Electric Cadillac Escalade IQ Will Join the Lyriq and Celestiq in Late 2023
There’s no word on battery or powertrain specs but Cadillac will be revealing the car later this year.
Cadillac is adding another "IQ" electric car to its lineup in 2023 but this time, instead of being an all-new model, it's expanding on the brand's most famous model—the Escalade. The Escalade IQ will join the Lyriq and Celestiq as the third, and biggest, electric car in Cadillac's lineup.
Thus far, Cadillac has only shared one photo of the Escalade IQ and it only shows the badge. Speaking of badge, this is the first electric Cadillac to not have "IQ" built into the name. Though, in fairness to Cadillac, there likely weren't any good choices. Escaliq? IQuescalade? Those don't exactly roll off the tongue.
According to Cadillac, the Escalade IQ "works in tandem with people’s daily lives and environments," which is true for the American market. United States customers prefer big, spacious, powerful SUVs more than any other kind of car. Our roads are dominated by them. Giving those customers an electric option, in a shape they're familiar with, wearing a nameplate they love and aspire to, makes a lot of sense.
There's currently no word on specs, details, styling, or price just yet but the electric Escalade will be revealed later this year. My guesstimation is that the Escalade IQ will have the same battery and powertrain as the top-spec Chevy Silverado EV. If that ends up being true, it will get a 200 kWh battery pack and dual electric motors, providing a maximum 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque (when using the "Wide Open Watts" mode). The Silverado EV is said to get around 400 miles of maximum range (450 miles for the work truck version) but the Escalade IQ will likely be heavier, due to all of its leather-lined luxury, so around 350 miles of range could be a realistic figure.
When the Escalade IQ eventually hits the market, it will contend with other big electric SUVs, such as the Rivian R1S, Mercedes EQS SUV, Tesla Model X, and eventually the Hyundai Ioniq 7 and KIA EV9. However, none of those model names carry the same weight as "Escalade," which could make the Caddy a big deal in the U.S.
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