Cadillac Escalade IQ review

Cadillac aims to deliver what it calls ‘isolated precision’ to the Escalade IQ, and can interpret that in a number of ways, be it sharp handling for the driver or a balanced, undisturbed ride for the passenger. If it succeeds is also up for debate. In terms of how the burly EV handles, it could certainly be worse. Given the mandate to haul its significant battery pack around, the Escalade IQ is working against itself from the start.

Weight keeps coming up because for it to meet its range, comfort and power mandates, more and more hardware is added to the already hefty package, and performance of any kind is an uphill battle. The SUV rides on 24in wheels shod in 35in tires that strain under the pressure of their duty. Between this and the lack of engine note, lots of road noise ends up permeating through the cabin if the pavement is even remotely rough. The standard air suspension accounts for bumps to avoid any extra bounces, but initial dips are stiff.

How fast… or slow is it?

Off the line and in full velocity max mode, the Escalade IQ can lurch from 0-60mph in a decent 4.7 seconds, according to Cadillac. So long as we’re talking about Caddy’s self-reporting, the touted 460 miles of range is its own estimate, not one provided by the EPA, so while we don’t doubt its full capability, take that with a grain of salt.

The quick charging estimate also comes with its own caveats. Recouping 100 miles in 10 minutes at a DC fast charger sounds nice, so long as you find one actually putting out 350kW of juice. The likelihood is that drivers will spend much of their time hooked up to a level 2 charger receiving 37 miles per hour of charge time.

It’s worth mentioning though that outside of the significant range afforded, the architecture allows for bi-directional charging to either EVs in a pinch, or into a wall-mounted battery system to act as a back-up power source for homes and to even be fed back into the grid.

Neat… so the driving part?

Yeah, sorry we spun off there for a second. It’s fine. Tough, but fine. Tough in that it is enormous but there are a number of sensors and cameras at work to help prevent drivers from wreaking havoc on a simple city run. Blind zone steering assist, auto braking and HD surround vision are just a few things keeping drivers in the clear, as well as Cadillac’s clever directional feedback system that rumbles the driver seat in the direction of the potential hazard it detected.

Rear-wheel steering proves to be handy too. The party trick is the crab-walk-ish Arrival Mode that lets the IQ slip in and out of narrow spots at an angle, which is handy if you’re adept in using it. It’s very easy to counter steer and muck up any of the precision you were aiming for if you aren’t. More impressive is the unsung ability to turn on a dime at parking lot speeds, if it’s just to round a bollard or make a tight U-turn. In those instances, you can feel the car’s turning radius shrink significantly in the moment. 

Lastly, Super Cruise, the hands-free drive assist feature, comes standard on all IQs.