When it came to building an electric version of the full-size Escalade luxury SUV, Cadillac could have created a smaller, more efficient model. However, looking at the new Escalade IQ, it's clear that the luxury brand chose to go big. One of the largest fully electric SUVs on the road, the Escalade IQ brings the high-end experience and luxurious trappings expected of a vehicle bearing the Cadillac name. At the same time, its powerful electric drivetrain delivers impressive performance and efficiency.
Photo: Perry Stern
Despite a recent timeline adjustment, Cadillac is on a clear path to fully electrifying its luxury cars and SUVs, and a battery-electric version of the full-size Escalade was a logical step in the process. However, rather than adding an electric powertrain to the existing gas-powered model, the Escalade IQ is a clean-sheet design, boasting unique styling both inside and out while taking advantage of the flexible General Motors (GM) Ultium electric vehicle (EV) platform and its powerful dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) powertrain.
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is available in four trim levels: Luxury 1, Luxury 2, Sport 1, and Sport 2. All trims come with the same dual-motor AWD system. Base prices range from around $130,000 to $150,000, including the destination charge.
For this 2025 Escalade IQ review, Cadillac provided a test vehicle equipped with Luxury 2 trim and the following options:
The test vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $167,605, including the $2,390 destination charge to ship the electric SUV to your local dealership from the Detroit, Michigan, assembly plant.
Photo: Perry Stern
It's hard to miss the new Cadillac Escalade IQ even in a crowded parking lot. With its bold grille and massive 24-inch wheels, the electric SUV certainly has a presence. Touch the inside of the exterior door handle, and the door opens for you. Once inside, press on the brake, and the door closes automatically. Additionally, you can open or close any of the doors via the center console.
It's a big step up to climb into the Escalade IQ, but an integrated step becomes visible once you open the door. Inside, you’ll find a mix of stylish, high-end materials and display screens seemingly everywhere, providing a nice blend of luxury and technology.
Spanning the dashboard is a 55-inch screen that reaches from pillar to pillar, encompassing the digital gauge cluster, primary infotainment touchscreen, and a secondary screen for the front passenger. There's also an 11-inch screen in the center console for adjusting the five-zone climate control system, door operation, and other vehicle controls.
And that's just the front seat; there are more display screens for second-row passengers. Aside from the volume knob and center controller, there are no other physical controls to mar the futuristic image.
The center console itself is a work of art, seeming to float with no attachment to the dashboard. A large storage space below easily accommodates a large bag or purse, while ample space is below the center armrest. There are the customary dual cupholders, two ventilated wireless phone chargers for the front passengers, and dual USB-C ports.
As expected, the front seats are attractive and supremely comfortable, featuring 16-way power adjustments. Nouveauluxe synthetic leather trims the seats; it looks and feels like the genuine article. Meanwhile, the seat back and bottom feature a unique perforated pattern. The seats have multi-level heating and ventilation as well as massage functions.
The Escalade IQ’s second row is already a stylish, comfortable place to ride with standard captain's chairs and plenty of space to spread out. However, my test vehicle had the available Executive Seating package, making it the best seat in the house.
The upgraded seats feature heating, cooling, and massage functions, and a central digital display provides access to dual-zone climate functions and power door controls. Individual tables fold out of the center, the rear entertainment system keeps passengers occupied, and dual wireless phone chargers keep devices powered up.
Pressing the release button on the second-row seat easily moves it forward, allowing access to the third row. Third-row legroom is tight, and while there is space for three passengers, adults will find this space cramped.
Fitting with its large dimensions, the Escalade IQ offers plenty of cargo space. With all seats in use, there is a reasonable 23.7 cubic feet of space; folding the third row increases the cargo capacity to 69.1 cubic feet. There is an additional 12.2 cubic feet of storage in the power-opening frunk, which features an available sliding tray for easier loading.
Photo: Perry Stern
Like all other GM models, the new Escalade IQ features a Google-based infotainment system showcased on the pillar-to-pillar 55-inch display screen. While the system has plenty to offer for day-to-day use, GM no longer offers Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone mirroring in any of its EV models, including the Escalade IQ.
Features of the Google-based infotainment system include:
The lack of Apple CarPlay may be a deal breaker for many potential Escalade IQ customers. Still, Android Auto users will find that the Google-based system replicates nearly all the familiar functionality. Logging into the system with my Google account, my previously saved destinations became accessible via the native Google Maps.
Google Maps offers all the expected functionality, including traffic alerts and the ability to reroute, as well as estimating the remaining battery charge upon arrival at your destination. It can also show charging stations along the route.
For those who prefer Waze navigation, the app is available for download from the Google Play Store. Further, you can customize the app, similar to Google Maps, by logging in with a personal account. With access to the Play Store, apps for streaming music, video, or audiobooks are available, and they integrate nicely into the infotainment system. Music streaming sounds fantastic through the available AKG 40-speaker 360-degree premium audio system.
With almost no physical controls in the cabin, interaction with the infotainment system is primarily via the touchscreen or controller in the center console. Still, the most straightforward interface is via Google Assistant. One of the best natural-voice systems on the market, Google Assistant can handle various requests with the "Hey, Google" voice prompt. Google Assistant can provide directions, make calls, send text messages, adjust the cabin temperature, and suggest a nearby coffee shop when asked. It will also tell you a joke, but not necessarily a good one.
