Cadillac is preparing to launch the electric Escalade IQ. The EV will debut on Wednesday, August 9, providing our first complete look at the new model. Until then, we have fresh spy shots of the SUV to check out. The automaker hides the model’s design details under a full-body camouflage wrap.
The Escalade IQ looks large and imposing like its combustion-powered counterpart, which is so boxy and square one wonders if it comes equipped with a pocket protector. The EV looks softer, with the camouflage incapable of hiding the Escalade’s sloping roofline. The front end looks sleeker, and the windshield appears more raked.
10 Photos
The new spy photos only offer a glimpse of the cabin, which shows the automaker hiding the dashboard under a sheet. Previous images captured the dash exposed, which looked similar to the set up in the new Celestiq. The photos also revealed that the Escalade could share more bits with the other Cadillac EV, like the steering wheel.
A teaser video from late last month showed off bits of the SUV, like the rear roof spoiler and the dash-spanning interior screen. The clip also revealed the Escalade’s lighting signature, and it looks like the EV will be stylistically different from the gas-powered version.
The Escalade IQ’s powertrain details remain a mystery. However, we expect the model to ride on General Motors’ Ultium EV platform, providing plenty of horsepower and torque. Ultium’s flexible battery architecture underpins the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Celestiq. The platform will also power other GM models like the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the next-generation Bolt, and the Equinox EV.
The Hummer EV offers up to 314 miles of range with the platform. The Silverado EV Work Truck has even more miles to offer, with an EPA-rated 450 miles of range. The SUV will likely provide a similar amount with a big battery in the floor.
The electric Cadillac will roll out of General Motors’ Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, where GMC builds the Hummer EV. The factory will also assemble the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Denali EVs.
While the reveal will happen next week, we don’t know when the SUV will go on sale. We hope to learn those details at the debut. However, we might have to wait to learn about its price tag until closer to its on-sale date.