Forget the Celestiq, which is extremely rare and costly. The Escalade IQ might be Cadillac's guiding light.
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The definition of a "halo car" isn't set in stone, but it's typically seen as a vehicle produced in small numbers with a high price tag, one that attracts enthusiasts to dealerships where a salesperson can guide them toward a more affordable option. Sometimes these are supercars, sometimes ultra-luxury models, but they fulfill the same role. On other occasions, they're simply more within reach. A prime example is the 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQ, one of which has just joined our long-term test fleet after its SUV of the Year victory.
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What Defines a Halo
You might be inclined to label the ultra-luxury Celestiq sedan as Cadillac's halo, but we'd contend it's more of a showcase piece, the ultimate demonstration of what Cadillac can achieve. Hand-built and made to order, this car will never appear on showroom floors and will barely be spotted by most people on the streets. No one is heading to a Cadillac dealership because the Celestiq is available.
The Escalade, however, has served as the brand's flagship for nearly 30 years and remains its genuine halo. The Escalade IQ (and the even larger IQL) are at the forefront, representing the most technologically advanced and luxurious Escalades ever made. Escalades draw customers into Cadillac dealerships and help sell more budget-friendly models.
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The Escalade IQ didn't claim the SUV of the Year award just because it's impressive, though that certainly helped. It won because it's the most luxurious mainstream vehicle Cadillac has produced in decades. It won because it's packed with the finest and most cutting-edge technology in its segment. It won because it addresses practical, everyday challenges such as range concerns, charging worries, and EV towing doubts. That was our conclusion at the end of our 2026 SUV of the Year competition, and now we'll have a full year to thoroughly evaluate each of those solutions.
No Need to Feel Sorry for Us
Spending a year with the Escalade IQ is hardly a hardship, even less so after we loaded this vehicle up. Sure, we could have kept costs down and opted for a standard IQ Luxury trim, which would have included most of the key features we plan to assess. But we wanted the complete experience, so we chose the IQ Premium Sport in Deep Space Metallic green-grey, a $625 upgrade. The standard 24-inch wheels are adequate, but we liked the space theme, so we selected the $4,295 Onyx package, which includes 24-inch Deep Space directional alloy wheels with exclusive blacked-out center caps. It also adds puddle lamps in Cadillac's Mondrian design and "Hudson Metallic" (black) badges on the tailgate. We finished the exterior look with the $1,100 black-painted roof option.
Since we intend to take many road trips with this beast, we added a few comforts for ourselves. First, we included the $1,750 console refrigerator to keep extra drinks chilled. Then, we added the $275 CCS-NACS charging adapter, which will allow us to connect at the much more plentiful Tesla Superchargers along our routes.
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Finally, some miscellaneous additions. For practicality, we added the $995 eTrunk Organizer package, featuring a slide-out tray and pop-up organizer for the front trunk. The tray makes it much easier to access the front trunk's full space without having to climb in to reach items in the back, while the organizer keeps small items from shifting around and falling out when the hood is opened. The $650 illuminated door sill plates are purely for enjoyment, and the 38-speaker AKG Studio Reference stereo comes standard.
We seriously considered the $7,500 Executive Second Row Seating package but decided against it for practical reasons (we wanted to ensure regular use of the third row) and to prevent the price from climbing further. With a starting price of $150,595 and $9,705 in options, we're already at $160,300 as tested, which feels like plenty.