You knew the Cadillac Escalade IQ would be expensive, but how close were you to $130K?
Cadillac continues to expand its electric SUV offering, including the flagship Escalade IQ. As you’d expect from the internal combustion-powered SUV’s reputation over the past couple decades, the all-electric Escalade is the largest and most opulent of the brand’s electric family haulers, including the Optiq, Lyriq and Vistiq (and onlys sits below the hyper-luxe Celestiq as far as halo models go). Since we’re talking about the biggest, baddest and boldest with the Escalade IQ, you probably won’t be surprised that it has a hefty price tag: $129,990 for the entry-level model.
Like those smaller SUVs, the Escalade IQ trim walk splits into two paths. The Luxury 1 trim is the least expensive, while there’s also a Sport 1 if you’re looking for a more aggressive sort of styling. From there, you can either move up to the Luxury 2 or the Sport 2, which both add features like power assist doors and a 36-speaker AKG sound system. Going for one side over the other mainly boils down to your aesthetic preference.
Here’s a more detailed pricing breakdown for the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ range:
- Luxury 1: $129,990
- Sport 1: $130,490
- Luxury 2: $149,990
- Sport 2: $150,490
All things considered, the 2025 Escalade IQ’s pricing structure is refreshingly straightforward. Above these MSRPs, your major added costs are certain premium paint colors, which home charger you choose and a few choice packages. The most significant package option is the $2,470 Smart Trailering Package on the first-level models, or the $7,500 Executive Second Row Seating Package on the second-level trims that offers a VIP experience over the standard captain’s chairs, with power-adjustable, ventilated and massaging seats as well as wireless charging on the second row.
What about performance, range and charging?
All 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ models come with standard all-wheel drive. Power across the board from the dual-motor setup is 750 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque (when in the Velocity Max drive mode). Thanks to a platform shared with the Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV and GMC Hummer EV, the big daddy of electric Caddys also gets a battery capacity in excess of 200 kilowatt-hours, which GM says enables a range of 460 miles.
Once you do have to charge, Cadillac says you can add up to 100 miles of range in right around 10 minutes on an appropriate 800-volt-capable DC fast-charger. As far as actual charging rate goes, that should average out to around 350 kW, assuming you have ideal conditions where you’re charging between 20% and 80% and the actual charging station is cranking out that sort of juice. Fortunately, even though the Cadillac Escalade IQ starts off with a CCS port and will need a $225 NACS adapter, you will be able to charge through Tesla’s Supercharger network, which currently has the best reputation for delivering as-advertised charging rates across its network. The V4 chargers, which are in the rollout stage, will also charge at a rate well in excess of what the Escalade IQ’s 24-module battery pack can accept (so 350 kW charging won’t be an issue).
