It entered the automotive stage in 1998 as a thinly-disguised Chevrolet Suburban. But five generations and 28 years later, the Cadillac Escalade is now an accepted star at red carpet and state events.

We tested an Escalade ESV Sport Platinum in August, right after its mid-cycle refresh. EV Rider has also experienced it EV stablemate, the Escalade IQ. And now we have the most fully loaded, top-tier, all-wheel-drive long-wheelbase gas version of this Cadillac flagship SUV, riding on blacked-out 24-inch aluminum wheels with new glossy dark trim.

Here is the 2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport, a 6.2-liter V-8 under its bonnet, and the highest-tech interior this side of Cadillac’s CT5 V Blackwing. Last year, the 123-year-old GM luxury marque decided its fifth-generation gas-version luxury wagon needed a mid-season refresh. Refreshing this 17.5-foot-long flagship included some serious technology, convenience and luxury upgrades – plus 4-wheel-drive.

Call it the ghost of Christmas Present, as we rolled out to holiday parties in our pearlescent white Escalade Platinum, its light blade headlights and taillights pulsing in greeting (to the key fob) as we walked up, the Cadillac badge on the big grille glowing as the same shape was projected from puddle lights. The Sport Platinum-specific black mesh grille and surround are big, framed by razor-thin LED DRLs over vertical multi-element LED headlights. The deep lower intake thins out to design lines on either side. In back, LED light blade taillights frame the rear hatch, echoing classic Cadillac fins of decades past.

Fenders and doors are basically like the Escalade’s GM cousins, the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe, roof included. But our Escalade lives on big shoes. It has 24-inch Bridgestone Alenza rubber on 12-spoke black alloy wheels neatly framed by edged wheel wells. More black accents include lower sill slashes, plus the tucked-in power running boards and side window pillars. Under the step bumper in back there are twin rectangular exhaust tips in gloss black in the lower trim.

Parked at a Clay County (FL) Cruzers holiday cruise-in, folks loved the size (Where’s your anchor?, asked one.), big wheels and glowing pearlescent paint on steel fenders and aluminum hood and doors – the latter for weight savings.

2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport’s Interior Is Cadillac Plush

To open the doors you tap buttons inside door handles, or slide a digit over haptic feedback icons on a center console touchscreen, and they power out – stopping short of people or cars next to it thanks to sensors. A luxurious brown and cream white interior with soft accent lighting starts with padded semi-aniline leather, stitched seams behind and below, a sweeping 55-inch panoramic screen bookended by AKG speakers. Glossy, warm woodgrain lives above a wide alloy strip with air vents.

Stitched leather seats up front get heat, cooling and multiple massage settings, plus dual memory presets. They were very comfortable, with decent side support. The stitched leather steering wheel has slick touch points for main functions, plus alloy switches for cruise, driver screen and other uses. Behind, there are small alloy shifters that only work when you tap one of those alloy buttons for manual shifting.

That panoramic screen before us has three sections flowing into one. The driver’s instrument cluster can be configured to show a 7,000-rpm tach, digital speedometer and inset audio display, a wide nose camera view ahead, or a navigation map with inset speedometer.

There’s also a night-vision infrared camera display for those dark and stormy nights. It works nicely, human beings outlined in yellow boxes to highlight them.

To the right is a basic information screen that can show tire pressures or other displays. Then comes a wide-screen navigation map that can split to show map and infotainment display. This also shows blind spot cameras, left or right as that turn signal is tapped, plus a backup/overhead view for parking.

The screen in front of the passenger shows YouTube, Hulu, Netflix and other apps. The driver can watch it when parked. But put the Escalade in gear, and it goes privacy-screened like a laptop so the driver can’t see it.

That AKG sound system is very good,  42 speakers that include head restraint-mounted ones for serious spatial effect. Audio is controlled off the big center console touchscreen via the center console twist/tap/scroll dials and its main menu audio, map and Home screen buttons.

That center console touchscreen also handles climate control and seat massage, as well as the power door open/close function to power opening and closing all four doors via a fingertip slide. But some functions require two or more dives into its menus to do things, like adjusting cooled seats, or activate rear child locks. Opening the glovebox also requires using the touchscreen.

The center console gets that gracefully curved screen flowing into a gloss black panel with the only physical controls – a knurled alloy main screen controller, volume knob and buttons for Auto Hold, Auto Engine Off and main climate control buttons. Cup holders get patterned chrome (plastic) trim. An inductive phone charger is nearby, as is deep storage under the center armrest. There’s also USB ports, a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Head aft for the ground-bound equivalent of a private jet. The second row captain’s chairs have center armrests, plus heat, cooling and massage. Their occupants can gaze at large (12.6-inch) touchscreen displays for streamed video. There are climate controls at the back of the front center console, and more USB ports.

There’s room between the seats to access a third-row bench with decent adult room for two, or a third in a pinch. The rear hatch powers up high enough to clear my head at the tap of the Cadillac seal. The window opens separately. Either accesses a decent 25.5-cu.-ft. of space behind those 60/40 third-row seats, which power fold or rise via buttons in back. The second row can be folded via other buttons – we hauled all our holiday decorations to the storage unit

Break out the calculator: 6,014 lbs. of luxe SUV with 420-hp means 14.3 pounds per horsepower, respectable from a naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 with a healthy 460 lb-ft of torque, funneled to all or rear wheels only via a 10-speed automatic. There’ are drive modes for Tour, Sport, Tow/Haul, Off-Road and My Mode. All fine tune engine and transmission response, plus suspension stiffness, ride height and exhaust note. You can tap into rear-wheel, all-wheel, 4-wheel-drive and low range from buttons a bit hidden on the dash’s lower right next to the drive mode. A Low Mode button on the steering wheel allows for manual paddle shifting.

We noted a bit of an abrupt throttle tip-in sometimes starting off from a stop. But most times, power came on smooth and as strong as your right foot requested, moving this 3-ton SUV out with smooth alacrity. It reached 60 mph in 6.3 seconds in Tour/RWD mode, and 5.6 seconds in Sport/RWD. Our 2,600-mile-old Escalade’s engine offered a subtly strong exhaust rumble en route, a tad sportier in Sport mode. We saw a high of 16 mpg commuting in Tour. For comparison, that 8,000-mile-old August test model hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds in Tour mode/rear-wheel-drive, while Sport mode/auto AWD did it in 5.2 seconds. It averaged 17 mpg on the highway.

2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport Handles Its Weight Well

The Escalade has an independent suspension up front, and multilink in back, with coil-over shocks and stabilizer bars plus adaptive suspension and magnetic ride control that continually “reads” the road and quickly alters shock absorber damping rate.

The result is composed and quiet at speed, barring some tire noise. In Tour mode, my daily commuting setting, the ride was smooth It was just taut enough as it smoothed out rough pavement with quick bump control. The ride is a bit better than a Suburban or Yukon. Sport mode firmed up the ride, but bumps still had a comfortable edge, with a quick, well-buffered feel at compression, even with those 24-inch wheels.

There’s automatic load-leveling, lowering the Cadillac to help loading and unloading, or raising the ride a few inches off-road. The trailering package has brake bias controls on a lower panel that looked a bit basic plastic.

More Cadillac Coverage

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1st Look: 2026 Cadillac Lyriq V

Cadillac Gets Its Mojo Back

In corners and twisting roads, this 7-passenger limo handles quite well for its size and height. The auto AWD with electronic limited-slip differential at the back directs torque to the wheel with the most traction. The result was no understeer in corners, and just a hint in our skid pad constant cornering. The Escalade also stayed true on path during a dip mid-turn, with minimal roll in turns. Steering was nicely boosted and direct, with a more precise feel in Sport mode. It’s turning radius is decent. The brake pedal had reassuringly short travel and decent bite, very controllable, with minimum nosedive and no brake fade after hard use.

