On the rough roadways of San Francisco, and after that as much as the headlands of Marin County, the Optiq very first rode with more flexible compliance, hushing speed bumps and tram tracks with ease. When the roadways began winding, the adjustable drive modes let me change up the character, as I set the guiding to the lightest mode to prevent torque guide and ramp up feedback from the front tires. Naturally, I likewise picked the optimum velocity and brake responsiveness, then began hustling through a long series of corners.

Nearly more outstanding than the suspension enhancement versus the Equinox, which I drove in Michigan, the Optiq’s absence of sound, vibration, and cruelty (NVH) stuck out throughout the drive. This in turn highlighted the Dolby Atmos-enabled stereo, comprised of 19 AKG speakers managed by means of a 33-inch touchscreen. The Escalade IQ definitely blew the smaller sized Optiq out of the water, regardless of doing not have Atmos for model-year 2025 due to advancement timelines, I still desired to evaluate whatever from Pink Floyd’s tripped-out Conveniently Numb to the strange pitches of Animal Collective, the electro bass of Major Lazer, and some shriller dance pop by Lady Gaga.

Searching through the Amazon Music app hoping to discover tunes enhanced for Dolby Atmos surround sound showed almost difficult. If I owned an Optiq, I ‘d require to develop playlists ahead of time instead of simply aimlessly scrolling (or depending on curated choices from Cadillac and Dolby). That kind of state of mind shift uses to much of EV life, in the end, comparable to how Optiq’s overall variety dropping about 5 percent versus the Equinox FWD’s 319 miles (513 km) need to matter less than lots of metropolitan purchasers might think of.

For the extra torque and dual-motor AWD, the Optiq begins at $55,595 (or $61,695 for this packed Optiq Sport 2). Compare that to the AWD Equinox with 285 miles of variety (459 km) and a beginning sticker label of $49,400– which represents a huge dive up from the FWD at $34,995. The Optiq consists of much more basic functions, specifically Super Cruise hands-free driving, which I completely delighted in triggering on the 101 highway crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.