2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL First Look: That's EV for XL or ESV SUV (SMH)
It's the longer version of Cadillac's first-ever all-electric Escalade luxury SUV.
If rolling large and doing so quietly is your jam, the 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL could be the answer. If the nomenclature is throwing you off, this is the long wheelbase (L) version of the Escalade IQ, the full-size, all-electric Escalade SUV with three rows and gobs of instant torque and power.
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Cadillac introduced the Escalade IQ variant for the 2025 model year, albeit in standard-wheelbase guise. Much like it has done for decades with the combustion-engine Escalade, the new IQL represents the stretched version for those who want even more room for up to seven passengers. (Think of the relationship between the Chevy Tahoe and the longer but otherwise mechanically identical Suburban, and you've nailed it.) The new model's arrival means Cadillac will be able to offer two sizes, with a choice of powertrains, for its popular and profitable nameplate.
Most of the IQL's extra length goes to more than 4 inches of additional legroom in the third row and the cargo area. There is also an extra inch of headroom.
Same Tech as the Cadillac IQ
Like the regular Escalade IQ, there is an available Executive Second Row package with 12.6-inch personal screens, stowable tray tables, wireless phone chargers, a rear command center, and massaging seats that can be heated or cooled. The power-folding third row folds flat and there is an additional 12.2 cubic feet of storage in the frunk.
Like the IQ, the IQL is packed with technology. It has the same 55-inch curved screen that spans the width of the vehicle. The infotainment system comes with a standard AKG 21-speaker audio system or the available 38-speaker system that increases to 42 speakers with the executive second row package. And it offers Dolby Atmos for richer sound and has 5G WiFi hotspot connected by OnStar.
Moving the Mighty Machine
The Escalade IQL has GM’s large 24-module battery—the same one that is in the IQ and the GMC Hummer EV, with a capacity of 205 kWh. That provides an estimated 460 miles of range and 10 minutes of fast charging will top it up by 116 miles with its 800-volte fast-charging architecture. It has bidirectional charging so the SUV can be charged at home or be used to charge the home.
In terms of grunt: 750 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque with Velocity Max, a power boost. That is good for a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds, according to GM.
Like the IQ, the IQL has independent front and rear suspension, magnetic ride control and adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steering, standard Super Cruise, 24-inch wheels and 35-inch tires. It can tow 7,500 pounds.
The Escalade IQL will go into production in mid-2025 at GM’s Factory Zero plant in Detroit and will be sold globally. It will be offered in four trims: Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury, and Premium Sport. It starts at $132,695.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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