It can handle 1,580 pounds of people and cargo, and tow 8,000 pounds of stuff.

Our Platinum edition had blind spot cameras and seat-bottom buzzers to alert you to things closer than they look in the mirrors, along with front/rear/side camera views at the tap of a button to see what’s around you. The rear-view mirror is a wide-screen display with a nice low-light camera. The highway hands-free Super Cruise maintained speed and distance in highway traffic, stopping when others do. There’s full lane-keep, but it did waver in lane sometimes. A tap of the turn signal and it safely changes lanes. It even worked on state highways. You can also set Super Cruise to allow automatic lane changes and passing.

A base rear-wheel-drive Cadillac Escalade, 211.9-inches long, starts at $93,995; our 4-wheel-drive 2026 Escalade ESV (226.9-inches) Platinum Sport started at $123,400 with so much standard. The only options: $4,750 Onyx black accents package; and $1,225 pearl white paint – total was $131,970.

Bottom line: Great power and tech, plus seriously spacious luxury, and not much to remind you there’s a Suburban under there.

2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Sport Specifications

Vehicle type – 7-passenger four-wheel-drive luxury sports utility vehicle
Base price $119,895 ($132,515as tested)
Engine type – OHV 16-valve aluminum V-8

Displacement – 6.2-liter
Horsepower (net) – 420 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 460 @ 4,100 rpm
Transmission – 10-speed automatic
Wheelbase – 134 inches
Overall length – 226.9 inches
Overall width – 93.7 inches
Height – 76.4 inches
Front headroom – 42.3 inches
Front legroom – 44.5 inches
Second row headroom – 38.9 inches
Second row legroom – 41.5 inches
Rear headroom – 38.2 inches
Rear legroom – 34.9 inches
Cargo capacity – 25.5 cu. ft./94.1 w/3rd row folded/142 w/2nd and 3rd row folded
Towing capacity – up to 8,000 lbs.
Curb weight – 6,014 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 24 gallons
Mileage rating – 14-mpg city/18-mpg highway

The post 2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport Review appeared first on EV Rider.

Call this sedan loud, proud – and call me wowed!

In a world where even SUVs get performance rubber and honking engines of the EV, V-6 and V-8 variety; there still exists (however briefly) a place for a hand-built hand, supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 with 668 hp and a whopping 659 lb-ft of torque.

And like the amazing Corvette that birthed some of the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, this is rear-wheel-drive.

Smoke ‘em (tires, I mean) if you got ‘em!

CT5 V Blackwing Upgraded For 2025

The compact CT5 sedan was introduced in 2020, its fastback design inspired by Cadillac’s 2016 Escala concept. For 2025, this sleek 4-door got a definite facelift atop its long 116-inch wheelbase.

That refinement starts with a tougher face. Its got mesh gloss black with improved LED headlights, slim and slit down. A bigger outer edge intake flanks a very aggressive lower grille with more intakes and a subdued air dam. We had the Carbon Fiber Package, with grille accent, more aggressive lower side sills flowing off functional front fender vents low down, and a rear spoiler sprouting from the tight, high trunk lid over new quad trapezoid exhaust tips. It retains an arcing roofline that ends with a raked rear window and high trunk with pronounced carbon fiber spoiler.

Aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport rubber – P275/35ZR19-inchers in front, and wider P305/30ZR19’s in back – live on semi-gloss black 10-spoke alloys. They neatly fill flared fenders with huge cross-drilled carbon ceramic disc brakes. 

It looks so low, tight and right. We parked it at our local Caffeine & Octane Jacksonville monthly show where it gathered lots of kin – Corvettes with the same engine – and fans who looked at its aggressive stance, and its carbon fiber aero. 

Cadillac-Worthy Interior Adorns CT5 V Blackwing

The CT5 welcomes owners at night with a petite Cadillac crest glowing off the rear of the dashboard, joined by welcome lights on door handles and puddle lights, plus front and rear LED light animation. You settle into black and tan leather sports bucket seats with aggressive bolstering, plus massage, heat and cooling. The seats are housed in glossy carbon fiber shells. They have manually-adjustable thigh support while the driver gets memory presets. The sweeping dashboard is topped with stitched faux leather along with glossy carbon fiber accents edged in alloy.

The seats get embossed leather trim and really hug the occupants in curves. Despite that, they aren’t constricting. Like most GM products, there are buzzers in the driver’s seat that let you know when you are drifting out of lane or backing into something. There’s a thick leather-clad steering wheel with paddle shifters in back. Audio, cruise, phone and voice command controls are in front.

There’s a small number plate at the bottom of the wheel. Ours reads 81-341. That means it’s a limited edition CT5 (8), with 10-speed automatic (1), then the last three numbers show the production number for the car we had in that configuration.

There’s Amazon Alexa, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and HD Radio, with solid sound from the AKG audio system and a handy volume knob on the center console. Overhead, lush sueded-microfiber headliner, plus gold seatbelts front and rear. Despite Cadillac phasing out Android Auto and Apple Car Play in its newest models, it continues in the CT5.

The biggest change this year is the replacement of digital gauge, and separate center screen with a sweeping 33-inch display. The driver gets a configurable gauge display, including a navigation map with digital mpg; or tachometer and gas gauge framing the speed display, or just speed.

The center screen can display basics like a map, or audio/tripmeter/settings/safety system status and more. My favorite sections are the Performance pages with horsepower, turbo boost and torque gauge displays, or a triple-screen with big G-Force meter, tire pressures and engine info. The center touchscreen even accesses a video recorder, or a performance data recorder if you pop in a memory card.

The center console, accented in alloy and carbon fiber, has a twist/tap rotary controller to handle screen functions, plus main menu buttons. Drive modes, traction control and auto-hold brake buttons are in front of the electronic gearshift, which also offers manual shifting if paddles aren’t your thing. The included Drive modes are: Tour, Sport, Track, Snow/Ice, and My Mode to adjust shifting, steering brake feel and vehicle sound character. There’s an inductive charger out of the way, while part of the interior gets accent lighting.

The center armrest has USB ports. The head-up display shows the basics, plus navigation and safety system status. Under the center screen are controls for a/c, seat heat/cooling, parking sensors, auto-park, lane-keep and more.

The sloping roof line and some rear wheel intrusion meant the back door opening was a bit small, so I had to duck. Once in there’s good leg room. The 11.7-cu.ft. trunk is deep and wide. Basically, this Blackwing can be a sane, comfy family Cadillac – with some race car bred into it.

CT5 V Blackwing Plays Like A Race Car

Cadillac is preparing to enter Formula 1, with a very successful IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship season in the sleek V Series.R. We found this can truly be a family Corvette, right down to sharing the same engine.

As one race car driver friend said, “this isn’t your father’s Cadillac” unless it came with a supercharged 6.2-liter, cast alloy 16-valve OHV V-8 with titanium valves, forged aluminum pistons and track-capable sump oiling. It has 668 hp at 6,500 rpm, and 659 lb-ft of torque at a low 3,600-rpm. You can get it with a Tremec 6-speed manual. We had the quick-shifting 10-speed paddle-shift automatic. And like AMG, there’s an engine build plate. Ben Walden did this one.

This is a very quick 4,142-lb. rear-wheel-drive sedan that thinks like a Corvette. Set it in Tour mode and its just fine for every day driving. The Cadillac leaped off the line with a hint of wheelspin into first, second and third to hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, with a wondrous bellow from the quad pipes. When set in Sport mode the Cadillac saw wheelspin in the first two shifts as the rear stepped briefly out of line before traction control caught. It got to 60 mph in a quick 3.7 seconds.

Launch control was set by turning off traction control and tapping the button. That resulted in the Blackwing behaving, controlling wheelspin quickly as its engine roared. It then pinned us to our seat, rocketing to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Deceleration and downshifts brought a delightful overrun crackling. That had me chuckling. It was an absolute delight in a luxury sedan able to do it time and time again with almost no drama, pulling .86Gs on launch. It delivered a tad over 12 mpg average while playing and as high as 25 mpg commuting in Tour mode.

