Photo: Baldauf
Milford Proving Ground is GM's lead facility for testing anything with four or more wheels. The world's first dedicated testing facility for automobiles opened in 1924, and currently flaunts more than 150 miles (241 kilometers) of road system.
Our spy photographers have recently captured two all-new vehicles testing at MPG, namely the Escalade IQ and a three-row crossover based on the Lyriq. First things first, let's kick it off with the truck-based SUV.
Rather than the T1XX platform of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and technically similar GMC Sierra 1500, the Escalade IQ uses the BT1 platform of the GMC Hummer EV pickup truck. The BT1 is a development of the BEV3, which underpins the Lyriq.
We've known for years that General Motors will electrify the Escalade, a development that shouldn't come as a surprise in light of the ongoing electrification race. Cadillac started teasing the zero-emission leviathan in May 2022, confirming the Escalade IQ nameplate.
IQ is the brand's way of saying electric, with this nomenclature having been introduced by the Lyriq. Before it, Cadillac experimented with nameplates ending in OQ. Think of the XLR-previewing Evoq concept and the SRX-previewing Provoq concept.
Pictured alongside the Optiq compact crossover that's been recently leaked in the People's Republic in China via a regulatory filing, the larger-than-Lyriq crossover features a longer wheelbase than both the Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV. To understand how closely related the Lyriq and Blazer EV are, let's pretend that it's no coincidence both feature six lug nuts per wheel due to their curb weights and a similar wheelbase (121.8 inches or 3,094 millimeters for those who prefer metric).
You can think of the yet-unnamed family crossover as the all-electric sibling of the XT6, a mid-size luxury crossover twinned with the Chevrolet Traverse. As opposed to the XT6 – and every crossover based on the C1XX platform – the newcomer is equipped with flush pop-out door handles both fore and aft. Goodyear tires and six-spoke wheels are also featured, together with black mirror caps and makeshift lights.
The Escalade IQ boasts more camouflage and Michelin tires, yet we can tell that its wheel design is inspired by those fitted to the Lyriq-based model. Believed to cost more than $100,000 when it goes on sale next year, the Escalade IQ is certain to come with a two-motor powertrain. A three-motor setup is also possible, more so because of the Hummer EV's 3X specification.
Scheduled to premiere on August 9, the Escalade IQ will be manufactured at Factory ZERO in Detroit alongside the Hummer EV pickup truck and utility vehicle. It's easy to imagine Cadillac waxing lyrical about peak torque, but don't be fooled by the brand's marketing.
GMC quotes 11,500 pound-feet (15,592 Nm) of torque for the Hummer EV, which is a misleading statement rather than outright false. The three-motor drivetrain produces that kind of torque, yet the way the automotive industry measures torque is different. In truth, measured as it should be, it makes over 1,000 pound-feet (1,356 Nm) at full chatter.
Rather than the T1XX platform of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and technically similar GMC Sierra 1500, the Escalade IQ uses the BT1 platform of the GMC Hummer EV pickup truck. The BT1 is a development of the BEV3, which underpins the Lyriq.
We've known for years that General Motors will electrify the Escalade, a development that shouldn't come as a surprise in light of the ongoing electrification race. Cadillac started teasing the zero-emission leviathan in May 2022, confirming the Escalade IQ nameplate.
IQ is the brand's way of saying electric, with this nomenclature having been introduced by the Lyriq. Before it, Cadillac experimented with nameplates ending in OQ. Think of the XLR-previewing Evoq concept and the SRX-previewing Provoq concept.
Pictured alongside the Optiq compact crossover that's been recently leaked in the People's Republic in China via a regulatory filing, the larger-than-Lyriq crossover features a longer wheelbase than both the Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV. To understand how closely related the Lyriq and Blazer EV are, let's pretend that it's no coincidence both feature six lug nuts per wheel due to their curb weights and a similar wheelbase (121.8 inches or 3,094 millimeters for those who prefer metric).
You can think of the yet-unnamed family crossover as the all-electric sibling of the XT6, a mid-size luxury crossover twinned with the Chevrolet Traverse. As opposed to the XT6 – and every crossover based on the C1XX platform – the newcomer is equipped with flush pop-out door handles both fore and aft. Goodyear tires and six-spoke wheels are also featured, together with black mirror caps and makeshift lights.
The Escalade IQ boasts more camouflage and Michelin tires, yet we can tell that its wheel design is inspired by those fitted to the Lyriq-based model. Believed to cost more than $100,000 when it goes on sale next year, the Escalade IQ is certain to come with a two-motor powertrain. A three-motor setup is also possible, more so because of the Hummer EV's 3X specification.
Scheduled to premiere on August 9, the Escalade IQ will be manufactured at Factory ZERO in Detroit alongside the Hummer EV pickup truck and utility vehicle. It's easy to imagine Cadillac waxing lyrical about peak torque, but don't be fooled by the brand's marketing.
GMC quotes 11,500 pound-feet (15,592 Nm) of torque for the Hummer EV, which is a misleading statement rather than outright false. The three-motor drivetrain produces that kind of torque, yet the way the automotive industry measures torque is different. In truth, measured as it should be, it makes over 1,000 pound-feet (1,356 Nm) at full chatter.
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