Revealed: Escalade IQ mega-ute electrifies Caddy icon with 450-mile range, 55-inch screen
Cadillac introduced its Escalade IQ Wednesday in New York, unveiling the luxury brand's third Ultium battery-based model as the brand marches towards an all-electric lineup in 2030.
The IQ marries the proportions of the iconic gas-powered Escalade with the Ultium platform first introduced on the Cadillac Lyriq SUV and Celestiq sedans. The result is a bling-tastic mega-ute featuring 24-inch wheels and pillar-to-pillar, 55-inch-wide dash screen powered by a 750-horsepower, 200-plus kilowatt hour battery pack with a range of 450 miles on a charge.
“Escalade IQ raises the standard just as the original Escalade redefined luxury a quarter-century ago,” Global Cadillac Vice President John Roth said. “This reimagining of an icon marks the next step in Cadillac’s all-electric future.”
The $130,000 icon will be made in Detroit at GM's Factory Zero Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Center starting next summer. The Escalade IQ is more expensive than its ICE counterpart, but still below the level of the $300,000 2024 Celestiq, a hand-built electric sedan that will be the halo model of GM's luxury brand.
The Escalade IQ name aims to preserve Cadillac’s most iconic badge while also conforming to the brand's new “-iq” suffix naming convention featured on the Celestiq and Lyriq. It's not the only EV GM is showing this year. The luxury brand is planning two more global EV debuts by the end of 2023.
“All of this growth and innovation is a direct result of a strategic plan that was laid out by Cadillac just about five years ago,” Roth said.
Since its 1999 arrival, the Escalade has been a central figure in pop culture with its appearances in music videos, TV shows and movies.
"When it was introduced a quarter century ago, Escalade kicked off a new era in innovation, style, technology and of course performance in a full-size SUV," Roth said. "It was an immediate hit and embraced by pop culture. It became an instant icon, and really a trendsetter and it continues to be the standard that everyone's chasing."
Escalade "at one point revived the brand and it enabled it to connect with a much broader audience than it had been," said Stephanie Brinley, associate director for S&P Global Mobility.
Since it first hit showrooms, more than 1 million Escalades have been sold globally.
"Today, Escalade is the best-selling vehicle in the segment, and it's held that spot consistently over the past two decades," Roth said. "And really, it's showing no signs of slowing down. This year, Escalade had its best first half since 2007, and one out of every three vehicles sold in the segment is an Escalade."
With the electrified version, Cadillac designers and engineers had to bring their A-game to ensure that a storied and important nameplate in the brand's history continues setting itself apart from the crowd.
"It has to deliver on Cadillac style and it has to deliver on on Cadillac's level of luxury and craftsmanship and it has to raise all that a little bit just because the landscape is more difficult," Brinley said.
"Almost every brand at every price point has talked about improving interior materials, improving the quality and the craftsmanship and the feel of their vehicles. So the landscape is a little bit different. When everyone around has raised their game, you have to raise yours as well."
Escalade IQ's numbers
IQ joins the Escalade family alongside the gas-powered Escalade and V8-powered Escalade-V. The electric ute’s horsepower and 780-torque numbers best the 682 horses of the V, which had been the most powerful Cadillac built. Squatting low on its air suspension and 24-inch wheels propelled by Caddy’s eAWD system, IQ can hit 60 mph in under 5 seconds using "velocity max" mode.
IQ’s low center of gravity should offer better handling than its gas-powered peers, and four-wheel steer enables a 6.5-foot tighter turning diameter (to 39.4 feet). Like the Hummer’s famed crab walk, four-wheel steer is key to the IQ’s so-called "arrival mode" for pulling into and out of tight spaces.
The IQ shares the gas-powered Escalade’s Y-trim strategy offering sport and luxury models. It will not have its ICE sibling’s wheelbase, however, as the Ultium chassis allows a longer wheelbase. That wheelbase helps open more cabin room as well as a ginormous e-Trunk up front with 12 cubic feet of storage to complement rear cargo room.
“Escalade IQ delivers on a promise of innovative design supported by spirited performance and cutting-edge technologies,” IQ Chief Engineer Jamie Brewer said.
Among those technologies is available automatic opening — and closing — doors. The front door will auto-open when sensing the driver’s key fob, then automatically close behind the driver after they’ve slipped into the front seat and pressed the brake pedal. Occupants can also automatically open all four doors from the inside using a button in the front "command center" screen.
IQ comes standard with a 55-inch, A pillar-to-A pillar screen like that in the Celestiq. The screen houses three displays: instrument panel, infotainment and passenger.
Ultium’s 800-volt architecture can charge the over-200 kWh battery to 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. The e-Escalade will be able to charge using the Combined Charging System and Tesla Inc.'s North American Charging Standard. Ultium’s Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) bidirectional charging technology enables the SUV to power a properly-equipped home. IQ can also recharge other EVs, and boasts up to 8,000 pounds of towing capability.
Super Cruise is standard on IQ enabling hands-free driving on more than 400,000 miles of U.S. and Canadian roads. The big Caddy also builds on familiar safety tools. Those include blind zone steering assist, which will help drivers avoid an intersection collision with a stray, oncoming vehicle. High-definition surround vision offers digital camera views of the surrounding area. And enhanced automatic parking assist automatically steers IQ into parallel or perpendicular parking spaces.
'A true renaissance' for design
To achieve a 15% lower low drag coefficient, the Escalade IQ's windshield is raked compared to gas-powered Escalades. While boasting the footprint of an Escalade, the exterior design has evolved to include Lyriq's design signature like a lit fascia and bustle rear end.
While the interior is dominated by the 55-inch screen, there are even more screens, including the front, 11-inch command center that controls climate. A similar 8-inch rear command center screen and twin seatback 12.6-inch screens are part of an available "executive" second-row seating package that includes stowable tray tables, dual wireless phone charging pads, massaging seats and headrest speakers.
Third-row passengers don’t get screens, but they’ll lounge in comfortable legroom under a standard panoramic roof giving light to all three rows.
“We haven’t seen an interior design shift like this in 100 years,” IQ Interior Design Manager Craig Sass said. “It’s a true renaissance.”
The infotainment display is powered by Google built-in, which provides an interface familiar to Google Maps users. Cadillac says the system can chart a trip using available, third-party fast chargers similar to Tesla’s proprietary navigate-on-autopilot system.
The standard AKG audio system for luxury and sport models bolts in 19 speakers, and a 40-speaker AKG system is on offer with the Executive Second Row package.
“We pushed for more expressive colors and more artistic trim finishes, creating fully-designed ‘themes’ the customer can choose,” Sass said. “As with the exterior, the dramatic interior lighting includes customizable ambient lighting with 126 color choices, allowing the owner to curate a more personal experience.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
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