The Cadillac Escalade IQ

**The new Cadillac Escalade IQ is the first Cadillac I have ever desired. **

Indeed, I have always thought that every modern-day Cadillac other than the current model Escalade should be driven off a cliff. Now, I’m digging in. With this 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ, the first all electric Escalade - every current Cadillac: Irrelevant. I’m not handing over my hard earned cash to GM just yet though. I have to touch, feel, see and experience this alleged masterpiece in person. Cadillac has a tendency of making real wood look like cheap plastic, and bringing a Windows 95 experience to 4K touchscreens. So, I reserve judgement until I can consummate this nascent relationship.

GM’s fearless #2 leader Mark Reuss in the reveal speech said ‘You are witnessing the rise of Cadillac’. I hope so, because hitherto Cadillac has been battling for last place in the luxury game - iconic Escalade not withstanding. Personally, the only Escalade that made me look is the current model. The previous ones were meh. Big? Yes. Brash? Yes. Covetable? Fuck no. Fleet worthy only. That Escalade IQ though. Boss.

Exterior

Just look at it. I already know what I’m doing to the exterior: Nardo Grey LY7C or Cement Grey 1H5. Chrome delete. Get that ‘bright’ crap off my ’lade. De-badged. I mean really, you don’t know what the fuck this is? Why is Cadillac even offering model badging on the Escalade IQ? The new glow-up dichromatic crest is everything. Nitpicking, I’d also delete that ugly side molding on the front fender panel below the A-pillar. Replace it with just the Cadillac crest that pulses backlit amber with the blinkers. Sick. Yes to the 24” wheels in black and anthracite, and they still look small on this barge! I’m also happy that regular door handles are here, instead of whatever-the-fuck-those-are on the Lyric. Fail. Otherwise, Caddy stand up! Hey @TheSketchMonkey what do you think of these mods?

Interior

I am not a fan of dirty fingerprint ridden screens. Acres and acres of that will certainly be disgusting and distracting. I also think that unless screens are done right, they’ll age the car way faster than not. Sort of like how seeing a wall of CRTs simply cannot look modern. So, maybe ultra-thin, bezel-less, reflection free, fingerprint resistant and illusion floating, or at least power retractable screens à-la-Bentley would satisfy me? Even so, Cadillac’s front row 55” of pillar to pillar screens aren’t ugly to look at - at least in pictures. Let’s wait for the in person experience to be sure. 2nd row head-rest mounted screens are always a dud for me. Again, the design has to be exquisite and timeless to win. I’d delete those - everyone I know would much rather a personal device anyway. That said, the interior looks lux albeit in-the-moment lux. I need to witness it while listening to this 40 speaker AKG sound system and taking in the interior light show. I’m also hoping that the panoramic glass roof offers a shade, better yet an electrochromic shade.

The Promise Of The Drive

The animations in the presentation showed absolutely zero body movement while the car was on a very uneven path. Make it so. I want nothing less from this new version of magnetic-ride with air suspension on my non-stop 450 mile trip. Nothing was said really of offroad-ness but I’d hope that Caddy understands that at some point in time there will be a chase, and I will need to lose the offending Range Rover. This is a great opportunity for Caddy to out-Range Range Rover and bring some real offroad prowess to the Escalade. In any case, we wait a year to be seduced. Cue ‘Arrival Mode’.

- JustCleo, Team ModernChassis

#ModernChassis #Cadillac #Escalade #GM #ElectricSUV #ElectricCadillac #ATX #AustinTX #SUV #RangeRover #EV #LuxurySUV

References

Cadillac YouTube Channel - images