2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ First Drive Review: The New Peak Of American Luxury

Cadillac didn’t have the smoothest entry into the electric vehicle segment, but the company is now seeing huge success with the Lyriq, and now it’s about to expand the portfolio in a big way… literally. The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ launches as the brand’s biggest electric SUV, attaching the electric “IQ” moniker to an iconic name. Not only is the Escalade IQ physically large, it makes some big proclamations as the longest-range electric SUV on sale currently.

The first all-electric Escalade arrives with a massive battery pack, enabling a class-leading 460-mile range that’s bests even the Lucid Gravity and Rivian R1S. It also boasts the same luxury you’d expect from a regular Escalade, including seating for seven comfortably, a huge cargo area, hands-free Super Cruise, and new touches like a 55-inch pillar-to-pillar display. Did Cadillac successfully take an icon and reinvent it? DrivingOnRoad flew to San Francisco, California to find out.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

What Is It?

The Escalade IQ is what the name suggests: an Escalade with an electric powertrain. It’s a bit larger than its gas-powered counterpart on the outside, but it has slightly less space inside due to the packaging of the battery. Despite sharing a name with the standard Escalade, the IQ rides on an entirely different platform: the large Ultium architecture that also underpins the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and Hummer EV.

Exterior Design: Escalade Meets Lyriq

The Escalade IQ features distinct styling that sets it apart from the gas-powered model. Most notably, the front end looks reminiscent of other electric vehicles, like the Lyriq. It features a unique pattern on the painted grille, which is more filled in than the one on the standard Escalade. You can also spot an IQ from the rear based on its split taillights, which may be controversial for traditional Escalade customers.

Only six exterior colors are available, four of which cost extra. Summit White and Black Raven are the only free colors, while Flare Metallic and Deep Space Metallic are $625. Black Cherry Tintcoat is a stunning color for $1,225, as is Midnight Steel Frost, which costs a whopping $5,925, Every Escalade IQ trim rides on massive 24-inch wheels, which differ slightly between the Luxury and Sport models. There are also some bolder accessory wheels, which are pricey at around $4,000.

This is a massive vehicle, stretching 224.3 inches long with a 136.2-inch wheelbase. For comparison, the gas-powered Escalade is only 211.9 inches long with a 120.9-inch wheelbase. For the 2026 model year, Cadillac will also sell a longer version called the Escalade IQ L, which adds more space in the third row and cargo area.

Interior: A Proper Escalade

Unlike the Chevy Silverado EV, which feels cheaper inside than the gas-powered model, the Escalade IQ earns its name with a fabulous cabin. Even the Luxury 1 and Sport 1 trims get front heated and ventilated Inteluxe leatherette seats, while the Luxury 2 and Sport 2 receive nicer Nouveauluxe leather. Rear heated seats come standard on all trims, and there’s a pricey ($8,870) Executive Rear seat package that adds power-adjustable rear captain’s chairs with massage, a large center console with a touchscreen and fold-out tray tables, and more.

This package brings the Escalade to a new level of luxury, but it makes getting into the third row nearly impossible. Speaking of the third row, it’s a bit tighter than the one in the gas-powered Escalade, and for buyers who plan to use it frequently, we’d recommend waiting for the Escalade IQ L. Cargo space in the IQ is slightly lower than its ICE counterpart, but it makes up for that deficit with a massive front eTrunk that holds 12 cubic feet.

Infotainment: Big Car, Big Screens

Every Escalade IQ wows passengers with a massive 55-inch pillar-to-pillar screen on the dash. This unit includes a digital gauge cluster, which can be configured into a Google Map or night vision camera, the infotainment system, and a passenger screen that can play Hulu and YouTube and polarize while in motion so it will not distract the driver. We thought this amount of screen size would be overwhelming, but Cadillac mostly arranged it in a functional way, aside from a few odd decisions. Most notably, the Escalade IQ features a turn signal camera that shows what’s in your blind spot, similar to what Hyundai/Kia/Genesis have in their vehicles. It’s a great feature, but the resolution looks grainy and the camera pops up over your main infotainment display, blocking whatever you have up there, like your navigation directions. This is especially annoying because the passenger mirror provides a contorted view, making it difficult to judge how far an object is from the vehicle.