This 4-door/5-seat sedan is quicker than the 2022 Corvette ZL1 I tested with the 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8. The Vette hit 60 in 3.6 seconds. And a Hellcat Charger with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 with 707 hp and 650 lb.-ft. of torque saw 60 mph in 4.3 seconds using launch control in our 2022 test. The Hellcat wasn’t as well behaved on launch, averaging 11 mpg.

This CT5 rides on McPherson-type front suspension with cross-axis dual lower ball joints, twin-tube struts; then a five-link independent rear with coil springs. It has hollow stabilizer bars and Magnetic Ride Control at each corner. The result is a supple yet taut suspension, quickly damping every bump in Touring mode with just a hint of softness. Sport and Track mode very quickly damped any bump. It was tightly controlled on rebound, very firm but not abusive, at least on our Florida roads.

Also a delight is how this Cadillac drove the twisty bits. Steering was direct and full of feel in Touring, and delightfully more direct in Sport and Track modes with great road feel. The magnetic ride control and sticky rubber combined to make this big car shrink on turns. It easily pulled .55Gs in basic cornering. It was flat and neutral powering up expressway ramps. When we tackled steady-state cornering the car registered a totally neutral feel, with no understeer, and 1.07Gs – drama-free. There was no discernable body roll. The race track video I’ve seen bears this out. It’s flat and full of stiction in any corner.

As for stopping all this speed, there are cross-drilled carbon ceramic rotors with staggered 15.67-inch Brembo six-piston calipers (front) and four-piston 14.7-inch calipers (rear). The pedal reacted quickly, but easily controllable with quick, short and straight stops every time from speed. We pulled a negative 1.17Gs on deceleration. There was no fade after repeated use. The Cadillac was very quiet during commutes, comfortably suspended with four on board, yet able to pass anything easily with just a minute gas pedal pressure without alarming anyone with too quick a burst of speed if I desired.

We had Super Cruise autonomous driving – it stayed in lane and at speed hands-free, only drifting a bit at exit ramps when right-side lane lines moved away. It automatically changes lane if it senses slower traffic ahead. The rear-view mirror offers a wide-screen rear video image.

CT5 pricing starts at $49,090 for the RWD Premium with turbocharged 2-liter four; our CT5-V Blackwing is the top tier, starting at $97,600 with $47,620 in options. The $18,000 Precision Package adds stiffer springs and track-oriented MagnaRide Suspension, plus upgrades like the carbon ceramic brakes. The tan and black leather interior is $8,090; the two carbon fiber interior and exterior bits total $12,330; the 10-speed automatic (a hint quicker than the 6-speed manual) is another $3,675. Super Cruise adds $2,600. A few more options tallied it to $146,715. The closest competitors are the Audi RS 7, with twin-turbocharged 4-liter V-8, all-wheel drive and 621 hp, Next up, is the plug-in hybrid BMW M5 with a twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V-8 with all-wheel drive and 717 hp. They are both quick and very agile, and worthy competitors. 

Bottom line: This Blackwing can outrun most cars with four doors, and a few with two, yet waft a family gently to dinner, or a spouse to work. It’s effortless power and grace, its pace as good as what comes from across the pond.

2025 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing Specifications

Vehicle type – 4-door, 5-passenger all-wheel-drive sports sedan
Base price – $97,600 (as tested: $146,715)
Engine type – supercharged OHV 16-valve aluminum V-8
Displacement – 6.2 liters
Horsepower (net) – 668 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 659 @ 3,600 rpm
Transmission – 10-speed automatic w/paddle shifters
Wheelbase – 116 inches
Overall length 194.9 inches
Overall width – 74.1 inches w/out mirrors
Height – 56.5 inches
Front headroom – 39 inches
Front legroom – 42.4 inches
Rear headroom – 36.6 inches
Rear legroom – 37 inches
Cargo capacity – 11.9 cu. ft.
Curb weight – 4,142 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 17.4 gallons
Mileage rating – 13 mpg city/20 mpg highway

The post Cadillac With Corvette Heart: 2025 CT5 V Blackwing appeared first on EV Rider.

So, the obvious question is – what is a Vistiq? For that matter, how about Cadillac’s Celestiq, Lyriq or Optiq?

Well, one does not need a genius IQ to see that Cadillac, one of the oldest car companies around, has latched onto a new way to describe its electric vehicles – of which it has many, from the 190-inch-long Optiq to the 196-inch Lyriq, all the way up to the 228-inch-long Escalade IQL and slightly shorter Escalade IQ.

Cadillac Vistiq Design Tour

Our Vistiq Sport, which shares its GM BEV3 platform with the Chevrolet Blazer EV, Acura ZDX and Honda Prologue, is in the middle of the Cadillac pack – a 3-row, 6- or 7-seat EV crossover with some serious tech, power and shape. So envision (oops, that’s a Buick) the Vistiq as the scion of the Escalade. It sure looks a bit like one.

Stroll up to it and flush door handles pop open as its LED light blades pulse front and rear. Under the smoked chrome bar atop the smooth, blunt nose is a false grille with an alloy, lighted Cadillac emblem high-center. A smooth, gently curved panel frames it, while 10-element LED headlight units are on the fenders’ outer edges. There’s a deep lower intake.

Gloss black frames gently-flared front and rear wheel wells, wider black with smoked chrome spears accenting lower sills. The roof, from windshield pillars to tailgate, is also gloss black with satin alloy spears along roofline sides, while rear side windows get an intriguing Mondrian pattern graphic that adds visual drama and lightens the window tinting.

In back, LED blades light rear D-pillar corners, while lower lights mimic the stacked look of the headlights. There are no exhaust tips to mar the black lower fascia with black and silver accents.

What impressed me is how low and wide this crossover looks, so well-planted on its 21-inch Goodyear Eagle Sport rubber on 6-blade black and silver alloys. It marks the night with puddle lights glowing around it. Each door handle is lit with an LED strip. All but the roof and rear fenders are aluminum. But a 3-row design is inherently boxier – the Lyriq is the Caddy crossover look I like best.

Cadillac Vistiq Instructional Videos

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2026 VISTIQ | Seat Configurations | Cadillac

2026 VISTIQ | Unlocking the Velocity Max Mode | Cadillac

2026 VISTIQ | Adjusting Your Air Ride Adaptive Suspension | Cadillac

2026 VISTIQ | Front Command Center | Cadillac

2026 VISTIQ | Personal Comfort in the Rear Command Center | Cadillac

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Cadillac Vistiq’s Interior Highlighted by 33-inch Screen

Entering the Vistiq’s cabin means grabbing the pop-out door handle and gently tugging as sensors register your hand and open it. You settle into firm, supportive black leather bucket seats with heat, cooling and massage functions, with white stitching and inset stripes. Doors are accented with copper-hued carbon fiber panels and LED accent lights. Seat controls are on the doors. A twist of a knurled knob flips the climate control screen in the center console into the seat massage or heat/cool control. I’d prefer a one-button approach.

The dashboard design is very clean – black leatherette with buff alloy accents and thin air vents with knurled knobs. There’s a 33-inch diagonal LED screen that stands free of the dashtop, accented with a ribbed panel that did rattle a bit on bumpy roads.

That big screen begins (l-r) with a trip/economy touchscreen that also allows you to activate lane-keep, and change the center screen display. We liked the strip displays for range and power/charging, with digital speedometer. But there is no digital charge display available, just a bar display. You only know percent of charge left when you get in, and that left display shows it before you turn it on.

To turn on this EV, just tap the brake pedal and its all powered up. To turn off, just put the gearshift in “Park,” and open the door.

