Cadillac’s new IQ portfolio of Electric Vehicles-mainly the compact Optiq SUV and the Grandaddy Full-Size Escalade IQ-put the company on a technical, more advanced and luxurious plane. And the displacement could not come soon enough.
The plaque of traditional internal combustion vehicles that have come out of Cadillac in recent years do not fit enough with the luxury and technology levels of its opponents.
Cadillac aims to change it with its debut in Compact Optiq SUV as well as the Escalade IQ, which takes major changes to technology and advanced features. It is important that Cadillac gave these two EVs separate luxury personalities in an effort to attract different consumers. Call the new and fun and old Luxe money.
Cadillac let me relax in northern California in several days to drive SUV Optiq and Escalade IQ. Here’s how the two newly established EVS stacked up.
Youthful SUV OPTIQ
When I learned that engineers from my favorite Cadillac Blackwing had a hand in the crossover Optiq, I was immediately excited to see what 300 horsepower and 354 pounds of torque would feel that in this crossover all-wheel drive on Twisties.
It’s a lot of fun. Yes, all the HCs have a smooth power delivery and the ability to speed up quickly from the corners, but not everyone has the suspension to support it.
The dampers here get what Cadillac calls passive plus adjustment. While turning at high speeds, the car remains flat and stable, but can handle a broken sidewalk without being upset. In essence, it can react to both slow and fast events to provide manipulation that is sporty and comfortable, without the complication of electronics. Of course, I would welcome a future V-Performance Optiq with Magneride dampers for even more giggles, but now the child Hotrod in Me loves this.
If you have not carved a canyon in an EV before, it may be a little different than in a traditional vehicle, thanks to regenerative braking.
Optiq enables you to turn it off and simply rely on mechanical brakes or keep them normally slow when lifting the throttle. I like the maximum regen as it adds another level of skill to lift the accelerator pedal at the right time. There is also a paddle behind the steering wheel that can add regen braking, even if the system is set for anyone. This can also add another skill element for those who want to try their skills. It’s the driving gamification.
Escalade IQ, the electric yacht
In the meantime, the driving experience in the Escalade IQ of three rows is pure comfortable kindness. Although struggling with the most advanced Magneride dampers, they seem to neutralize the brutal of the 9,000 -pound vehicle.
The full 700 hp of three -row SUV and 785 -pound torque are only accessible to a function called Velocity Max. Otherwise, the SUV makes the Due with 680 pons and 615 lbs of torque that goes to all four wheels. This may sound like Overkill, but this baby Zaftig needs it. Anything less and would feel seriously degraded.
Escalade IQ is all about smooth, comfortable driving. The turns are easy thanks to a rear wheel driving system that makes the 136 -inch wheelbase look much smaller. If you want to reach style, a arrival feature allows Escalade to move diagonally to a parking lot. Just be careful about what is around you, as it is easy to underestimate the corner.
Cadillac also stacks Escadale with luxury and convenience features. Press the brake pedal and doors automatically close. The vehicle also has heated seats and massage function.
And then there is the advanced driver’s help system. Both vehicles take Cadillac’s SuperCruise standard that allows you to drive without hands/eyes to 750,000 miles of road.
The system can change the stripes when the driver activates the turn signal or will do it on its own to get a slower car. It was rain and pretty fog, while over -covering in Escalade and although the system hesitated when executing a lane change and a sweeping turn at the same time, it had no problems to read the stripe signs through the fog.
There are many standard security features in both EVs. Monitoring blind signs, front-to-front conflict notice and braking, helping strips-all these features are here.
I especially like the camera mirror to both vehicles that give a wide corner view of what is happening behind the car. However, the Escalade IQ is going a step further with the standard screen -activated camera display. Sure, watching blind spots is enough, but the appearance of a video on the screen showing the adjacent two strips is quite sweet.
Range, range and greater range
The Little Optiq features an 85 kWh battery with enough electrons for 302 miles. The 400 Volt system can accept a fast 150 kW DC charging, fast enough to get about 79 miles of spectrum in 10 minutes.
The Escalade IQ, however, goes gigantor with a 205 kWh battery with 460 miles of range. Like the relevant Hummer EV, the Escalade battery is actually two 400 Volt battery packages that can operate in a series or at the same time, allowing a quick DC load up to 350 kW and the ability to earn 100 miles in 10 minutes. Both are on the CCS charging platform, but an NACS adapter can be purchased from Cadillac for $ 225.
For home charging, both EVs come standard with 11.5 kW charger, but it may also have a 19.2 kW system. This should allow about 36 miles per hour when charging at home.
Two internal personalities
The interior of Optiq certainly climbs younger and hipper, with recycled materials, a clean look and some capable storage solutions.
There are 33 inches in the diagonal display space and a severe 19-SPEAKER AKG audio system with Dolby Atmos. The Atmos system is quite drug, with sounds bounce around the cabin in a way that even thanks my insufficient left ear, to say nothing about my fully functional right ear.
Meanwhile, the Escalade IQ appeals to an older, more sophisticated crowd, but is still large in 55 -inch screening technology extending across the dash. The passenger screen can play movies or browse the tissue without disturbing the driver.
There is also a central screen below what is used for HVAC controls, automatically changing door controls when the SUV is in the park. The two wireless charging pads for the first row are a nice touch. Unfortunately, Dolby Atmos is not available here thanks to growth timetables, but look for 2026.
No vehicle has Apple Carplay or Android Auto, instead of based on Google -based maps and smartphone interaction.
While I like Google Maps suggest charging stations and estimates that remain at the end of a trip, I had a hard time to create Google Assistant to read my text messages. I never got it to work on Optiq and I had to have an engineer to walk me through it on Escalade, and even then some efforts were needed. As soon as I logged in my phone he published a notice when I received a text message and allowed a voice answer to text but I didn’t have time to see if he could make a call or play a podcast.
Erupts the check book
Optiq is the EV ent-level EV in the Cadillac portfolio, starting at $ 55,615, including $ 1,495 for the destination for luxury 1. However, the orange monarch with the black roof is only available in SPORT 1 and SPORT 2 and is worth the extra dollars.
Escalade IQ is a whole other Ballgame. The luxurious 1 start starts at nearly $ 130,000, including $ 2,290 for the destination. All paint colors are available in all pieces, but Midnight Steel’s frost for $ 5,925 is an anesthetic. Most of you could fall for a starting value are just over $ 150,000 for Sport 2 Trim, which has subtleties such as second-series ventilated seats, a AKG 38-Speaker audio system, second-series massage available and second-series seating seats, as well as a night’s thermal camera.
My time at Optiq left a positive impression – even if I’m probably a little longer than the designed demographic. The ways with the road of the car are addressed to the emotion-experienced inside me.
Yes, Escalade is cool, but it is more of a way of life and a status index, which doesn’t make me rejuvenate if you forgive the expression.
Regardless of this, both offer some of the best technologies in the department. The safety features are all standards, such as supercruise, and myriad screens give both cabins a futuristic element. I’m not happy with the lack of Apple Carplay and Android Auto, but this is a quibble with those that are both excellent vehicles.
