Should you just go ahead and buy a Tesla? Well, after the launch of the Hummer EV, Cadillac is making a full-size electric SUV. So… no. The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ will join GM’s electric offensive, offered as an alternative to the familiar V8. It has been undergoing testing for a few months and today, we can give you a preview of what it may look like.
The Electric Escalade was first seen in February 2023 and by May 22nd we had much clearer photos. Cadillac is keeping some of the details under wraps, but it’s very open about the development of the electric SUV and has even given this 2025 model year product the name Escalade IQ.
The Escalade IQ will hit the market in 2024 but will get a full debut towards the end of the year. The test prototype was heavily obscured by camouflage, so these rendered photos by the website Kolesa aren’t going to be 100% accurate. But we feel like there is enough commonality between the prototype, the Lyriq crossover, and the Celestiq concept.
The Escalade is one of the most famous SUVs ever made. It came out in 1999, and at one point, every rapper in America seemed to have one. The Electric Escalade somehow breaks with tradition by not looking like a luxury truck, but there’s still enough DNA to make it recognizable.
The main thing we saw with the spy photos is that the Escalade IQ model has a lower roof and a shorter rear overhang compared to the normal 2023 Escalade. This makes it appear sportier. The headlights have a completely different design, more futuristic in combination with this 3D grille design, which will most likely be illuminated.
And at the rear, some big design changes are happening. The roof tapers down towards a big light bar and there are vertical lights down the sides of the bumper as well. Again, this design idea makes the Escalade IQ similar to the famous Lyriq and Celestiq which are undeniably beautiful next-gen Cadillac designs.
1000 HP, but with more luxury than a Hummer
Though unconfirmed by the company, the electric Escalade IQ will be based on the same BT1 platform which underpins the Hummer pickup, SUV, Silverado, and Sierra EVs. The biggest giveaway is the 8-lug wheel pattern on the massive 24-inch alloys.
We believe the Escalade IQ will have a wheelbase similar to the Hummer at 135.6 inches, slightly bigger than the current ESV. In terms of power, GM likes to offer the maximum available at launch, so expect the Escalade IQ to have the same 1000-hp tri-motor setup with the potential to reach 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds.
Within about a year, they should also offer the 830 hp and 625 hp powertrains that are currently being developed for other GM products. Honestly, that sounds like overkill. But the Escalade is probably the only SUV in the world that didn’t downsize its engines, and the supercharged Escalade V with 682 hp deserves to be put in a straitjacket.
Lack of power is honestly the only thing that went wrong at the launch of the Lyriq. It’s a wonderful luxury vehicle, but the 340 hp just didn’t impress people in the context of crazy Teslas.