations. (Cadillac claims the Escalade IQ’s turning circle is 39.4 feet—that’s less than the 41 feet we measured with the shorter Escalade.) At higher speeds, this feature was designed to improve handling and add stability when towing. Maximum tow capacity is 8,000 pounds.

Safety and Driver Assistance Systems

The Escalade IQ has a full complement of standard active safety and driver assistance features, such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping assistance, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams.

The Escalade IQ is fitted with Super Cruise, GM’s active driving assistance system that allows hands-free driving on more than 400,000 mapped miles in the U.S. and Canada. It uses lidar-created map data, real-time cameras, radar, and GPS to monitor the roads and respond accordingly. This system has stood out in our testing in other models for its operation and clear indication when the vehicle is in control and when the situation demands that the driver take charge. The service that supports this feature is free for the first three years.

Automated parking that can operate steering, braking, and shifting to move the sizable machine into parallel and perpendicular parking spots is also standard. When parking yourself, its 360-degree surround-view camera system provides a look around the vehicle.