Not many new cars can out-large-and-in-charge the ridonculous GMC Hummer EV, but leave it to General Motors to one-up itself in outlandishness. The electric Cadillac Escalade IQ is an absolutely massive luxury EV: It certainly has the style and swagger you’d expect from an Escalade, with a huge electric driving range, massive multimedia screen, and other big-sounding hyperbolic attributes. What a thing.
At 5,697mm long, riding on a 3,459mm wheelbase, the Escalade IQ is 190.5mm longer than the GMC Hummer EV pickup, or more than 600mm longer than the Hummer EV SUV. The IQ is also 2,167mm wide with its mirrors folded, which is 102mm wider than the standard Escalade, but 25mm narrower than a Hummer EV. It’ll still be a chore to park, natch.
The Hummer comparisons aren’t limited to the Escalade IQ’s size, by the way—there are a ton of common features under the Cadillac’s skin. The Escalade’s battery is a teensy bit smaller than the GMC’s, at 200kWh, and it’s a little less powerful than a Hummer EV, too, only making—only!—680hp and 833Nm of torque.
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Cadillac fits the Escalade IQ with something called Velocity Max mode, which we assume is a lot like the Hummer EV’s stupidly named Watts to Freedom launch setting, where output increases to 750hp and 1,063Nm. Cadillac says this behemoth should hit 60mph (97kph) in less than 5sec. Impressive, considering this SUV likely weighs north of 4,080kg. Seriously.
Making this galoot easier to maneuver is four-wheel steering, like what you’ll find on the Hummer, and Cadillac fits the Escalade IQ with something called Arrival Mode, which the company says allows the SUV to move diagonally—you know, like the Hummer’s Crab Walk party trick. Low Ride mode—perhaps a nod to Cadillac’s Detroit roots—lowers the adaptive air suspension’s ride height by two inches. Oh, and before you ask: 24-inch wheels, on 35-inch tires. Thank goodness for constantly adjusting MagneRide dampers.
GM’s excellent Ultium battery tech gives the Escalade IQ 800V electrical architecture, resulting in impressive DC fast-charging speeds. Plugged into an appropriately punchy charger, the Cadillac says the Escalade IQ’s battery can add up to 160km of driving range in just 10 minutes. The IQ’s total driving range is expected to be around 720km, which is rad, and you’ll be able to cover lots of ’em legitimately hands-free, thanks to GM’s Super Cruise driver-assistance tech.
From the outside, the IQ looks less like a traditional Escalade and more like an enormous Cadillac Lyriq, which sort of makes sense, given the company’s new styling direction. But inside, holy smokes, what a swanky son-of-a-gun. The interior looks absolutely ace, dominated by a 55-inch multimedia screen that spans the width of the dash—sort of like what Cadillac fits in its insanely expensive new Celestiq.
You can get a four-place passenger arrangement for the ultimate backseat experience, and there’s a ton of storage space, with 345 liters of space up front in the frunk, and as much as 3,375 liters of cargo space behind the first row. You could probably fit a Scion iQ in the IQ. Also, hey, remember the Scion iQ?
Obviously, none of this ostentatious luxury will come cheap, but weirdly, the Escalade IQ isn’t as uber-expensive as we expected. Cadillac says the IQ will start around $130,000 (P7.39 million) including destination charges when it goes on sale next year, where it’ll pretty much exist in a class of one. There’s no other electric car that’s as large, lavish, and luxurious. Heck, not even the Hummer EV comes close.
More photos of the Cadillac Escalade IQ:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
