This Is The Cadillac Escalade IQ And Oh God It’s Even Bigger Than The Hummer EV

General Motors is going about the EV revolution in a rather different way to a lot of manufacturers, particularly those in Europe. For instance, there’s the Hummer EV, in which there’s a whopping 200kWh battery - double even the largest packs fitted to premium electric cars, which makes for something very heavy. As in, 4.1 tonnes heavy.

GM is at it again, fitting a circa-200kWh battery to another large SUV, only this one - the Cadillac Escalade IQ - is even bigger. At 5.7 metres in length, it's 200mm longer than the SUV version of the Hummer EV, and 700mm longer than the pickup. It's also 200mm wider, with a girth of 2.4 metres. It’s no wonder the 24-inch wheels actually look about the right size for this land yacht.

There's no mention of weight, but judging by the Hummer, the Escalade is going to be hilariously bulky. Another clue lies in the efficiency, which isn't great. It'll do 450 miles on a full charge, which points to an average consumption figure of not much over two miles per kWh.

Once you are out of juice, it won't take long to replenish. The IQ includes 800v charging architecture, making it possible to add up to 100 miles of range in about 10 minutes.

The Escalade iQ has plenty of power to overcome its mass, with a twin-motor powertrain developing 738bhp and 785lb ft of torque. That's enough to provide a 0-60mph time under five seconds, Cadillac says.

It'll be easier to manoeuvre than you might imagine, thanks to an all-wheel steering system that gives a reasonably tight turning circle of 12 metres. Further aiding usability, you can drop the air suspension system by up to 50mm, or raise it by 25mm. The former isn’t just an access thing - there’s a ‘Low Ride Mode’ that lets you roll along at low speeds with the suspension fully dropped, so you can (maybe) look like a baller.

The general theme of excess continues inside, where a 55-inch display can be found spanning the dashboard. There are further screens in the rear if the Executive Second-Row Seating package is specced - a 12.6-inch display for each of the rear passengers, and one sprouting from the centre console. However optioned, the Escalade IQ has a power-folding third row of seating. 

The price for all this is $130,000, or just over £100,000, which sounds quite reasonable in the context of UK car prices, but if it ever did make it to our shores (which seems extremely unlikely), that figure would be a lot higher.