Cadillac Escalade IQ

Cadillac Escalade IQ at a glance

The first Cadillac to replace a combustion model with an electric twin

GM confirmed the Escalade IQ in May 2023 and showed it three months later, having registered the Escalade IQ and IQL names as early as 2021. It is the first electric Cadillac created as an alternative to an existing petrol model: the IQ is sold beside the V8 Escalade, whose fourth generation is described in our Cadillac Escalade 4 guide. The two share a name and a silhouette, but the IQ uses its own unibody structure on the BT1 platform with the battery in the floor.

The electric body is 5,697 mm (224.3 in) long and 2,167 mm (85.3 in) wide. The IQL, introduced in 2025 to mirror the long Escalade ESV, stretches the length to 5,804 mm (228.5 in). Inside, a 55-inch curved display runs across the dashboard, and Cadillac quotes up to 131.3 cu ft (3,718 L) of space behind the front seats with the rear rows folded, plus a front boot.

Powertrain, performance and four-wheel steering

Two Ultium permanent-magnet motors drive all four wheels. In normal driving they produce 510 kW (680 hp) and 834 Nm (615 lb-ft); the Velocity Max mode raises this to 560 kW (750 hp) and 1,064 Nm (785 lb-ft), and Cadillac claims 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds. That is quick for a car weighing more than 4 tonnes, but the IQ's real engineering point is manoeuvrability. The rear wheels steer up to 10 degrees, against the front wheels at low speed and with them at motorway speed, and they allow the diagonal "crab walk" first seen on the GMC Hummer EV.

Battery, range and charging

The battery has 24 modules and 205 kWh of usable capacity, the same figure as the Max Range pack of the Chevrolet Silverado EV. It runs at 400 V while driving and switches to 800 V for charging at up to 350 kW, which adds up to 117 miles (188 km) in 10 minutes on a 350 kW charger, according to Cadillac. The on-board AC charger handles up to 19.2 kW in North America and 22 kW in the Middle East.

Range figures depend on the market and the test. Cadillac estimates up to 465 miles (748 km) for the 2026 Escalade IQ in the US. Korea's certification gives 739 km for the car launched there in November 2025, and Cadillac Middle East quotes up to 724 km for the IQ and 708 km for the IQL.

Trims and prices

Cadillac charges US$2,390 for delivery, which puts the cheapest 2026 IQ at US$129,795 on the road. Options include an Executive Second Row package, and the Premium trims come with a Smart Trailering Package. CarGurus reports up to 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) of towing with the right equipment.

Markets beyond the US

The Escalade IQ is also sold outside North America. Cadillac launched it in South Korea on 19 November 2025 at KRW 277.57 million in a single Premium Sport trim, with Super Cruise available on around 23,000 km of Korean roads. In April 2026 the IQ and IQL reached Cadillac showrooms in the Middle East, including Dubai and Muscat. In Europe Cadillac sells the Lyriq, Optiq and Vistiq, but none of the sources reviewed for this page reported a European launch of the Escalade IQ.

Sales and safety

US deliveries reached 670 in 2024, the first months of production, and 8,115 in 2025. NHTSA had not published crash-test star ratings for the Escalade IQ by November 2026, and Euro NCAP has not tested it, which fits the absence of a European launch.

Escalade IQ against its rivals

Few electric SUVs match the Escalade IQ's size and battery. The closest in concept is the Rivian R1S, also a seven-seat electric SUV, though a smaller one. Within GM, the Silverado EV WT Max Range uses the same 205 kWh battery and is rated at 493 miles (793 km) from US$76,295 in 2026, 28 miles more than Cadillac's estimate for the heavier Escalade IQ. For a wider choice, see our list of the best luxury SUVs, and all Cadillac models are in the Cadillac catalogue.

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