Cadillac wants a full lineup of electric vehicles, and it’s nearly there. It has a standard crossover SUV (the Lyriq), an entry-level model (the Optiq), an electric version of its flagship Escalade (the Escalade IQ), and even a baroque showpiece (the Celestiq). But something’s missing.

For a modern luxury brand, a midsize three-row crossover is key. Customers for whom a Toyota Highlander is too déclassé need something to take their kids to lacrosse practice, but may not want something as big as an Escalade. This isn’t the most exciting design brief, and that’s reflected in the gasoline Cadillac XT6, which has always felt like nothing more than a placeholder. Its new electric counterpart, the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq, is anything but.

Like Cadillac’s other EVs, the Vistiq feels like more effort was put into it than the equivalent gasoline crossover. Cadillac is so proud of the Vistiq, in fact, that calls the new EV a “baby Escalade.” If that’s the case, then this younger sibling is an overachiever.

Familiarity isn’t a bad thing

With a handful of EVs already filling its showrooms, Cadillac didn’t need to break new styling ground with the Vistiq. This three-row model incorporates design features familiar from those other Cadillac EVs into its unique shape, which can accommodate seven passengers or six, depending on whether you choose a second-row bench seat or captain’s chairs.

The Vistiq wears the same confident-looking face we’ve been seeing on Cadillac EVs since the Lyriq debuted in 2022. While EVs have lower cooling needs than internal-combustion vehicles, Cadillac still insisted on a large grille, flanked by chunky vertical headlights and thin daytime running lights that emphasize the front end’s width and height. This is what makes the “baby Escalade” tagline fitting, creating a first impression just as strong as the bigger Escalade IQ. It’s also much more effective than the rear-end styling, again borrowed from other Cadillac EVs, which is a less-coherent collection of lights, reflectors, and trim pieces.

Inside, the Vistiq features three rows of reasonably comfortable seats — even the third row is tolerable for medium-sized adults and features large cupholders, USB-C ports, and even its own glass roof panel. A low window line and thin dashboard create a feeling of spaciousness up front while providing surprisingly good forward visibility for a big, tall vehicle. But it’s the variety of material and trim options that make the Vistiq feel like a proper luxury vehicle. The test car — a higher-spec Premium Luxury model — sported blue leather upholstery with white piping nicely complemented by wood and metallic trim that was a nice change of pace from the many monochrome interiors out there.

Drives like a Cadillac should

This electric SUV is a family hauler, but it has specs worthy of Cadillac’s V-Series performance models. The standard dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain is in fact shared with the Lyriq-V (as well as the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS), producing 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. That will slingshot you and six companions from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, according to Cadillac. That’s just 0.1 second shy of a BMW iX M70 xDrive, which isn’t burdened with a third row of seats.

Unlocked in the Velocity Max drive mode, full power feels as ferocious as the numbers suggest. But it’s the only thing about the driving experience fitting that adjective. Equipped with optional air suspension (steel coil springs and adaptive dampers are standard), the Vistiq floated over crumbling Michigan pavement — without the floppiness of stereotypical Cadillac land yachts. It’s easy to damp out bumps by simply making the suspension as soft as possible, but Cadillac’s engineers retained enough firmness to keep occupants from being tossed about as the Vistiq rides the waves of road imperfections.

Another notable option is a four-wheel steering system like the one in the Escalade IQ. It doesn’t include the IQ’s gimmicky Arrival Mode, so you won’t be crabbing sideways into parking spaces, but still offers the more relevant advantages of a tighter turning radius. That not only made parking easier, but also gave the Vistiq a more stable and precise feel in corners. Like the ride quality, the handling had a Cadillac-appropriate relaxed feel, without descending too far into imprecision and sloppiness. In other words, the Vistiq’s chassis tuning is exactly what it needs to be.

Super Cruise keeps getting better

Most of the Vistiq’s tech carries over from other recent Cadillac models. The curved 33-inch dashboard display is identical to the ones in the Cadillac Optiq and Lyriq, and runs General Motors’ more recent Android-based infotainment system. That means you get Google Built-in apps, but don’t get Apple CarPlay or standalone Android Auto. A 23-speaker AKG audio system is also standard, with Dolby Atmos tech that’s rolling out across Cadillac’s lineup for the 2026 model year.

However, the Vistiq adds an optional augmented reality head-up display that can show things like speed, the following distance for adaptive cruise control, and arrows projected over lanes indicating where to turn when using the Vistiq’s built-in Google Maps app. Some automakers, like Mercedes-Benz, offer similar features, but Cadillac’s are well-integrated into the small amount of space available. This display also uses tech from GM-backed Envisics designed to minimize distortion, but a more through evaluation in a wider variety of lighting conditions will be needed to truly test its effectiveness.

The Vistiq also serves as the launch platform for several notable updates to General Motors’ Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist system. Super Cruise’s auto lane-change function can now follow routes, shifting the vehicle into the correct lane for merges and interchanges. This is a big improvement over the previous iteration, which only responded to slower vehicles in front and thus required more babysitting to avoid ending up in the wrong lane. It worked pretty well on this test drive, although it did get confused in one situation where the lane markings were unclear.

Super Cruise’s interface is also streamlined. It’s now possible to pre-select Super Cruise (or adaptive cruise control) before setting off; a prompt to activate the system will appear in the instrument cluster once you’ve reached a suitable road. That takes a step out of using Super Cruise, while integration with the head-up display makes it easier to monitor what the system is doing once it’s activated.

Still a Cadillac when it comes to efficiency

The Vistiq uses the same 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack as the two-row Cadillac Lyriq. Official ratings weren’t available at press time, but Cadillac expects at least 300 miles of range, and it’ll probably be less than the Lyriq’s best of 319 miles with all-wheel drive, owing to the Vistiq’s added weight and boxier shape. So like its big sibling, the Escalade IQ, the Vistiq relies on a big pack—rather than efficiency—to achieve acceptable range. It’s playing to a stereotype of inefficiency that goes back to gas guzzling Cadillacs of old.

Charging performance is also acceptable, rather than extraordinary. Cadillac claims the Vistiq can DC fast charge at up to 190 kilowatts, enough to recover 80 miles of range in 10 minutes of charging at a suitably-powerful station. The standard 11.5-kW AC onboard charger and optional 19.2-kW unit can recover a claimed 29 miles or 46.9 miles per hour of charging, respectively.

GM is planning to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS), but for now the Vistiq still uses a Combined Charging Standard (CCS) connector. An adapter allows it to charge at Tesla Superchargers and other NACS stations, and like other GM EVs, the Vistiq offers bidirectional charging capability that allows it to serve as a home backup power source.

Who needs an Escalade IQ?

Pricing starts at $78,790 for the base Luxury trim level — undercutting other three-row luxury electric SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and Volvo EX90. The Rivian R1S has a lower base price, and offers genuine off-road capability, but base models have a bit less range than the Vistiq. The Lucid Gravity puts the rest of the field to shame when it comes to range, handling, and interior usability, but the single Grand Touring trim level currently available starts at $96,550.

As with many luxury vehicles, however, that base price is a bit of a misnomer. The Vistiq Premium Luxury adds the air suspension and four-wheel steering that made the test vehicle so pleasant to drive, plus the augmented reality head-up display — but it starts at $93,290. That’s still cheaper than a Gravity Grand Touring, but more importantly, it’s a lot less than the $129,990 starting price of the Escalade IQ.

The Vistiq offers the bold styling and three-row utility of the Escalade IQ, but without the compromises inherent with that SUV’s titanic proportions. With its immense weight and oversized battery pack, the Escalade IQ already made no sense. The Vistiq makes it redundant.

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