2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL Revealed: The Big Caddy Is Back in Town

At 224 inches long, the Cadillac Escalade IQ is already a massive EV that measures nearly a foot longer than the regular, gas-powered Escalade. But that’s still not enough for some customers, so GM reassured the world that an even larger, fully electric ‘Slade was on the way; we’d just have to wait. Today, we got our first peek at the 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL.

No, that name doesn’t roll off the tongue effortlessly, though it’s better than “Escalade IQ ESV.” That’s effectively what this is, though—a battery-powered Escalade that measures 4.2 inches longer than the standard version, with all that additional space essentially being used to extend third-row legroom. Passengers in the way back now get 36.7 inches in the footwells, up from 32.3 inches, as well as one more inch of headroom. All those figures match or barely exceed what the ICE-equipped Escalade ESV offers.

None of that has come at the expense of range, either. While Cadillac isn’t saying how much the Escalade IQL weighs (the brand curiously never revealed that figure for the regular Escalade IQ, either), peak range is still estimated to be 460 miles, just like the “normal” IQ. According to Caddy’s spec sheet, the IQL’s battery is 5 kWh larger, rated at 205 kWh all told. That is a mammoth battery pack, though the company says owners should be able to replenish up to 116 miles of range—roughly a quarter of the pack’s total capacity—over 10 minutes of DC fast charging.

In every other respect, this is really just a longer Escalade IQ. It’s got the same 24-inch rims shod in 35-inch tires, which weirdly make the whole thing look smaller in images because there’s no frame of reference for their size. Inside, front-row occupants are treated to the same 55-inch pillar-to-pillar display, with another, more iPad-like touchscreen just below it, angled toward the driver. Powertrain specs remain at 680 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque most of the time, with a boost to 750 hp and 785 lb-ft when Velocity Max mode is initiated. And, thanks to four-wheel steering, it retains a decent turning angle considering its size, at 39.86 inches.

Cadillac says Escalade IQL production is scheduled to begin in the middle of this year, and it’ll start at $134,985 including shipping. That’s about $5,000 more than the standard-length Escalade IQ. And if that already seems expensive for a Cadillac, remember: We’re in the era of the $340,000 Celestiq now. Times have changed.

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