Cadillac Escalade IQ Electric SUV Set for Summer Launch

The traditional Escalade will continue to be sold, albeit with significant updates to align its styling and technology with the modern features of the battery-powered Escalade IQ.

Cadillac unveiled the refreshed Escalade on Wednesday, confirming that production will commence later this year, with sales beginning shortly thereafter. Both the updated Escalade and the high-performance Escalade-V are slated to arrive for the 2025 model year in the U.S.

The redesign of the Escalade is comprehensive. The exterior now features a new front-end design with sleek turn signals at the leading edge of the hood. Below these, in a vertical arrangement, is the main headlight cluster, which also includes the daytime running lights. On select models, the crest logo and grille surround can be illuminated for added flair.

Additional exterior updates include a revamped rear fascia design, redesigned taillights, new exhaust tip shapes, and new wheel patterns ranging from 22 to 24 inches in diameter, with the 24-inch wheels being the largest ever fitted to an Escalade.

Inside, the Escalade undergoes a major transformation. The front dashboard now boasts the same high-tech treatment found in the Escalade IQ, including 55 inches of digital screens that span the width of the dash. These screens serve as the gauge cluster, infotainment screen, and front passenger screen. There's an extra screen in the center console for climate controls and other vehicle settings. Cadillac has confirmed that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will still be available.

Luxury touches abound, including powered doors, with the driver's door capable of opening automatically upon approach, an AKG audio system with 36 speakers standard (40 when combined with the executive second-row package), and General Motors' Super Cruise automated driver-assist feature for highways.

While Cadillac has not announced any mechanical changes, the brand lists air springs and magnetic dampers as standard on most models.

Current Escalade buyers can choose between two powertrains for the regular SUV: a 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8 or a 277-hp 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6. Both offer ample performance, but for those seeking real excitement, the Escalade-V delivers with a 682-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8.

A 10-speed automatic transmission is standard across the range. Regular models come with rear-wheel drive as standard, though the Escalade-V includes an available four-wheel-drive system as standard.

Pricing information for the updated Escalade lineup will be announced closer to the market launch. Stay tuned for more details as Cadillac prepares to roll out these exciting new models.