{"id":34252,"date":"2025-03-17T12:04:09","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T16:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34252"},"modified":"2025-03-17T12:04:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T16:04:09","slug":"payne-cadillac-escalade-iq-is-the-big-strong-silent-type","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/payne-cadillac-escalade-iq-is-the-big-strong-silent-type","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Cadillac Escalade IQ is the big, strong, silent type"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Francisco<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The Cadillac Escalade V is the King of Bling. The Lord of Loud. The Knight of Noise. Stomp its massive, 685-horse V-8 \u2014 WAUUUUFFRGGH! \u2014 and it will alert every patrol car within a 25-mile radius. V for Volume.<\/p>\n

The Escalade IQ is its silent partner.<\/p>\n

Mat the accelerator and the scenery blurs, your eyeballs flatten . . . and there is no sound. Except for the \u2014 PLOP! \u2014 of the dude\u2019s jaw on the ground that you left behind at the stoplight. IQ for Incredibly Quiet.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ<\/em><\/div>\n
Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

A trophy car of the rich and famous, the Escalade has long defined excess and the IQ is a welcome member of the family. It boasts the usual supersized Escalade wardrobe \u2014 55-inch screen, second-seat Executive package, automatic doors and then adds a few more attributes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 9,000 pounds<\/li>\n
  • A mammoth 200 kWh battery that uses half of the world\u2019s lithium<\/li>\n
  • 24-inch wheels the size of a NASA satellite dish<\/li>\n
  • Frunk-tastic 12.2 cubic feet of space where the engine used to be<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    <\/figure>\n
    \n

    The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ brings whisper-quiet, battery-powered performance to the GM luxury brand’s flagship SUV. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    But for all its size, what separates IQ from its hulking sibling is how small it feels. Yes, small. Cruising through crowded San Francisco streets, IQ feels stable. Escalade V puts its V-8 boat anchor up front, while the IQ stores its monster battery below deck. Batteries are the bane of smaller EVs like the porky Cadillac Optiq, which weighs 25% more than a comparable, gas-fired XT4, and you feel its girth on road.<\/p>\n

    But in a land yacht the size of an Escalade, the IQ\u2019s lower center of gravity is welcome. Docking at a typically tight San Francisco service station off Lombard Street, I used the beast\u2019s rear-wheel-steer to deftly maneuver around the pumps, cars and bollards to find a parking space \u2014 next to a compact car. The 360-degree camera helped me position the Caddy perfectly. As I negotiated the space, electronic pulses in the seat (a standard feature on Caddies) provided additional reassurance of my proximity to my wee neighbor \u2014 or even when a pedestrian approached at close range.<\/p>\n

    Take an on-ramp onto a California four-lane with 785 pound-feet of torque and \u2014 ZOT! \u2014 merge with authority. Then settle into hands-free Super Cruise. IQ OMG.<\/p>\n

    This nimbleness is complemented by a sportier design than the gas-powered skyscraper. Thanks to the electric Ultium platform shared with its smaller Optiq and Lyriq siblings, IQ also shares those vehicles\u2019 design cues.<\/p>\n

    Raked windshield. Narrow greenhouse. Fast back. Illuminated Black Crystal Shield grille.<\/p>\n

    \"The<\/figure>\n
    \n

    The Escalade IQ’s sleek interior comes loaded with tech. The Command Center is where you access features that include opening all four doors of this massive SUV. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Significantly, Cadillac has not starved the gas-fired Escalade as it has the XT4, XT5 and XT6 SUVs that are headed out the door. The Escalade family shares the same toys and they are fun to play with.<\/p>\n

    Walking up to my pearl white Escalade IQ tester, I squeezed the door handle and it swung out automatically to let me in. Once inside, I pressed the brake pedal and the door swung shut behind me. What is this, a haunted mansion?<\/p>\n