Cadillac Escalade IQ is a monster 760PS EV SUV | GRR
The Cadillac Escalade IQ EV – with its 760PS (559kW) and 450-mile range – is the biggest thing to come out of America since a Kardashian’s hindquarters or, come to think of it, the Hummer EV.
In truth, ‘big’ doesn’t do the Cadillac justice. At 5,697mm long, 2,389mm wide and 1,934mm tall, it comfortably dwarfs a Range Rover LWB (5,052mm, 2,209mm and 1,870mm, respectively) – a car that we’ve confidently described as vast in the past.
The style? It’s something between a Bentley Bentayga and Genesis GV80, rolling on 24-inch rims and bookended by distinctive LED light patterns that make it clear, night or day, you’ve blown some big bucks.
You get two exterior themes to choose from – Luxury and Sport. Sport swaps luxury models’ chrome highlights for darkened metal trims. You can also go for a black roof to contrast one of the six paint colours.
As you’d expect, the Caddy’s interior is humongous. Its curved 55-inch LED display would look perfectly at home in your average British living room, and the seats have a suitably armchair-like appearance.
The standard middle row is already luxurious by normal standards, but you can swap it for the Executive Second Row seating pack. That buys you two more 12.6-inch screens, dual wireless phone charging pads, massage seats and a 40-speaker AKG stereo in place of the standard 19-speaker system.
As you’d expect, the third row promises to accommodate tall adults comfortably and rises – cobra-like – from the floor electrically. Even with them up, the boot’s capacity is 670 litres (about the same as a Range Rover in five-seater mode) and rises to a ginormous 1,958-litre capacity with the third row dropped (and that’s before you account for the extra 345 litres hidden under the bonnet where you’d usually find an engine).
A whopper like this takes some moving, which shouldn’t be an issue because the Caddy packs a motor at the front and the rear axle producing 690PS (505kW) and 834Nm (615 lb-ft) of torque combined.
Select Velocity Max mode, and that rises to 760PS (560kW) and 1064Nm (785 lb-ft) – good for 0-62mph in less than five seconds. The big EV also boasts a Range-Rover-slaying 3,629kg towing capacity, although we shudder to think what the range would be.
On the upside, charging is relatively quick. DC speeds add 100 miles in just ten minutes, and optional bidirectional charging means you can use the sizable 200kWh battery to power your house if you need to.
The company promises “a strong connection to the road for an engaging experience”, but standard Magnetic Ride Control and Adaptive Air Ride Suspension suggest comfort will be a priority. The IQ can raise its ride height by up to 25mm for offroading, while Low Ride Mode drops the car by 50mm for hip-hop spec boulevard cruising.
Meanwhile, Super Cruise means the Caddy can do much of the driving for you, backed up by LiDar and GPS. It is, according to the Cadillac, “the industry’s first true hands-free driving system,” a claim Elon Musk may have caused to argue with.
Another claim that the IQ is the “most manoeuvrable Escalade” will stand up in court thanks to Cadillac Arrival Mode, which means the big beast can crab “while making a statement” in and out of parking spaces. Conventional rear-wheel steer gives the Caddy a 12-metre turning circle, matching a (comparatively tiny) BMW iX3.
Production of the Escalade IQ begins in the summer, although the chances it will sell (or even fit) in the UK seem close to zero. Shame because it is a bargain at $130,000 (or around £100,000).