The center of the screen can show everything from surround-view cameras and audio to full map, charging or battery status, or just a mix of map and audio. The 23-speaker AKG system, with front head restraint and overhead speakers, sound great – but there’s no HD Radio option so you’ll be missing out on a bunch of available broadcast channels. And as sleek as the multiple touchscreens are, you have to tap a tiny icon to open the glove box – and the Vistiq has to be on. To set headlights to auto-on, or just on, there’s an icon on dashboard left. And a few other functions are buried inside touchscreen menus.

The center console is a multi-level dream. There’s that touchscreen flowing out of its stitched leather and carbon fiber-clad design, with haptic-feedback icon buttons for control of a/c front, center and rear. A knurled metal knob handles volume, while a twist/tap/scroll knob works all center screen functions, with main menu buttons for audio, map, etc. nearby. There’s lots of room under the center armrest, as well as side pockets, and more room underneath. Ahead of the touchscreen are dual inductive phone chargers.

Cadillac Vistiq 2nd, 3rd Row Highlights

The second row occupants also get stitched leather bucket seats with center armrests, plus their own touchscreen to control a/c and seat heat/cooling. There’s good head and leg room. I appreciated the stitched leatherette panels on the hard backs of the front seats. Overhead there’s a long. opeing sunroof with a power sunscreen.

The second row seats flip and fold forward to access the third row’s bench, parked low on the floor with outboard cup holders and armrest storage. That said, leg room is tight for adults here unless the second row slides forward. Behind the last row, there’s a wide and roomy storage area with deep under-floor cargo room. Third-row seatbacks power up and down via rear-mounted buttons. More buttons drop second row seatbacks for a very roomy cargo area if needed. The rear hatch powers up and down – just tap the illuminated alloy Cadillac badge. Hold the unlock button, and all four windows drop when you are parked.

Cadillac Vistiq Performance

Want to see what moves the Vistiq? Pop the hood. Where many EVs have a front (frunk) trunk, the Vistiq’s bonnet bounds up to display the charging system components that move its 180kW front drive motor with differential/offset gear set and mechanical transmission fluid pump. It got lots of looks when I parked at a hot rod cruise-in. At the rear, there’s a 250kW drive motor, one differential/offset gear set and mechanical transmission fluid pump and housing. There are five drive modes: Touring; Sport, Snow/Ice, MyMix (set your power, steering, suspension, even a nice motor sound effect) and V-Mode (fully enhanced shift-tuning, suspension, steering, exhaust, motor sound, brake feel and traction control). We found that this is a very quiet CUV, with only some tire hiss and wind noise even at highway speed.

There are 12 lithium-ion cells to form a 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack, giving those motors 615 hp and 650 lb.-ft. (880 Nm) of near-instant torque along with a Cadillac-estimated 305 miles of range, when equipped with our 11.5 kW onboard charging module. An optional 19.2 kW charging module is also available.

We played mostly in Touring, with full regen (lift off the accelerator, and motors become generators). But depress that pedal and this 6,326-lb. CUV leaps out of the gate to 60 mph in a quick 4.9 seconds. Tap in Sport mode, and it launches harder and faster to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. And tap V-Mode, and the Vistiq rears back with an immediate lunge and launch to 60 in 4 flat. There’s no wheelspin in any mode, and it does not take much pedal to pass anything smoothly. But play in Sport or V-Mode, and range drops quick – an indicated 6-mile drop in less than a mile of playing. But stay in Touring mode with full regen, and range drops slower than actual miles.

As for range – we started with 80% battery charge, and an indicated 247 miles of range. We drove the Vistiq for three days in Touring mode, as well as having some fun in Sports mode, and opted to Level 3 charge when we were left with 29% battery and 89-miles of indicated range. We had driven 141 miles, a bit less than the 158 miles of indicated range seen on the display. Taking it from 29% to 80% charge took a quick 26 minutes, and cost $34.55 – and again claimed an indicated 247 miles of range. DC fast charging is almost always more expensive than charging at home.

The Vistiq rides on multi-link front/5-link rear suspension with semi-active dampers. It gave us a controlled, comfortable ride that ate up most bumps without any issues, the semi-active dampers reining in any after-bounce. With the front and rear EV motors allocating power to the end needing it, expressway ramps were taken neutrally, with minimal body lean. Play more athletically, and we heard a hiss of understeer in corners, easy to handle. Sport mode is the most fun, with tighter steering, quicker damping and better passing power – I liked it. As for Sport mode on our steady-state skid pad, the Vistiq had a bit more understeer, but never washed out – this handles pretty well for a big CUV, probably helped by some low battery placement.

The electric power steering was direct if a bit over-boosted in Touring mode, really stiffening up in Sport mode, where it felt a bit artificial as it loaded up in corners. This long-wheelbase Caddy did have a tight turning radius.

Doing much of my driving in one-pedal mode – a very natural way to stop or go – only when a light changed or someone cut me off did I invoke the effective 13.5-inch front/13.58-inch rear disc brakes. Like many regenerative braking systems, the pedal felt a bit wooden, without a lot of feel – but they stopped this Caddy very well, with minimal nose dive and no trace of fade after some repeated hard use.

More Cadillac Coverage

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Cadillac With Corvette Heart: 2025 CT5 V Blackwing

2025 Cadillac Escalade Combines Pace With Grace

Why Former Rivian, Tesla Owner Switched To Escalade IQ

1st Look: 2026 Cadillac Lyriq V

Cadillac Gets Its Mojo Back

EV Rider’s 2023 Top 10; What’s Ahead In 2024

Owner Review: Cadillac Lyriq Debut Edition

GM Follows Ford In Adopting Tesla Supercharger Standard

Cadillac Celestiq, Buick Wildcat EVs Draw Crowds

The lane-keep system, with seat bottom buzzers if you stray over lines, was insistent. Adaptivbe cruise control maintains speed and distance between cars, even “reading” speed limit signs and slowing down to that MPH. And Super Cruise autonomous driving, with auto-lane changes if it sees a need, stayed on course and speed except for an occasional wander in lane after hitting dips. It even worked on a winding 2-lane state road, keeping the curves, although some divided state highways saw the autonomous mode click on and off. Seat buzzers and more alert the driver when that happens.

Our red Vistiq had a base price $77,895; with options limited to $1,225 paint, $800 captain’s chairs/6-passenger seating and $600 black roof for a final as tested price of $81,915.

Bottom line: Great looks, solid people and cargo carrying, decent range and very good performance and drivability – and that Radiant Red paint job looked nice too.

2025 Cadillac Vistiq Sport Specifications

Vehicle type – 6-passenger all-wheel-drive EV luxury crossover
Base price $77,895 ($81,915 as tested)
Engine type – Dual motor w/12 Lithium-ion NCMA cathode, blended graphite anode battery modules and 102 kWh of useable battery energy
Horsepower (net) – 615
Torque (lb-ft) – 650
Transmission – direct drive
Wheelbase – 121.8 inches
Overall length – 205.5 inches
Overall width – 86.7 inches
Height – 71 inches
Front headroom – 40.9 inches
Front legroom – 43.1 inches
Second row headroom – 38.9 inches
Second row legroom – 40.1 inches
Rear headroom – 39.5 inches
Rear legroom – 30.6 inches
Cargo capacity – 15.2 cu.ft./43 w/3rd row folded/82 w/2nd and 3rd row folded
Towing capacity – up to 5,000 lbs.
Curb weight – 6,326 lbs.
Max estimated range – 305 miles
Mileage rating – 86-MPGeDan, write your review above and below this playlist of Cadillac Vistiq instructional videos & delete this note.

The post 2026 Cadillac Vistiq: Stylish 3-Row Family Hauler appeared first on EV Rider.

Refresh – to take something existing, and renew its looks while keeping its essence.

