The first-ever production example of the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ – identifiable by VIN001 – crossed the auction block at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale last weekend. The luxury electric SUV fetched a hammer price of $550,000, with every dollar going to the Detroit Children’s Fund (DCF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to making quality education accessible to children in the Detroit area.
For its part, Barrett-Jackson ensured that full price of the Escalade IQ VIN001 would be given to DCF by waiving the standard fees and commission fees associated with the collector vehicle auction.
“The education of its children is paramount to the stability and long-term health of any city, and we’re thrilled that the sale of the first Escalade IQ will benefit the work the Detroit Children’s Fund is doing in our hometown,” said Cadillac parent General Motors President Mark Reuss. “We are grateful to Barrett-Jackson for the support in the sale of this historic vehicle to help a great cause.”
This particular 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is finished in Black Raven (paint code GBA), the perfect backdrop for its five-point LED display up front. Inside, the cockpit is dominated by its generous 55-inch coast-to-coast (or pillar-to-pillar) infotainment screen. A standout option is the optional Executive Second-Row Seating Package, which bundles features like a 40-speaker AKG Studio Reference audio system, 12.6-inch personal screens for second-row passengers, and 14-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated and massaging second-row seats.
The Escalade IQ, which made its official debut in August 2023, is capable of delivering a maximum 450 miles of driving range on a single charge, along with 680 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque in Normal Mode. Engaging Max Mode bumps those figures to 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque.
Assembly of the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ takes place at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant (also known as Factory Zero), where the start of regular production (SORP) kicked off in early October 2024. Pricing for the all-electric luxury SUV starts at $129,990 for the base Luxury 1 trim, as previously reported by Cadillac Society. Buyers can now take advantage of the online configurator to build and price the Escalade IQ for themselves.
Hint: it's not exactly cheap.
Resulting in a more commanding presence all around.
Sales increased 2.7 percent to 945 units during the first 10 months of 2024.
It seems that it's only a matter of time.
The ambient light color tally is now 126.
