By Edward A. Sanchez — Aug. 10, 2023
Cadillac has released photos and specs on its Celestiq EV flagship sedan. It is being positioned as the brand’s “flagship.” But its $300,000+ price and very limited volume make it more myth than machine. For a select few, it will be the ultimate in technology and luxury from Cadillac. But the Escalade IQ, the highly anticipated EV version of Cadillac’s iconic full-size SUV, will be the standard-bearer for the brand in the eyes of most potential customers.
Like the Celestiq, the Escalade IQ will be priced in the six figures, but at a slightly more attainable “starting” price of $130,000. While certainly not cheap, considering the current ICE Escalade flagship, the Escalade V, starts at more than $150,000, it’s not outrageously overpriced. And you get quite a few features and capability for that princely sum.
For one thing, a massive battery pack and an impressively long (claimed) range. Cadillac is claiming a usable battery capacity of “more than 200 kWh” indicating it’s likely the same or similar to the pack in the Hummer EV and Silverado EV. But thanks to its sleeker bodywork and less rolling resistance from its more street-oriented tires, its claimed range is 450 miles, a substantial improvement over both the Hummer and Silverado, at 314 miles and 400 miles, respectively.
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From a styling standpoint, the Escalade IQ is a mix between the current ICE Escalade and the Lyriq SUV, with the rear cargo area departing from the current Escalade’s somewhat boxy profile with steeply angled rear glass. The Escalade IQ also departs from Cadillac’s recent stylistic motif of the “hockey stick” rear taillights, with split D-pillar and vertical rear taillights.
While the performance figures of the Escalade IQ are perfectly acceptable, don’t go seeking out Model X Plaids for a drag race. Cadillac is claiming a comparatively conservative 0-60 mph time of “under 5 seconds.” In everyday driving, the combined output of the front and rear motors is 680 hp and 615 lb-ft of torque. In “Velocity Max” mode, output jumps to 750 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque.
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The Escalade has always been about making a statement, and the IQ is no different. Rather than the Hummer’s “Crab Walk” mode, the Escalade features the “Cadillac Arrival Mode” leveraging the vehicle’s four-wheel-steering function to ease parallel parking, while “making a statement.” An adaptive air ride suspension allows the vehicle to be raised 1 inch above standard ride height, lowered 2 inches, and lowered even more at low speeds for making said statement.
Thanks to the absence of a conventional engine, the Escalade IQ offers a generously sized 12.2 cubic foot frunk supplementing its cargo capacity of 119.2 cubic feet with both second and third rows folded. A maximum towing capacity of 8,000 pounds is also usefully generous, although count on that 450-mile range being cut in half while doing so.
On the inside, a 55-inch wide front horizontal display houses either two or three distinct displays, depending on how you look at it. The passenger-side display is clearly delineated by a black bezel surround, and likely a privacy filter to prevent the driver from being distracted by video content. The instrument cluster and center display seem to blend together, but also appear to be distinct displays. Publicity photos for the Escalade IQ also show seat-mounted second-row video displays, but initial specifications did not indicate whether these would be standard or optional. We’re betting on the latter.
It was only a matter of time before the Escalade, Cadillac’s de facto flagship and image standard-bearer for consumers, livery drivers, and musicians, was electrified. The IQ is just recognizable enough to be an Escalade, but just different enough to stand out from its internal-combustion cousins.
The IQ is what the Escalade needed to remain relevant in the age of electrification, and to the affluent Millennial and Gen-Z buyers that naturally gravitate toward EVs.
(Images courtesy Cadillac)