For 2025, with the new Cadillac Escalade IQ EV introduced, the 123-year-old GM luxury marque decided its fifth-generation gas-version luxury wagon needed a mid-season refresh. And refreshing this 17.5-foot-long flagship not only included some IQ design hints, but a serious technology, convenience and luxury upgrade.

Walk up to the 2025 Escalade Platinum at night, keyfob in pocket, and this Deep Sea Metallic Cadillac slowly does an LED dance to welcome you. Light blade headlights and taillights pulse as bands of illumination grow; the classic Cadillac badge on the big grille gains a white halo, while shields are projected groundward.

The Escalade dates back to 1998, when Cadillac made a more luxury-focused version of the GMC Yukon Denali. Now in the fourth year of this fifth-gen model, born in 2021, the gloss black mesh grille and surround are bigger. Outer edges flow into razor-thin LED DRLs that glow over stacked multi-element LED headlights and light-blades in gloss black intake-shaped accents. There’s a deep lower intake that thins out to design lines on either side. In back, revised LED taillights are tall and slim as they frame the rear hatch, brilliant red.

The restyle left the flanks alone, carryovers from the Escalade’s GM cousins, the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe, roof and door designs included. But our Escalade wore very big shoes – 24-inch Bridgestone Alenza rubber on 7-spoke buff silver and black alloy wheels, perfectly filling wheel wells. Lower sills get a black slash accent over tucked-in power running boards, while slim gloss black cargo rails are almost seven feet off the ground. More gloss black accents B, C and D pillars. There’s twin rectangular black chrome exhaust tips in gloss black lower bumper trim – decidedly sporty.

At Jacksonville, FL’s Caffeine and Octane, lots of folks walked up to look at it, and maybe one neat touch – a buff alloy Cadillac shield on each front fender. What most that admired it probably don’t know is an aluminum hood and doors are part of the package for some weight savings.

2025 Escalade’s Interior Delights With 55-Inch Screen

The Escalade makes it easy to enter its world with tap buttons inside its glowing door handles, and they power open – stopping short of people or cars next to it thanks to sensors. Then you ascend into lovely jet-black leather seats with heat, cooling and multiple massage, plus dual memory presets. The steering wheel gains a few more controls. Before you is a 55-inch IQ-like screen that runs from AKG speaker to speaker with a glossy wood shelf under it.

The panoramic screen is split into three. The instrument cluster, with a 7,000-rpm tach, digital speedometer and inset audio display, can be configured to show night vision view ahead, a grille’s-eye view of what’s ahead after dark, or a navigation map with inset speedometer. The wall-to-wall screen amazed many who saw it, loving its sophistication and content – and a big move up from last year’s 38-inch display.

The display flows smoothly into a wide-screen navigation map; or split map and infotainment display, or more. Then comes the personal screen in front of the passenger, configurable for YouTube, Hulu, Netflix and other apps – and privacy-screened like a laptop so the driver can’t see it unless parked. It also hosts Wi-Fi hotspots and an internet browser.

Lots of dashboard and door surfaces are done in semi-aniline leather, with more wood accents on doors and center console. Even the glove box door is leather-clad. Its “Open” button is in a touchscreen menu.

That AKG sound system has 42 speakers, including small ones for spatial effects in each head restraint – the whole system is very good. And after a day or two, we found it easy to adjust bass, treble or 3D sound as well as set stations and audio functions via the center console twist/tap/scroll dials and its main menu audio, map and Home screen buttons. But the classic stalk to shift the transmission was still not familiar – or intuitive.

If the dashboard screen is not enough, there’s a center console touchscreen that handles everything from climate control and seat massage to power opening and closing all four doors via a fingertip slide. It has a strip of touch controls to access screens for seat heat/cooling/massage, ambient lighting, outside camera access and the like. That said, it takes two or more dives into those menus to do things like adjust cooled seats, or activate rear child locks.

The screen flows nicely into a wide center console with the afore-mentioned main screen controller and a handy volume knob, with Auto Hold, Auto Engine Off and main climate control buttons nearby. The cup holders get chrome (plastic) trim, with a handy inductive phone charger. And under that center armrest is a small refrigerator.

The leather Executive Second Row seats also have heat, cooling and massage, plus large (12.6-inch) touchscreen displays on the front head restraints for access to streamed video. The center armrest has dual inductive phone charge slots, plus a climate control center screen to open the power doors and more. And shades of Rolls-Royce, fold-out mini-desks for lunch. There’s separate climate controls, more USB ports and a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot. We also had wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Center seats fold and slide forward to access a third-row bench with decent adult room for two, and a third in a pinch. There’s a decent 25.5-cu.-ft. of space behind those 60/40 third-row seats, which can power fold or raise via buttons in back. The rear hatch powers up high enough to clear my head, and its window opens separately. Elegant touch – the hatch opens with a tap of the Cadillac seal in back.

2025 Escalade’s V-8 AWD Delivers Smooth Power

Now, is there pace with this grace?

Our 6,000-plus pound SUV gets a 6.2-liter V-8 with a respectable 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque that can be sent to rear wheels, Auto all-wheel-drive, or full 4-wheel-drive via a 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters too. We had a trailering package with brake bias controls on a lower control panel that looked a bit basic Chevy Silverado, as did the nearby door map pockets. There’s Drive Modes for Tour, Sport, Tow/Haul, Off-Road and My Mode – all set engine and transmission response, plus suspension stiffness, ride height and exhaust note. A Low Mode toggle on the steering wheel allows for manual paddle shifting.

No denying it – a V-8 is still the one to have if smooth power at a tap of the gas pedal is what you want, but there is another Escalade option for those wanting smooth power – the 750-hp (in V-Max mode) all-electric IQ model.

Gas Escalade Reaches 60 MPH in 5.2 Seconds

Throttle tip-in sometimes gave an abruptly quick launch off the line in our gas version. Lesser vehicles were left in the rear-view even when you just gently ladled power. In Tour mode/rear-wheel-drive, our 8,000-mile-old ‘Escalade gave smooth shifts en route to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds with a subdued but nice exhaust snarl. Snap into Sport mode/auto AWD and it reared its nose and launched quickly to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. It provided precise, quick downshifts when asked and a slightly snarlier exhaust note.

My Mode lets you select suspension, steering and engine sound for a slightly sportier feel if you want, and keep the most economical drive setting.

The EPA says the Escalade does 14 mpg city/18 mpg highway, and 16 combined. Its Auto-Engine Off was transparent in shutting off the V-8 at stops, and refiring as you lift off the brake. Our best average, with Drive Mode in Tour was 13 mpg; we saw as high as 17 mpg on a cruise control highway drive. For comparison, a 2021 Sport Platinum I tested for a since retired website hit 60 mph in 5.4 seconds in Sport, and averaged a best of 17 mpg.

2025 Escalade’s Handling Well-Buffered, Despite Its Heft

The Escalade is composed in motion; quiet, just some tire noise. It had independent suspension up front, and multilink in back, with coil-over shocks and stabilizer bars plus adaptive suspension and magnetic ride control that continually “reads” the road and quickly alters the damping rate of shocks.

The Tour drive mode was my go-to for long-distance, smoothing rough pavement with quick bump control and no harshness, feeling a bit above a Suburban or Yukon for composed ride and big SUV handling. Sport firmed up the ride a bit, still with a comfortable edge, as steering feel got a bit tighter. Either way, bumps were dispatched with a quick and well-buffered edge, although we had some chassis judder after a sharp bump with only me on board.

While this is no sports sedan, ride control seemed to limit roll in turns, firming up as we got pushed harder. All-wheel-drive with electronic limited-slip differential for the rears directed torque to the wheel with the most traction, meaning moderately enthusiastic cornering was drama-free, with no understeer as it pulled us through.

