Cadillac Escalade IQ review

The Escalade IQ starts at $129,900 (£100,067) and its lineup consists of two sport trims and two luxury trims. Sport is mainly a catch-all term for having fewer shiny chrome bits and eschewing them for smoked out elements like rims and body accents. Luxury, as one would guess, ups the bling factor.

What each package includes is a laundry list of odds and ends that don’t affect the performance much. Adding to the bottom line are things such as the front trunk organizer, which has a slide-out rail-mounted platform that can conveniently store extra cargo, floor liners and so on. The biggest optional extra is the executive second row seating package that brings business class to your back seat: a big 8in ‘command center’ with a touchscreen for environmental controls, flip-out trays for eating or working, heated and ventilated massage seats and extra wireless charging. Let’s throw in a 40-speaker AKG audio system while we’re at it.

Which one would we buy? Let’s be real, this isn’t a sensible family vehicle, we’re going big or going home (and likely going home after going big for a power nap). We want it all - automatically closing doors, the executive seating, ambient light package and all the screens you can shove in there. Fully loaded, the IQ will cost upwards of $150,000 (£115,000).

For comparison, a topped-out ‘regular’ Escalade comes in at around $121,000 (£93,211). No batteries or rear steering, slightly shorter wheelbase and overall size, and 460hp offered from its 6.2-liter V8. It’s also worth mentioning the 682hp supercharged Escalade V and its $160k (£123k) price tag.