A 21-speaker AKG audio system comes standard on the Luxury 1 and Sport 1 trims, but upgrading to the Luxury 2 or Sport steps it up to a 38-speaker setup. Opting for the Executive Rear Seating Package adds another two speakers, bringing the total up to 40. Those upper trims also get power-opening front and rear doors, which can be opened using the door handles or on the vehicle’s touchscreens. It’s a cool feature, but not one that’s a must-have.

Powertrain & Driving: Halfway To A V-Series

There is only one powertrain configuration for the Escalade IQ, a massive 212 kWh battery powering two electric motors. They deliver 615 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque normally, but can unlock 750 hp and 785 lb-ft with a Velocity Max mode, which can be activated using a button on the steering wheel. Cadillac says this roughly 9,000-pound vehicle will hit 60 mph in under 4.7 seconds, but we recorded a 4.85-second time during our first drive. That’s far quicker than a base Escalade, but slightly off the pace of the supercharged Escalade-V (4.76 seconds).

Based on our experiences with the Silverado EV and Hummer EV, we expected the Escalade IQ to lack the refinement of its gasoline counterpart. Not so. Even with 24-inch wheels, the standard Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Adaptive Air Ride Suspension cushion occupants the way we’d expect of a proper Escalade. Even when driving in San Francisco, the IQ didn’t exhibit any bounciness, feeling perhaps even more controlled than its V8 sibling. The refinement continued as we escaped the city confines and hit the Pacific Coast Highway. The lower center of gravity yields improved handling that exceeds even the Escalade-V. Standard four-wheel steering shrinks what is otherwise a massive vehicle, making it feel more agile on the road and during parking maneuvers. Cadillac even included an Arrival Mode, which lets the IQ crab sideways like the Hummer. It’s kind of a gimmick, but your friends will love it.

Though it couldn’t quite match the Escalade-V’s 0-60 acceleration time, the Escalade IQ feels quicker in most driving situations based on its instant torque. The IQ should also travel further than the V without stopping, thanks to its gigantic battery pack. Cadillac cites an EPA-rated 460-mile range, which bests any electric SUV currently on the market, including the Lucid Gravity and Rivian R1S. When you do need to recharge, the 800-volt stacked battery can accept up to 350 kW, making it one of the fastest-charging vehicles in existence, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. It’s even quick when charging at home (if you add a special charger); it can accept up to 19.2 kW (36 miles per hour).

Verdict & Pricing: Impressive But Pricey

The 2025 Escalade IQ takes the most impressive specs from the Silverado EV and Hummer EV, and bundles them into Cadillac’s most iconic model. This is one of the most impressive EVs on sale at any price, but it does come at a high one. You will pay $129,990 for the Luxury 1 trim, and the Sport 1 is only a bit more at $130,490. Cadillac expects most customers to opt for either the Luxury 2 or Sport 2, which cost $149,990 and $150,490, respectively. If you are already spending such a large sum, we could see the $20,000 premium being worth it for the power doors, additional speakers, available Executive Rear Seat, and other luxury features.

We have two schools of thought with the Escalade IQ. On the one hand, it’s significantly more expensive than the V8-powered Escalade (starting at $88,100), though that price difference shrinks to around $20,000 if you comparably equip the gas model with 4WD and 24-inch wheels. Alternatively, it’s worth remembering that the IQ is far more powerful than the V8 model, even getting close to the performance in the Escalade-V ($164,495). Even the Sport 2 is around $14,000 less than the V, meaning you can almost consider it a bargain by comparison. It’s unclear if current Escalade customers will seek out the IQ to replace their current vehicle, but if the salesperson puts them behind the wheel for a test drive, we know they will be impressed. And with no comparably large EVs available from Ford or Stellantis, the Escalade IQ currently exists in a segment of one.