Push harder and traction control halted plow noticeably, while the Escalade’s path wasn’t nudged by a dip mid-turn. Steering was nicely boosted and direct, and the SUV had a decent turning radius. And the brakes controlled our large SUV with decent pedal feel and stops, and no brake fade after some hard use.

More Cadillac Coverage

2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport Review

Cadillac With Corvette Heart: 2025 CT5 V Blackwing

2026 Cadillac Vistiq: Stylish 3-Row Family Hauler

Why Former Rivian, Tesla Owner Switched To Escalade IQ

1st Look: 2026 Cadillac Lyriq V

Cadillac Gets Its Mojo Back

There’s height-adjustable suspension if you want to take this limo off road. Along with the ability to handle 1,580 pounds of people and cargo, rated to tow 8,100 pounds of Jet Skis and stuff. Adaptive air suspension with Magnetic Ride Control delivers automatic load-leveling, plus raises the ride a few inches off-road – it absorbed bumps, cobblestones, and other road blemishes with ease, nice with those 24-inch wheels. Tapping Off-Road saw sure-footed movement through gravel and mud, ruts absorbed with comfort in the limited muddy lots we trod.

Our Platinum edition had all the safety goodies, on top of the blind spot cameras, seat-bottom buzzers to alert you to things closer than they look in the mirrors, and front/rear/side camera views at the tap of a button to see what’s around you. The rear-view mirror is a wide-screen display with a nice low-light camera.

Then there’s Super Cruise – autonomous hands-free driving and lane changes on interstates and many state highways with a green LED light bar atop the steering wheel when it’s on. The smart cruise that’s part of it maintains speed and distance from folks in front, stops when they do, then resumes when they do. Super Cruise adds full lane-keep, although it can hunt a bit on rougher highways. A tap of the turn signal and it safely changes lanes. My only comment – sometimes it just turns off after an alert, then resumes, like a bad cell-zone.

A base rear-wheel-drive Cadillac Escalade starts at $88,100; our 4-wheel-drive Escalade Sport Platinum started at $119,895 with so much standard. The only options: $7,500 center row executive seating with those massaging thrones; $1,800 for the 24-ich wheels and rubber; $700 for the fridge/freezer; and $625 for that deep blue metallic paint – total was $132,515.

The only domestic competitor is the 210-inch-long Lincoln Navigator Black Label, which starts at just over $116,000 and has a Twin-Turbocharged 3.5L V6 with 440-hp. It’ll hit 60 mph in just under 6 seconds, and has a wide-screen dash display and lots of tech – it’s a bit smaller and lighter than the Cadillac, with a slightly gentler look.

Bottom line: Powerful, tech- and luxury-laden – still the imposing choice to make an entrance, with not much to remind you there’s a Suburban under there.

2025 Cadillac Escalade Sport Platinum Specifications

Vehicle type – 7-passenger four-wheel-drive luxury sports utility vehicle
Base price $119,895 ($132,515as tested)
Engine type – OHV 16-valve aluminum V-8Displacement – 6.2-liter
Horsepower (net) – 420 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 460 @ 4,100 rpm
Transmission – 10-speed automatic
Wheelbase – 120.9 inches
Overall length – 211.9 inches
Overall width – 85 inches
Height – 76.3 inches
Front headroom – 42.3 inches
Front legroom – 44.5 inches
Second row headroom – 38.9 inches
Second row legroom – 41.7 inches
Rear headroom – 38.2 inches
Rear legroom – 34.9 inches
Cargo capacity – 25.5 cu.ft./72.9 w/3rd row folded/121 w/2nd and 3rd row folded
Towing capacity – up to 8,100 lbs.
Curb weight – 6,014 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 24 gallons
Mileage rating – 14-mpg city/18-mpg highway

The post 2025 Cadillac Escalade Combines Pace With Grace appeared first on EV Rider.

While it’s always fun to drive EVs, hearing from owners is often more valuable, since they’ve lived with their cars for months, or even years.

Buddy Boyter is a car guy. Among his current rides: A Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing. While he enjoys a good upshift as much as the next enthusiast, he’s definitely not afraid of new tech.

He recently leased his fourth EV, a 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. He’s previously owned a Tesla Model 3, Model X and a Rivian R1S.

If you’re a regular EV Rider viewer, you might have seen the episode about his previous Rivian SUV. Buddy is uniquely qualified to do a direct comparison between the Escalade IQ, Model X and R1S.

This is one of those week’s where you’ll need to watch the video to get the full story and road test. But if you don’t have time to watch right now, here are several quick facts about Cadillac’s latest EV to tie you over until you can watch the road test:

Selected Cadillac Escalade IQ Highlights

• The Escalade IQ afeatures the ability to fully power your home with what’s known as Vehicle to Home, or V2H.

• The front truck is absolutely huge with 12.2 cubic feet of storage space.

• This Caddy puts the final nail in the coffin of range anxiety. Cadillac estimates the Escalade IQ gets 460 miles per charge, which is more than the gas Escalade can manage with a full tank. The V8 Escalade is EPA-rated for 432 miles per tank in mixed driving.

• Thanks to its 800-volt architecture, the Escalade IQ can add about 100 miles of range in 10 minutes thanks to a rated peak charging speed of 350 kW. To put that in perspective, that’s more than double the peak charging speed of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E.

• The Escalade IQ has Magnetic Ride Control and an Adaptive Air Ride Suspension. That allows for a finely tuned soft or stiff suspension, depending on road conditions. It also allows the big Caddy to be raised or lowered by about two inches.

• Parking and off road maneuvers are a bit easier than you might imagine with a vehicle of this size due to the Escalade IQ’s four-wheel steering feature that Cadillac calls arrival mode, which is demonstrated in the video.

• For those looking for something even bigger, a longer version is coming for 2026. It will be called the Escalade IQL and check in at 228.5-inches long to offer more cargo and passenger space. The IQL will be the longest SUV ever produced by GM. But that’s still not as big as the 1974-1977 Fleetwood 9-passenger sedan, which came in at a whopping 252.2 inches long.

2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL Specifications

Editor’s Note: Most specifications listed for the 2026 Escalade IQL also apply to the 2025 Escalade IQ, although the IQL is a longer vehicle with a bit more cargo and passenger space.

EFFICIENCY

¹On a full charge based on development testing and/or analytical projection consistent with SAE J1634 revision 2017 – MCT. Range subject to change prior to production. Actual range may vary based on several factors, including ambient temperature, terrain, battery age and condition, loading, and how you use and maintain your vehicle.

BATTERY SYSTEM:

ELECTRIC DRIVE:

¹Based on GM testing

CHARGING TIMES¹

¹Actual charge times will vary based on battery condition, output of charger, vehicle settings and outside temperature. See the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual for additional limitations
²Home charging requires professionally installed 100A dedicated charge station, sold separately.

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

Front and Rear Suspension:	Short-Long Arm (SLA) suspension with air springs and MagneRide dampers. Balanced ride and handling with premium isolation.
Steering Type:	Front: Rack & Pinion Electric Power Steering; Rear: Continuously variable actuator up to 10 degrees.
Turning Circle, Curb-to-Curb (ft. / m):	39.86/ 12.15
Brake Type:	4-wheel disc with DuraLife Rotors
Brake Rotor Size OD: (in. / mm):	13.98 / 355 (front) 14.05 / 356.8 (rear)
Wheels:	24-inch alloy / 22-inch alloy
Tires:	LT275/50R24  and LT275/60R22

¹Lower-profile tires wear faster. Tire and wheel damage may occur on rough or damaged roads or from surfaces, curbs, debris or obstacles. This damage is not covered by the GM New Vehicle Limited Warranty. For more details, go to my.cadillac.com/learnabout/tires or see your dealer.

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS

INTERIOR DIMENSIONS

CAPACITIES

¹Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution
²Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the Trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The weight of passengers, cargo, and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow.

The post Why Former Rivian, Tesla Owner Switched To Escalade IQ appeared first on EV Rider.

