In its quest for electrification, Cadillac has revealed yet another EV. No, not it’s not a city-friendly crossover. No, it’s not a jacked-up estate either. It’s the Escalade, the big daddy of their lineup. You may ask – isn’t that just the Escalade IQ? Well, you’re not wrong, but it isn’t just another Escalade IQ – it’s a stretched Escalade IQ (emphasis on the ‘stretch’). Behold, new for 2026, the Cadillac Escalade IQL.
As it is essentially a long-wheelbase variant of the IQ, most of the features offered there are also available here. That includes the optional ‘Executive Second Row’ package which provides stowable tray tables, 12.6” screens for the second row, wireless charging pads for your phones, heated, ventilated and massaging seats, as well as premium headrest speakers that come along with 14-way power adjustable seats.
The key difference between the two is the extra headroom and legroom afforded to the 3rd row occupants – would you believe it there’s an extra 4 inches of space for your legs back there? It also allows for a more usable boot when the 3rd row is up. Plus, the lack of a big honking engine up front frees up space for a frunk worth around 340L.
The Escalade IQL shares its design traits with the IQ, which isn’t a surprise. It does share the exact wheelbase length of 3460 mm, though the overall length has been increased by over 100 mm. The width, height and ground clearance are the exact same as in the IQ, which isn’t a bad thing – the IQ itself is a big stonking vehicle. The EV offerings of the Escalade lineup come with a front-end design that differentiates the two from conventional-powertrain Escalade. A little more chrome, a little more elegant – another step towards the future.
With regards to performance, Cadillac has released some pretty respectable figures for an SUV of this heft. 750 hp and 1064 Nm of torque, a 0-100 time of 4.7 seconds, a maximum towing capacity of around 3400 kg and estimated range of 740 km – giving up the American way of life was never in question. A point of note, however, is that all these figures are when the IQL is in ‘Velocity Max’ mode, to squeeze every bit of performance from the motors.
On your average day, you’ll still be able to enjoy 680 hp and 834 Nm, so you’re never left wanting. Another factor to consider is that Cadillac vouches for up to 186 km of range on 10 minutes of charge at a public fast charging station.
The Escalade IQL will come in four trims, namely Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury and Premium Sport. With the starting price of over $132,000, the IQL is by no means cheap – again, it was never meant to be. As America’s answer to the behemoth SUV class, the Escalade was always meant to make the statement, and the IQL does just that, maybe saving the world a little in the meantime.
The Auto Herald- The Drive Behind Every Story 