Sold on the sleek looks and electronic wizardry of the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ but have zero interest in going electric? Well, Cadillac has confirmed today what we’ve long suspected: You can get most of those goodies on the 2025 Escalade and Escalade-V without making the switch from gasoline. Diesel fans, I’m afraid, will be missing out on the party for 2025. The Standard Escalade retains the 420-horsepower 6.2L-liter V8 and the V-Series returns with its supercharged 682, but the light-duty six-cylinder oil burner is nowhere to be found on the spec sheet.
While the traditionalists may bleat out a funeral dirge for the Duramax, futurists will delight in the standard Escalade’s new iQ-inspired interior. Standard on all Escalades is a new 55-inch “pilar-to-pillar” screen incorporating the instrument cluster and infotainment systems (35 and 20 inches, respectively) for both the driver and front passenger. Beneath these sits the “Command Center” screen, which houses controls for in-demand functions, such as your heating and cooling, seat controls, vehicle safety functions and camera views. The massive touchscreen also comes with a redundant multi-function control knob (shown above right) for those who’d rather not lean forward to interact with the big display.
The eagle-eyed reader will note that the automatic gear selector has been moved from the center console to make room for the Command Center and multifunction control interface. The shifter is now a column-mounted stalk. The steering wheel is also new for 2025; the Edvard Munchian curved spokes are no more. Other features inherited from the iQ include a new auto-opening driver door option along with power-operated (but not automatic) passenger doors, a 126-color ambient LED lighting system, and the available 40-speaker version of its premium AKG audio system.
But that’s not all, of course. While the 2025 Escalade was not redesigned from the ground up, Cadillac considers this a “major” enhancement. What good is an overhaul if your customers can’t tell the difference? Not only is the 2025 model getting some new styling features and an iQ-inspired signature lighting animation, but it will be the first Escalade offered with 24-inch wheels from the factory. They’re joined by three new exterior colors: Aegean Stone (green-grey), Aegean Stone (metallic blue) and Latte Metallic (light bronze). Inside, Renaissance Red and Sheer Grey join the palette, and the V-Series can now be optioned with a carbon fiber trim package.
The 2025 Escalade will go on sale in late 2024; look for pricing as we move closer to fall.