Cadillac is hitting its EV stride, unveiling its quickest regular production model in the brand’s 122-year history.

Cadillac’s performance V series is expanding to EVs with the unveiling of the 2026 Lyriq-V.

The Lyriq V will slingshot down wide-open empty roads or dragstrips in a Cadillac-estimated 0 to 60 mph time of 3.3 seconds.

The V’s fastest mode is called Veocity Max, which is activated via a V-button on the left hand side of the steering wheel.

It also includes what’s called Competitive Mode, which introduces some traction management features to handle the V’s extra horsepower and torque. The V comes with 650 lb-ft of torque and 615 horsepower.

Brembo performance front braker caplipers are standard to provide consistent, fade-resistant performance for those looking to take advantage of the V’s extra scoot.

The V also adds interior and exterior signature sounds that Cadillac says are synchronized for an orchestrated sonic experience. Pricing for the Lyriq V starts at $79,990, including destination charges but excluding tax, title and dealer fees.

EV Rider road tested an early Lyriq Debut Edition back in 2023 and came away impressed.

Apparently, a good number of Cadillac customers feel the same way. Sales of the Lyriq surged 210% in 2024 to 28,402 Lyriqs sold in the U.S. That number doesn’t include worldwide sales.

Got VR? This episode is also available in 3D on YouTube VR.

Although the Lyriq is still too new for a mid-cycle refresh, there have been a good number of under the hood changes.

The newest models have 24 percent fewer components. As you would expect, the top shelf Lyriq also includes Cadillac’s Super Cruise hands-free highway system along with a Heads-up Display (HUD).

Getting back to the Lyriq-V, now that the production constraints of the first and second model years are pretty much over, Cadillac really needed this one to be competitive.

While a 3.3 second 0-60 is fast, some of the competition had already hit that metric, or better.

For example, the latest Mustang Mach-E GT does it in a Ford estimated 3.2 seconds while Tesla’s Model X Plaid can rocket to 60 in 2.5 seconds.

Regardless, the Lyriq is finally proving a winner for Cadillac, which is critical since Caddy is moving toward becoming an all-electric brand.

2026 Cadillac Lyriq Specifications

EFFICIENCY

^{^}Actual range will vary based on several factors, including temperature, terrain, battery age, loading, use and maintenance.
^*EPA estimates not yet available.

BATTERY SYSTEM

ELECTRIC DRIVE

^{^}Based on GM testing.

CHARGING TIMES^

^*Actual charge times will vary based on battery condition, output of charger, vehicle settings and outside temperature. See the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual for additional limitations.
¹Home charging requires professionally installed 60A dedicated charge station, sold separately.
²Home charging requires professionally installed 100A dedicated charge station, sold separately.

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

^{^}Lower-profile tires wear faster. Tire and wheel damage may occur on rough or damaged roads or from surfaces, curbs, debris or obstacles. This damage is not covered by the GM New Vehicle Limited Warranty. For more details, go to my.cadillac.com/learnabout/tires or see your dealer.
¹Do not use summer-only tires in winter conditions, as it would adversely affect vehicle safety, performance and durability. Use only GM-approved tire and wheel combinations. Unapproved combinations may change the vehicle’s performance characteristics. For more details, go to my.cadillac.com/learnAbout/tires or see your dealer.

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS

INTERIOR DIMENSIONS

WEIGHTS & CAPACITIES

^{^}Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution.
¹Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the Trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The weight of passengers, cargo, and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow.

The post 1st Look: 2026 Cadillac Lyriq V appeared first on EV Rider.

Is Cadillac finally getting its groove back? It’s starting to look like it. 

EVs might just have be the kick in the pants Caddy needed to find itself. Over the past month Cadillac has unveiled two new concept EVs and is working on shifting its entire lineup to electric.  

We’ll start with my favorite. The SOLLEI is a gorgeous full-size convertible that’s based on the Celestiq sedan that EV Rider brought you an up close look at during the 2023 Amelia Island Concour d’Elegance. 

Like the Celestiq, the SOLLEI would be a high-end bespoke EV that customers could heavily customize. 

The Celestiq is being rolled out now and being largely hand-built to customer orders with an eye-popping starting price of $340,000. Odds are good that if the SOLLEI is greenlit its starting price would likely climb even higher, although on the other hand, perhaps increased volume could help bring prices on both EVs down just a bit. 

As you can see in the video at the top of this post, the interior of the SOLLEI is just stunning, with the type of flare and quality Cadillac was known for until downsizing hit the brand in the late 70s. 

Given the SOLLEI shares its powertrain and much of its coachwork with the Celestiq, the odds of the convertible making production are definitely stronger than the next Cadillac dream machine on our list. 

Cadillac Opulent Veocity Name Describes Its Attributes

This one’s called the Opulent Velocity, with the name describing its two distinct driving modes.  

In Opulent mode the EV becomes a Level 4 autonomous vehicle, meaning the driver and passengers can just sit back and enjoy a hands-free, immersive experience with the help of a widescreen display and next-gen augmented-reality heads-up display system on the windshield. 

In Velocity mode the EV transforms into what Caddy describes as a hypercar with the steering wheel and pedals presenting themselves to the driver.  

It also includes a ghost car on the infotainment screen to help you improve your lap times when you hit the track. 

The self-opening sissor doors would be standard. Before you ask, there are no real details available since the Opulent Velocity is likely nothing more than a design exercise, but given Cadillac is calling it a hypercar, should it actually make production a 0-60 time in the two second range would be likely. 

Perhaps most importantly, Cadillac’s actual production volume EV, the Lyriq, is enjoying strong sales growth this year.  

It’s sales shot up 441% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to the same period last year, according to GM Authority, with 7,294 Lyriqs sold from April through the end of June.

The post Cadillac Gets Its Mojo Back appeared first on EV Rider.

As we all focus on 2024, here’s a quick look back at the top 10 EV Rider videos from 2023 and a brief look at some of what we’ll be doing in 2024. 

This list is comprised of the 10 most watched videos on the EV Rider YouTube channel that were produced 2023, with the most popular video coming in at number one. Shorts and videos from previous years were not eligble for inclusion.

#10 | Ford Mustang Mach-E Towing Test

Coming in at number ten was a Mustang Mach-E towing test. Plenty of you wanted to know how much the Mach-E can tow. The short answer is more than 3,300 pounds. The longer answer: Ford doesn’t want you towing in the U.S. but is happy to sell you an OEM hitch in Europe. 

#9 | Showdown: Ford F-150 Lightning Vs. Rivian R1T

There’s a ton of interest in EV pickup trucks right now which quickly became apparent as EV Rider pitted two local owners with a Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning against one another. 

8# | 2023 Kia EV6 GT Blows Away Many Performance Cars

Economical performance is also on the minds of EV Riders. Our road test of Kia’s EV6 GT checked in at number 8. It screams to 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. 

#7 | Tesla Owner Ditches Model X Plaid For Rivian R1S SUV

SUVs make up the hottest EV segment out there with thousands upon thousands of you wanting to know more about Rivian’s R1S SUV and why a Tesla owner dumped his Model X for the R1S. 

#6 | Owner Review: Cadillac Lyriq Debut Edition

Although Cadillac struggled with production volume for its Lyriq in 2023, our EV Rider review of Caddy’s first pure EV proved there’s plenty of interest as it checked in as our sixth-most watched video of the year. 

#5 | Energica Experia Delivers Top Notch EV Motorcycle Touring Experience

EV Rider’s fan base includes a lot of motorcyclists so it’s no surprise that so many of you couldn’t wait to learn more about Energica’s Experia, which at the time of its debut had the EV motorcycle industry’s largest battery pack. We called it a top-notch EV motorcycle touring experience. 

