NEW YORK — Cadillac is electrifying the Escalade full-size SUV, giving its best-known nameplate a jolt of new energy, design and capability as the luxury brand moves to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles.
The 2025 Escalade IQ unveiled here Wednesday offers a slate of advanced technology, luxury comforts and sleek design cues that carve out a distinct identity while also respecting the equity that the SUV has built with consumers for 25 years.
It comes with an eye-popping base price — around $130,000 with shipping, more than every configuration of today’s Escalade except the V-series performance version — and a General Motors-estimated 450-mile range. Production is set to begin in summer 2024 at GM’s Factory Zero electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit.
“Escalade has defined what a full-size luxury SUV is supposed to be,” GM President Mark Reuss said. “From the get-go, it was the cream of the crop. It’s what everybody wanted. Almost immediately, it became a status symbol in the same way the best Cadillacs were decades before. The Escalade IQ is riding on a wave of all that history, all that cachet and all of that greatness, and only now it’s in a fully electrified package.”
GM and Cadillac leaders say the electric Escalade will share space on dealership lots with internal combustion-powered Escalades, giving consumers choices as they adopt EVs at different rates.
The Escalade IQ is a critical launch for Cadillac. It’s the brand’s third EV, after the Lyriq midsize crossover and the upcoming Celestiq ultraluxury sedan, but the first that electrifies an existing nameplate. The Escalade is Cadillac’s top seller and has become a pop culture icon.
“Over the last 120 years, Cadillac has introduced a lot of bold vehicles,” said John Roth, vice president of global Cadillac. “But this — this one is our boldest.”
It’s a reaffirmation, he added, in no uncertain terms, that Cadillac is going all-electric.
“The fully electric Escalade IQ places one of the world’s most iconic brands and nameplates at the center of this personal revolution in transportation,” Roth said. “That kind of undertaking comes naturally, really, to Escalade.”
Cadillac officials say the Escalade IQ incorporates design elements from the Celestiq — such as the 55-inch curved display spanning the entire cabin — and features an aerodynamic shape enabled by GM’s Ultium battery architecture.
The Escalade IQ is just over 4 inches wider and a foot longer than the standard Escalade. Buyers can choose from two versions, Sport and Luxury, each of which comes in two trim levels, Cadillac said. Every trim level comes standard with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist technology and three years of the OnStar Super Cruise plan.
Powering the Escalade IQ is a 24-module Ultium battery that generates more than 200 kilowatt-hours of energy and allows for 800-volt fast charging, which Cadillac says can restore 100 miles of range in 10 minutes.
The seven-seat SUV is equipped with drive motors in the front and rear that put out 680 hp and 615 pound-feet of torque, Cadillac said. Velocity Max drive mode, a standard feature, boosts output to as much as 750 hp and 785 pound-feet of torque, for a 0 to 60 mph time of less than 5 seconds, Cadillac said. GM estimates the Escalade IQ can tow up to 8,000 pounds.
The Escalade IQ rides on 24-inch wheels and 35-inch tires. Cadillac aims to provide a smooth ride through its Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Adaptive Air Ride Suspension technologies. A four-wheel steering system helps drivers navigate tight corners by reducing the turning diameter by more than 6.5 feet, while Arrival Mode enables the vehicle to drive diagonally. Arrival Mode is a similar feature to GMC’s CrabWalk, which debuted on the Hummer EV pickup.
“There’s nothing quite as exhilarating for an engineer or a designer to have the creative freedom that we had on Escalade IQ,” said Mandi Damman, the Escalade IQ’s chief engineer.
“More than any other single factor, Ultium gave our teams the freedom to achieve a new level of luxury from the ground up,” she said. “Our engineering team worked tirelessly to ensure the powerful electric propulsion delivers a thrilling experience that lives up to Cadillac’s standards. Along with performance, we blended technologies that make Escalade IQ easier to drive and feel much smaller than it actually is.”
Bidirectional charging allows the Escalade IQ to power a home, while an offboard power system can charge outside devices. Bidirectional charging capability is enabled by an over-the-air update via GM’s Ultifi software platform and will become standard on all of the company’s EVs by 2026.
Aerodynamic design features contribute to a drag coefficient about 15 percent lower than previous generations of the Escalade and enable its estimated 450-mile range, Damman said.
That estimated range is on par with the Chevrolet Silverado EV 4WT work truck debuting this year and tops the less-expensive GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV.
Cadillac designers said they took advantage of the opportunity to style the Escalade IQ from the ground up using the Ultium platform, while also being mindful not to stray too far from the gasoline-powered Escalade.
“From day one, that was the mission and the vision: It must be an Escalade,” Roth said. “You don’t take a franchise player like this kind of model and brand and do anything different. It always wants to be an Escalade. It’s got to have good, solid presence.”
The result is a sculptural exterior that’s recognizable as an Escalade but carries its own distinctive features. The electric platform allowed designers to play with proportions in ways that aren’t possible on a gasoline vehicle, said Craig Sass, Cadillac interior design manager. Designers pushed out the front wheels by nearly a foot, lengthened the hood and sloped the rear roofline.
“Our goal was to create the most expressive Escalade ever, and I really think that we’ve done that,” Sass said.
“The aggressively raked rear glass gives it a much faster and expressive side profile,” he said. “All the lines are very taut and run the full length of the vehicle. That gives it a very sleek and elegant feel.”
The Escalade IQ features vertical lighting elements and a glass roof that stretches through the front two rows of seats. When owners approach, they are greeted by lighting animations and an available power door entry system that can open and close the doors with the press of a button and automatically open the driver’s door with a key fob activation, Cadillac said.
Inside, the Celestiq-inspired 55-inch display screen is underpinned by Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, Cadillac said, and features Google built-in technology. An AKG audio system comes with additional speakers based on trim level. The Executive Second Row package features 40 speakers, including some in the second-row headrests, 12.6-inch personal screens, a rear command center, wireless phone charging pads and massaging seats.
Third-row seating comes with power folding capability. With no internal combustion engine to house, the front compartment has been converted to an “eTrunk” that offers 12 cubic feet of storage that Cadillac says can fit two golf bags.