The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is a new name for the iconic model.
IQ is the suffix Cadillac has been using for its electric vehicle nameplates, like the Lyriq and upcoming Celestiq, but the Escalade brand is so dominant in its segment that it didn’t want to throw it out or sully it. Hence the separation.
You’ll find it displayed prominently on the full-size SUV’s tailgate’s left side, but it’s not the only thing back there. Over on the right is a badge that reads 1000E4, but it’s not part of the official model name.
Cadillac used to display the engine displacement on its vehicles to give owners bragging rights, but switched to a different convention a couple of years ago, in part to prepare for the coming wave of EVs.
It now uses the torque output of the powertrain, but not exactly as you might.
Rather than the pound-feet (lb-ft) measurement that’s common in the U.S., Cadillac converts it to newton-meters (Nm). But it doesn’t stop there. It then takes the resulting figure and rounds it to the closest 50 … usually.
For instance, a CT4 with a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder rated at 380 lb-ft, which is 472 Nm gets a 450T badge, with the T denoting it is a turbo. However, the XT5 equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 271 lb-ft, or 367 Nm, wears a 400 badge for some unexplained reason. The Escalade powered by a 623 Nm diesel has a 600D badge, which makes more sense, but brings us to the curious case of the Escalade IQ.
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It comes standard with an all-wheel-drive train with dual electric motors, which explains the E4 part. It nominally operates at 615 lb-ft, or 834 Nm, so the 1000 doesn’t make sense at first glance, and perhaps not even on the second.
The Escalade IQ offers a Velocity Max mode that cranks up the torque to 785 lb-ft for short bursts, which is 1064 Nm, so the badge technically should read 1050, but that just wouldn’t look neat and tidy, now would it?
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Just to throw another wrench in the works, the high performance V-Series models, like the Escalade-V, don’t get a number at all. Which is probably a good thing for Escalade-V owners, because it’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8 is rated at 653 lb-ft, or 885 Nm, so its 900(S?) badge would get shown up by the Escalade IQ at the country club.
Considering the Escalade IQ starts at $130,000 and the Escalade-V at $151,090, that just wouldn’t do.