Cadillac Escalade IQ Vs. Escalade-V: Battery Or Supercharged V8 Power?

The Cadillac Escalade has gone electric, which means yet another American icon has fallen. Well, not exactly. The standard Escalade range will soldier on until Cadillac eventually pulls the plug. For now, you can still choose between electric motors with a battery pack or a supercharged V8 fuelled by liquified dinosaurs.

Cadillac only provided one price for the Escalade IQ. It will start from $130,000, and once you add some options, it should be within spitting distance of the most expensive Escalade ever, the V. Now we have two 'Sclades playing around in a price category generally reserved for high-end German machines.

Naturally, we had to compare the two models to see how they stack up.

The Escalade-V is not a subtle SUV, so when Caddy decided to put a supercharged V8 under the hood, the car didn't need much. It has model-specific 22-inch wheels, red brake calipers, quad exhaust outlets, and a few V badges to differentiate it from lesser models. It does a great job of looking elegant and sinister simultaneously.

Cadillac started with a blank sheet for the IQ but ended up with something that's still very familiar. It replaced the prominent grille with a blocked-off section but retained the look of a typical grille by using integrated LEDs. The front has the same vertical LEDs, while the rear has larger LEDs with more intricate detailing.

When the V came out, we thought its 22-inch wheels were slightly ostentatious, but it's got nothing on the IQ. The latter will ship standard with 24-inch wheels with 35-inch rubber.

We enjoy the design of both cars. Their unique exterior design elements show off the best two polar opposite automotive spheres have to offer.

The Escalade-V has a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, producing 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque. According to Cadillac, it can sprint from 0-60 mph in less than 4.4 seconds. It has launch control and can complete the quarter-mile in 12.8 seconds, riding a wave of glorious V8 noise.

The IQ is powered by a dual-motor setup powered by a 200-kilowatt-hour battery. This setup produces 680 hp and 615 lb-ft, so the gas-powered model is more powerful. Until you switch to the Velocity Max driving mode in the IQ. This will increase the power output to 750 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque. Even so, Cadillac says it will only sprint to 60 mph in something less than five seconds.

It likely has something to do with the IQ's weight, which hasn't been published yet. We suspect it might be a fatty, just like its Hummer EV cousin, which uses the same size battery. The IIHS is going to have a fit.

EV charging times are constantly dropping, and we're now at a point where you can charge a car within 15 minutes, which is ideal for taking a bathroom break and getting something to drink so you can start building up for the next bathroom break. We know some Hardcore Kyles out there claim they refuel in two minutes and drive 1,000 miles per day, but for the average person, something like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is perfect.

The IQ is not an average EV, however. It has an 800-volt architecture and can charge at 350 kW, but that means very little if you have to charge a 200 kWh battery. Cadillac says charging from 20%-80% takes 45 minutes. That's a long time to be stationary. At least the claimed range of 450 miles is good. Once the EPA confirms that range, it will be one of the EVs with the longest range available in the USA.

Filling the V is easy. You rock up at the gas station and fill it up within two to five minutes. The only difficulty is dealing with the gas price, but some studies have said EVs may be more expensive overall. If you want big power, you must pay.

As the halo Escalade, the V is equipped with leather seats, expensive trim, and ventilated massage seats in the front. The driver is treated to a full 38 inches of high-definition display consisting of a digital instrument cluster and an infotainment cluster. If you're not in the mood for the supercharged V8, you can play some tunes through the AKG Studio Reference 36-speaker audio system.

The IQ has 55 inches of digital display, and if you opt for the premium rear captain's seats, you get three more screens for second-row passengers. Like the V, quality appears to be top-notch.

These interiors will appeal to different people. The V's interior feels like it was designed not to overwhelm Cadillac's traditional Escalade customer base. The IQ has a more complex interior, capable of far more thanks to Google built-in. It will appeal to technophiles and early adopters, which is precisely what the interior of the first electric Escalade needed to be. This is the way forward if Cadillac wants to drop that old-person persona.

The IQ starts at $130,000, which is $20,000 less than the Escalade-V. Having said that, we don't see the customer of one being even remotely interested in the other.

We're not going to vote against the Escalade-V per se. Here's what we suggest. Have an IQ for daily duties, like the school run and commuting to and from work. You plug it in at night and regain the 20% (or so) you might have lost. It's so much more convenient and cheaper than stopping once or twice a week to fill the V's 24-gallon tank. EV powertrains are also perfect for luxury vehicles, producing loads of low-down torque and almost no noise.

That $20,000 saving would go toward a lightly used Mazda Miata or Toyota GR86. There's a wide variety of affordable sports cars for less than $15,000. We'd go electric during the week and buy one of these beauties for the weekend.