The Escalade IQ Is the All-Electric Crown Jewel That Cadillac Needs

The Cadillac Escalade has been the bestselling large luxury SUV in North America for over a decade. And with more than 1 million sold globally, it’s earned its status as the coolest such vehicle made in the US. A rare oversize legend, it consistently provides fans with a combination of space, opulence and the kind of swagger one can only get alighting from a 6-foot-3-inch rig.

This spring marks the arrival of the all-electric Escalade IQ. The $127,700 behemoth costs $40,000 more than its gas-powered counterpart and is the US carmaker’s first attempt to use batteries alone to power its crown jewel. It has a handsome and imposing exterior and an interior befitting a private plane, plus a driving range that beats the Kia EV9, Rivian R1S and Volvo EX90. (Tesla doesn’t make an SUV this big.) Cadillac once represented the pinnacle of American luxury; with the Escalade IQ, the brand can fairly claim to be at the top of the electric SUV competition.