#4 | Long-Term Review: ’22 Mustang Mach-E

While some traditional ICE Mustang fans are still upset that Ford used the storied nameplate on its Mach-E EV, that didn’t stop more than 10 thousand of you from wanting to know about how EV Rider’s personal electric pony is holding up. In a word: great. So far I’ve put about 35,000 miles on it. 

#3 | Owner Review: Tesla Model 3 Vs. Hyundai Ioniq 5

While one YouTube channels video views certainly aren’t scientific when it comes to automotive trends the more than 10 thousand of you that watched EV Rider’s Tesla Model 3 vs. Hyundai Ioniq 5 comparison anecdotally illustrates there seems to be quite a bit of cross shopping interest between the two brands. 

#2 | Canoo EV Startup: Factory Update, Other News

EV startup Canoo is just now gearing up for volume production at its new Oklahoma City plant and EV Rider’s audience is obviously very interested in this brand. Canoo videos produced this year would have dominated five of the top ten spots if I had broken them out one by one. Altogether, Canoo videos and shorts accounted for more than 348,000 EV Rider video views in 2023.

#1 | Why Tesla Model Y Owner Switched To BMW iX

The number one individual video EV Rider produced in 2023 was a look at why one EV Rider dumped his Tesla Model Y for a BMW iX. More than 38,000 of you had watched the iX video at last check.

The Road Ahead

So what’s ahead for EV Rider in 2024? Given the high-interest level, we’ll continue to follow Canoo as it looks to ramp up its production in 2024. 

EVs Assembled In Jacksonville, FL

Cenntro, an EV fleet maker with an assembly plant right here in Jacksonville, Florida has promised us a factory tour. So watch for that video, probably sometime in mid-to-late February. 

EV Motorcycle Industry’s 1st Heavyweight Cruiser Arrives In 2024

Evoke Motorcycles is preparing to rollout the industry’s first high-volume electric cruiser 6061-GT with a massive 29.8 kWh battery. Evoke plans to let EV Rider take one for a spin during a visit to Florida in June and we expect to get to experience its Urban Classic sometime in March.

Automotive EV manufacturer and owner reviews will continue to play a big part on the channel. We’ll also continue to occasionally feature product reviews, including a review of a universal LED-lit  topbox for motorcycles.   

To everyone that’s watched EV Rider in 2023, thank you, and here’s hoping we all have a safe, prosperous and happy 2024. Enjoy the ride. 

The post EV Rider’s 2023 Top 10; What’s Ahead In 2024 appeared first on EV Rider.

Christina and Manny Bennett are the owners of this 2023 Lyriq Debut Edition, which they believe to be the first Lyriq delivered here in Jacksonville, Florida. The 2024 Lyriq has a 102 kWh battery with an EPA estimated range of 312 miles, which Manny says is proving to be accurate based on his driving experience. Its peak DC charging speed is rated at 190 kW while at home it is capable of AC charging at up to 19.2 kW per hour.

Manny is a big Cadillac fan. He and his family have owned a variety of Caddys over the years including a CT6, XT5 and XT4. His love of Cadillacs goes way back. “As long as I could remember my mother always drove Cadillacs. She worked for GMC so she always drove Cadillacs, from the Coupe Deville from back in the ‘70s to the Seville in the mid-’90s.   

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Manny says “Cadillac pulled out all the stops” with the Lyriq. He’s been thrilled with everything about the SUV, from the styling and performance to the interior luxury and overall affordability as compared to other luxury EVs. 

“You get a lot for your money with this Lyriq because at the time the Teslas, the [Model] Ss, were going for like $110,000 and $120,000 and this [Lyriq] is probably around $65,000.” 

On top of that, Manny’s Lyriq qualifies for the full $7,500 tax credit. Since Manny bought his Lyriq, Tesla has slashed its prices, although that likely would not have swayed him. 

Manny’s admiration of the design starts with the front end, which he proudly describes. “This whole thing lights up and you get the Cadillac emblem that is really, really vivid, especially at night. It’s a really, really cool feature.” 

His Debut edition is RWD drive with the 22-inch wheels, Super Cruise and unique power door handles that were only available for the 2023 model year. They were redesigned for the 2024s.  

Although Manny’s Lyriq is rear-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive is also available. Car and Driver saw a 4.6 second 0-60 time with the AWD edition. Despite the extra performance, even with the extra motor the Lyriq still manages 307-miles of estimated EPA range. 

The Lyriq’s interior is a very comfortable place to be with flourishes that remind you this is a luxury vehicle. During my time driving Manny’s Cadillac I was impressed with the compliant suspension.  

I didn’t have the opportunity to push it in any sort of aggressive driving, but it certainly does a good job of continuing the Cadillac tradition of providing a smooth, quiet ride. 

Drivers and passengers are treated to a sweeping 33-inch diagonal LED display that Cadillac says is capable of 9k resolution. It’s powered by Android Automotive, which is Google’s operating system for automobiles that General Motors is gradually rolling out. 

Although it has Android Automotive, Manny’s Lyriq still comes standard with Apple Car Play and Android Automotive, although General Motors has indicated those screen mirroring systems will be phased out in future years in favor of relying entirely on Android Automotive, which does include Google Maps and the Google Play Store, although like the smartphone-based systems, apps are limited to those deemed to be car-friendly. 

One thing you won’t find in the Lyriq is a frunk. Front cargo areas have become common in many EVs but Cadillac decided to forgo the feature in its first full-EV. 

Cadillac is transitioning to an all-electric future. It is in the midst of rolling out its super-high end Celestiq sedan, with a base price of $340,000 and the all-electric Escalade IQ is expected to become available in late 2024. 

EV Rider primarily focuses on video so be sure to watch the episode at the top of this post to get the full story and additional details about the Lyriq. If you enjoy the video please give it a like and subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel so I can continue to bring you adventures in EV motoring. 

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As it turns out Tesla ended up picking the perfect name for its Supercharging technology: The North American Charging Standard (NACS).

General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra has announced with Tesla CEO Elon in a Twitter Spaces webcast that starting next year GM EVs will be able to use Tesla Superchargers and starting in 2025 new GM EVs will come standard with a NACS charging port.

The collaboration will expand access to charging for GM EV drivers at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers, and growing, throughout North America.

“Our vision of the all-electric future means producing millions of world-class EVs across categories and price points, while creating an ecosystem that will accelerate mass EV adoption,” said Barra. “This collaboration is a key part of our strategy and an important next step in quickly expanding access to fast chargers for our customers. Not only will it help make the transition to electric vehicles more seamless for our customers, but it could help move the industry toward a single North American charging standard.”

The Tesla Supercharger Network will be open to GM EV drivers starting in 2024 and will initially require the use of an adapter. Beginning in 2025, the first GM EVs will be built with a NACS inlet for direct access to Tesla Superchargers without an adapter.

In the future, GM will make adapters available for drivers of NACS-enabled vehicles to allow charging on CCS-capable fast charge stations.

GM will also integrate the Tesla Supercharger Network into its vehicle and mobile apps, helping drivers locate, pay for, and initiate charging at Superchargers.

Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s Senior Director of Charging Infrastructure, added, “Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Giving every EV owner access to ubiquitous and reliable charging is a cornerstone of that mission. We’re excited to work with other industry leaders like General Motors to provide access to the Tesla Supercharger Network via the North American Charging Standard.”

GM continues to work with others in the industry to accelerate the installation of home, work and public charging as part of its Ultium Charge 360 initiative. This includes collaborations with Pilot Company and EVgo that will add more than 5,000 DC fast chargers to the nearly 13,000 existing DC fast chargers in North America, as well as the deployment of community chargers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

GM didn’t say in its news release whether those will be NACS or CCS chargers, although since those announcements were previously made, it’s assumed those will still be CCS stations.

Last month Ford President and CEO Jim Farley made a similar announcement with Musk. With today’s announcement the big three American-based EV manufacturers have committed to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard.

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