Entertainment for the passengers is a key feature of the Escalade IQ. Second-row passengers have an available entertainment system that allows streaming video or movies on individual screens, but there's no reason the front passenger should be left out. The right-most section of the Escalade's 55-inch display screen provides infotainment features for the front passenger. The screen has a filter that allows the front passenger to view movies or videos while it blocks the display from the driver to prevent distraction.
Photo: Perry Stern
All 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ SUVs feature a dual-motor electric powertrain with 615 horsepower and 680 pound-feet of torque. However, pushing the “V” button on the steering wheel activates Velocity Max, briefly boosting output to 750 hp and 785 pound-feet of torque. Cadillac says that's enough power to reach 60 mph in under five seconds—quite a feat for a vehicle that reportedly weighs more than 9,000 pounds. It will also tow up to 8,000 pounds.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn't provide mileage estimates for the Escalade IQ as it has a gross vehicle weight rating above 10,000 pounds. Cadillac estimates the Escalade IQ’s range at around 460 miles.
During my time in the Escalade IQ, the trip computer indicated a range of 458 miles with a 99-percent charge and an efficiency rating of 1.6 miles per kilowatt hour, or about 54 MPGe. While that efficiency figure is relatively low for an EV, it's still impressive compared to the gas-powered Escalade, which has an EPA rating of 16 mpg in combined driving.
My time in the Escalade IQ occurred during the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The large SUV was surprisingly easy to maneuver out of the crowded parking lot, thanks to its rear-wheel steering system and numerous cameras. With the rear wheels turned opposite the fronts, the Escalade IQ practically pivots in place, dramatically reducing its turning circle.
Despite its maneuverability, there's no hiding the Escalade IQ’s size and mass. Even with its impressive power levels and AWD, the Escalade feels heavy. Acceleration is reasonably quick in standard mode, but you need Velocity Max to move the big SUV quickly.
Much of the Cadillac's weight is in the batteries. This places the center of gravity low in the vehicle, which somewhat improves handling. The steering response is decent, and the Escalade IQ feels confident and planted, even when navigating the winding backroads around Elkhart Lake. The Escalade IQ features one-pedal driving, which utilizes regenerative braking to smoothly slow the Cadillac when lifting off the throttle, eventually bringing it to a complete stop.
Whether cruising around town or traveling at highway speeds, the Escalade IQ delivers a quiet, comfortable ride, with the adaptive air suspension absorbing all but the most severe bumps in the road.
Photo: Perry Stern
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ comes standard with an extensive list of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Features include:
In addition, higher trim levels feature blind-spot steering to assist with trailering and a wired trailer-view camera.
In my experience, Super Cruise is one of the best hands-free driving-assist systems on the market, and it worked flawlessly in the Escalade IQ. Once at speed on a designated closed-access highway with the adaptive cruise control engaged, Super Cruise indicates in the driver display and with a green light on the steering wheel rim that it's OK to let go of the wheel.
The system maintains speed and distance from the vehicle ahead while keeping the Cadillac centered in the lane. If the system deems a bend in the road too tight for the set speed, the vehicle will slow down and then resume its speed when the road straightens.
Super Cruise can also change lanes automatically. If the system detects a slower vehicle ahead, it checks the left lane, activates the turn signal, and changes lanes to get around the slower vehicle, all without requiring input from the driver. It is a bit unnerving the first time, but you get used to it. If you prefer, you can change the settings to initiate lane changes manually with the tap of the turn signal stalk.
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has published crashworthiness ratings for the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ.
According to the JD Power 2024 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Infiniti QX80 ranks highest in the Large Premium SUV segment. The gas-powered Cadillac Escalade and the Land Rover Range Rover are the next-highest-ranked models.
According to the JD Power 2024 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Land Rover Range Rover ranks highest in the Large Premium SUV segment. The Cadillac Escalade and the Mercedes-Benz GLS are the next-highest-ranked models.
Other 2025 Escalade IQ competitors include the BMW XM, GMC Hummer EV SUV, Lucid Gravity, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Rivian R1S, and Tesla Model X. Gas-powered competitors include the BMW iX, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Lexus LX, and Lincoln Navigator. Some buyers may even cross-shop the gas-powered Escalade.
With a clean and powerful drivetrain, advanced technology, and a design that stands out from everything else on the road, the new Cadillac Escalade IQ takes the capability and luxurious, spacious interior of the gas-powered Escalade into the future.
But the Escalade IQ's high levels of luxury, innovative features, excellent infotainment system, and impressive dual-motor electric powertrain don't come cheap, and there's still the matter of the missing Apple CarPlay. Still, there's nothing else quite like it on the road, so if you need a full-size luxury electric SUV and have the means, the Cadillac Escalade IQ may be right for you.
Perry Stern has worked in the automotive industry for over 30 years and has always been a car enthusiast. Driving almost every new car on the market, Perry has written for multiple publications in addition to his work for JDPower.com. Recently relocated to southeast Michigan, Perry remains passionate about cars, especially his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
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