Three Reasons the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is Cadillac's Most Important EV

Cadillac is expected to have an instant hit with the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. Cadillac has received a lot of positive press about the Escalade IQ because it is finally building a vehicle that has a lot of demand. Much like the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, buyers are looking for a vehicle that meets their needs and the Escalade IQ seems to check all of the boxes: size, range and luxury. Cadillac isn’t reinventing the wheel, it is electrifying its most popular vehicle.

“Escalade IQ raises the standard just as the original Escalade redefined luxury a quarter-century ago,” said John Roth, vice president, Global Cadillac. “This reimagining of an icon marks the next step in Cadillac’s all-electric future.”

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Will Perform Like the Traditional Escalade

The current Cadillac Escalade is the best-selling large luxury SUV. It carries the entire family with all of the necessary luggage and does it with style. The all-new 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is also a large luxury SUV. It will have plenty of room for all of the necessary gear, especially with its roomy front eTrunk compartment under the hood with 12 cubic feet of storage.

The electric architecture allowed designers to give the IQ a sleeker profile, but Cadillac made sure the silhouette is instantly recognizable as an Escalade. The Ultium platform also enables a lower, flatter interior floor that contributes to the Escalade IQ’s spaciousness.

“Our intent for the Escalade IQ was to amplify the Escalade DNA with a distinctively premium profile and heroic stance, while complementing the Cadillac EV showroom. With the pillar-to-pillar 55-inch-total-diagonal screen, and available executive second row seating, the Escalade IQ is another proud expression of Cadillac’s artful integration of leading innovation,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director, Global Cadillac Design.

But the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is not just a pretty face. It will actually perform.

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ By the Numbers

• Up to 750 horsepower (with driver-selectable Velocity Max, Cadillac estimate)
• Up to 785 lb-ft of torque (with driver-selectable Velocity Max, Cadillac estimate)
• 0-60 mph in less than 5 seconds (with driver-selectable Velocity Max, Cadillac estimate)
• Up to 8,000 pounds of towing capability (Cadillac estimate)

Those numbers appear to be based on the ability to boost the vehicle’s power for a short time. Cadillac calls that short-term boost Velocity Max, while the GMC HUMMER calls it WTF mode or Watts to Freedom. The Chevrolet Silverado EV’s version is called the WOW or Wide Open Watts mode.

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Will Have Great Range

Chevrolet proved that its 2024 Chevy Silverado EV could have great range and Ultium Platform will provide the approximate range to the Cadillac Escalade IQ.  The Escalade IQ uses its Ultium battery pack as part of its body structure. This allows the battery pack to provide the vehicle’s estimated 450 miles of range. The range will be critical in driving sales to families that are constantly driving.

We live near the mountains in Colorado, and I hear time and time again from drivers who are afraid to take an electric vehicle into the mountains because of range anxiety and lack of a great charging infrastructure. Bad weather can hit out of the blue and drivers are often stuck for hours on the interstate. Electric vehicle drivers have horror stories from these situations. The significant range offered by the IQ will convince the soccer and hockey families that it is finally time to try an electric vehicle.

A 24-module Ultium battery serves as the foundation of the Escalade IQ, producing more than 200 kWh of available energy. It also employs a flexible, high-voltage architecture that enables 800-volt DC fast charging, the quickest form of charging currently available, providing up to 100 miles of range in 10 minutes of charge time.

The Escalade IQ will also be equipped with Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) bidirectional charging technology with GM Energy’s available Ultium Home products, providing customers with the ability to send power directly from the vehicle to a properly equipped home. This capability will be enabled via an over-the-air software update for the 2025 model year. The Escalade IQ will also offer the option of Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) offboard power, allowing the vehicle to power external devices.

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Will be Loaded with Luxury

Cadillac built its reputation on leading in luxury and the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ will not disappoint. The all-new Escalade IQ will have a curved pillar-to-pillar 55-inch total diagonal LED display, giving the drier total control of the cockpit, infotainment and climate.  

The buyer can opt for a power open-and-close exterior door entry system. All four doors can power open and close at the touch of a button, and if activated, the driver’s door will automatically open as the driver approaches with the key fob. Now that is a luxurious touch.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ will have its own version of the GMC HUMMER’s Crabwalk technology. The IQ’s version is called Cadillac Arrival Mode. The Four-Wheel Steer feature will allow the Escalade IQ to move diagonally, making it easier when pulling into or out of tight spaces.

The Escalade IQ will have Super Cruise as a standard feature with three years of the OnStar Super Cruise plan. Super Cruise is the industry’s first true hands-free driver assistance technology that enables drivers to travel hands-free on more than 400,000 miles of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada.

“For more than 120 years, Cadillac’s bold innovative spirit has defined American luxury,” said Roth. “The Escalade IQ embodies this spirit in the most sophisticated form.”

“Escalade IQ is first and foremost a Cadillac and delivers on a promise of innovative design supported by spirited performance and cutting-edge technologies,” said Jamie Brewer, executive chief engineer, Escalade IQ. “The EV-specific architecture allows us to deliver a driving experience aligned with Cadillac’s philosophy of isolated precision — quiet, smooth and effortless with a strong connection to the road for an engaging experience.”

When the Escalade IQ will be Available

Regular production of the Escalade IQ begins next summer at GM’s Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center in Michigan.

Pricing starts at around $130,000 including destination charges. The price makes it more expensive than the current gas-powered Cadillac Escalade but less expensive than the Cadillac Escalade-V which has 682-horsepower.

Cadillac Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

Follow Mary Conway at @MaryConwayMedia and send her car news tips for future stories.