2025 Cadillac SUVs: You Gotta See the Electric Escalade
Caddy’s flagship luxury SUV enters a new era, all part of the American automaker’s EV expansion.
As some automakers balk on EVs, Cadillac continues undeterred. The automaker seems keen to introduce an electric equivalent to all of its gasoline SUVs, ranging from the entry level to the high end. Changes occur on every Cadillac SUV for 2025, some minor and some nearly revolutionary. Keep reading to see all that’s new on Cadillac’s 2025 electric and ICE SUVs.
2025 Cadillac XT4: What’s New
Cadillac’s smallest SUV got an extensive update for 2024, when it was upgraded with new headlights and impressive tech features. For 2025, the XT4 loses the Luxury trim, making the Premium Luxury model the new starting point. The XT4 Premium Luxury and Sport trims gain new standard safety and driver assist features, such as upgraded front and rear automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, side cross-traffic alert, and a 360-degree camera.
2025 Cadillac XT4: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Comfortable, spacious seats
- Strong brakes
- Impressive interior tech and materials
Cons
- Meh driving manners
- Incomplete crash safety tests
- Better options in small luxury SUV segment
2025 Cadillac XT5: What’s New
The midsize Cadillac XT5 was previously offered with a high-end Platinum package, which added upgraded interior materials such as a microfiber headliner, perforated leather seat upholstery, and upgraded floor carpeting, along with a unique chassis tune for improved ride quality. The XT5 Platinum package has been discontinued for 2025.
2025 Cadillac XT5: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Spacious second row seats
- Relaxing and quiet driving experience
- User-friendly cabin controls
Cons
- Has Cadillac’s old tech and design
- Obvious interior cost-cutting
- Not as good as Cadillac Lyriq EV
2025 Cadillac XT6: What’s New
The optional Platinum package on the XT6 Premium Luxury and Sport trim levels newly includes Super Cruise and night vision camera technology for 2025. When the Escalade is too bulky or expensive, the XT6 is the Cadillac's other three-row SUV option.
2025 Cadillac XT6: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Super Cruise hands-free driving tech available
- Impressive features
- Comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Difficult access to third row
- Mediocre powertrains and performance
- Uninteresting exterior and interior designs
2025 Cadillac Escalade: What’s New
Cadillac’s iconic full-size luxury SUV gets an extensive refresh for 2025. The Escalade still looks bold and boxy, but with restyled headlights and different grille finishes that feature an illuminated Cadillac crest and available illuminated surround. Optional wheel sizes now go up to 24 inches, and paint choices expand with new green, blue, and beige colors. The 2025 Escalade’s interior is thoroughly reworked. In addition to updated colors and materials, the gearshift is repositioned and the center console redesigned. But by far the most prominent change is the 55-inch screen spanning nearly the entire dashboard—as if the previous 38-inch display wasn’t large enough. One unfortunate change is the discontinuation of the diesel I-6 engine option; all Escalade models are now gasoline V-8 only—except for the new all-electric Escalade IQ.
Still want the diesel? The 2025 GMC Yukon still offers it.
2025 Cadillac Escalade: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy yet athletic road manners
- Huge interior capacity
- Impressive tech, materials, features
Cons
- Bad fuel economy
- Too much screen?
- GMC Yukon is similar, cheaper
2025 Cadillac Optiq: What’s New
Think of the Optiq as an all-electric XT4; it’s Cadillac’s entry-level EV SUV. The Optiq is new for 2025 and closely related to the Chevrolet Equinox EV, sharing a wheelbase and powertrain choices with that vehicle. However, Cadillac does much to distinguish the Optiq, equipping it with a totally unique design, luxurious sustainable interior materials, and large digital displays. Super Cruise hands-free driving capability is also available
2025 Cadillac Optiq: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Good range and charging estimates
- Lots of available tech features
- Statement-making exterior design
Cons
- No frunk
- Few configurations available at launch
- Doesn’t have Tesla’s NACS charging plug
2025 Cadillac Lyriq: What’s New
Cadillac’s original electric SUV gets a few meaningful updates for 2025. Maximum range estimates increase slightly, up to 326 miles with RWD and 319 miles with AWD. All new Lyriq models gain front passenger seat memory settings, and there are now 126 ambient lighting colors to choose from, up from just 26 colors previously. Additionally, the newly standard OnStar package includes three years of access to emergency assistance, Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, in-car apps, and Super Cruise hands-free driving, as well as eight years of access to automatic crash response. Lyriq models in Sport 2 and Luxury 2 trim levels gain a power-operated tailgate and camera-based digital rearview mirror.
2025 Cadillac Lyriq: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Looks like nothing else on the road
- Refined driving experience
- Useful built-in charge planning software
Cons
- A few potential quality concerns
- Too many controls contained within touchscreen
- Really should have a frunk
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: What’s New
Huge SUV, huge deal: the Escalade is going all-electric for 2025. Specifically, the Cadillac Escalade IQ serves as an electric alternative to the standard Escalade, crafted in a similar three-row form factor and packed with high-end luxuries, albeit with different mechanical fundamentals and its own unique design. Built using General Motors’ Ultium EV architecture, the Escalade IQ has a gigantic 200-kWh battery that can enable a claimed 450 miles of driving range and can recharge at up to 350 kW. Output from the dual-motor powertrain is as high as 750 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque. Next-level tech like a 55-inch digital dashboard display, a 40-speaker audio system, Super Cruise hands-free driving tech, and dual 12.6-inch rear-seat entertainment displays are all on the features list. Pricing for the 2025 Escalade IQ begins at about $130,000—some $40,000 more than the regular Escalade.
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Bold, stately exterior design
- Impressive power, range, and charging figures
- Huge frunk
Cons
- Ridiculously heavy
- Extremely expensive
- So, so much screen
2026 Cadillac Vistiq: What’s New
The Vistiq will be a new addition to Cadillac’s EV SUV lineup for 2026. The Vistiq is conceptually similar to the XT6; it’s a three-row luxury SUV that’s smaller in size and price than the Escalade. Expect the 2026 Vistiq to offer a dual-motor AWD powertrain, about 300 miles of driving range, big digital displays and Super Cruise availability, and six- or seven-passenger seating capacity depending on whether second-row captain’s chairs are equipped.
2026 Cadillac Vistiq: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Less expensive than Escalade IQ
- Should have nice interior materials and features
- Classy exterior design
Cons
- Likely much pricier than XT6
- Unknown real-world range and charging figures
- Better than Volvo EX90, Kia EV9, Rivian R1S?
2025 Cadillac SUVs: What's New
- 2025 Cadillac XT4: Mostly unchanged
- 2025 Cadillac XT5: Mostly unchanged
- 2025 Cadillac XT6: Mostly unchanged
- 2025 Cadillac Escalade: Redesigned
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: All-new model
- 2025 Cadillac Lyriq: Mostly unchanged
- 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: All-new model
- 2026 Cadillac Vistiq: Upcoming model
Alex's earliest memory is of a teal 1993 Ford Aspire, the car that sparked his automotive obsession. He's never driven that tiny hatchback—at six feet, 10 inches tall, he likely wouldn't fit—but has assessed hundreds of other vehicles, sharing his insights on MotorTrend as a writer and video host.
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