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  • 2026 Cadillac Vistiq first drive:

    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

    2026 Cadillac Vistiq front view.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    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

    2026 Cadillac Vistiq rear quarter view.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    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

    2026 Cadillac Vistiq dashboard.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    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

    2026 Cadillac Vistiq dashboard.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    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?

    A pair of 2026 Cadillac Vistiq electric SUVs parked side by side.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    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.

  • 2026 BMW iX first drive: I expected BMW to tone things down, but thankfully it didn’t

    Electric cars have given automakers a rare opportunity to throw out design and engineering conventions in favor of something truly new, and few automakers have exploited that opportunity like BMW.

    The German automaker’s first attempt at a volume-production electric vehicle was the BMW i3, a small hatchback that dispensed with all expectations of what a car wearing BMW’s blue-and-white badge should be, with a novel shape and engineering to match its electric powertrain. While the i3 wasn’t a sales success, its spirit lives on in an EV at the opposite end of the price and size spectrum.

    Introduced for the 2022 model year, the BMW iX is a large SUV that sits near the top of the automaker’s EV lineup. It’s now been on sale long enough to warrant a mid-cycle refresh — or Lifecycle Impulse (LCI), in BMW speak — that brings numerous improvements while carrying forward the ethos of the i3.

    Still daring to be different

    2026 BMW iX rear quarter view.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    Like the i3, the iX is hard to ignore. The original model’s many detractors will be disappointed to learn that BMW has doubled down on the massive grille, which returns with optional illumination. More prominent air intakes on either side help balance it somewhat, though, while new headlights with prominent vertical elements give the refreshed iX a somewhat cross-eyed appearance.

    Still, it’s nice to see a design that doesn’t blend into traffic — from some angles at least. The real issue here isn’t the grille, it’s that there isn’t much about the rest of the car that stands out. The thin taillights are unusual but subtle, and in profile view the iX’s tall-but-curvy shape makes it seem like BMW’s designers weren’t sure whether they were working on an SUV or a minivan.

    The iX is hard to ignore.

    In addition to following a similar design path, the iX borrows some of the i3’s impressive engineering. Its chassis uses a mix of aluminum, steel, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) similar to what was pioneered by the i3. But while CFRP should help reduce weight while retaining structural rigidity, although here the benefit is harder to see. BMW quotes a base curb weight of 5,567 pounds, which is not far off from a Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV with more conventional chassis construction.

    For 2026, the iX lineup expands with a new iX xDrive45 base model priced below the xDrive60 and M70 xDrive, which are updated replacements for last year’s xDrive50 and M60 xDrive variants, respectively. The M70 xDrive has a slightly sportier appearance, with bigger front air intakes and a mini rear diffuser, but a similar look can be added to the other two models via an optional M Sport Package.

    Performance improves — but does it matter?

    2026 BMW iX profile view.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    All three 2026 iX models have dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains, hence the “xDrive” branding. The base iX xDrive45 uses a 100.1-kilowatt-hour (usable capacity) battery pack and is rated at 402 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The other two use a larger pack, with different software that brings usable capacity to 113.4 kWh for the xDrive60 and 112.8 kWh for the M70. Either way, it’s more than the 109 kWh of all 2025 iX models.

    Output increases too. While there’s no 2025-model-year analogue for the base xDrive45, the xDrive60’s 536 hp is a 20-hp gain over the xDrive50 it replaces (torque remains unchanged at 546 lb-ft). The M70 produces 650 hp and 811 lb-ft, which are gains of 40 hp and 62 lb-ft over the M60 it replaces. However, this sportiest iX model isn’t any quicker, still doing zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to BMW.

    Precise steering makes getting the most out of the chassis easy.

    The M70 is still appreciably quicker than the xDrive45 and xDrive60, which reach 60 mph in a BMW-estimated 4.9 seconds and 4.4 seconds, respectively. But from the driver’s seat, all three models felt plenty quick. Even switching directly from the M70 to the xDrive45 didn’t feel like a downgrade; the base model was more than capable of mashing bodies into seats.

    There wasn’t a dramatic difference in handling and ride quality, but that’s because BMW set such a high bar with the pre-facelift iX. This isn’t the sportiest BMW, but corners gracefully, with precise steering that makes getting the most out of the chassis easy. And it does that while retaining the cushioned ride of a true luxury car — even on the newly-optional 23-inch wheels. Much of this is due to rear-axle steering and adaptive air suspension that are standard on the M70, but can be added to the two lower-tier models with the Dynamic Handling Package. So again, it’s hard to justify the top-dog M70 when it comes to real-world driving.

    More range, same charging speeds

    2026 BMW iX dashboard.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The iX also boasts range improvements across the lineup. BMW estimates 340 miles for the xDrive60, 312 miles for the xDrive45, and 302 miles for the M70 xDrive. To put that in perspective, the 2025 iX topped out at 309 miles with a pack slightly larger than the one in the xDrive45. And the M60 xDrive — the equivalent to 2026’s M70 — could only muster 285 miles per charge.

    BMW didn’t address charging, however. The xDrive60 and M70 still DC fast charge at 195 kilowatts like all 2025 models, while the xDrive45 reaches 175 kW. That’s still enough for a 10%-80% charge in 35 minutes, BMW claims, and the standard 11-kW AC onboard charger has a more competitive power rate. It should make overnight recharges at home a nonissue.

    A refreshingly different interior with well-executed tech

    2026 BMW iX center console.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The interior and tech features haven’t changed much, but that’s because they were already far ahead of the curve. In the spirit of the i3, the iX shows off what’s possible, but this time it’s a lead the rest of BMW’s lineup actually followed.

    Since its 2022-model-year launch, the iX’s curved dashboard display — including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.9-inch touchscreen in one housing — has cropped up in other BMW models. It returns for 2026 looking as good as ever, and the iDrive infotainment system is fairly easy to navigate (wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain standard as well).

    The stage for this tech is a cabin radically different to other BMW models. An angled dashboard and door panels provide visual interest while opening up space, as does the minimal center console that floats between the front seats. Available crystal controls further add to the whimsical atmosphere. For 2026, those wanting a more stereotypically BMW appearance can also spec an M Sport Package with a chunky steering wheel and seats with extra bolstering.

    The base model is the one to have

    2026 BMW iX front quarter view.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The iX was a great luxury EV at its launch, and the enhancements for 2026 help it keep pace with rivals. But most significant is the iX xDrive45 model’s base price of $76,325—$11,920 less than the least-expensive 2025 model. That also makes the 2026 iX cheaper than rivals like the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and Volvo EX90, while offering more range than an equivalently-priced Rivian R1S.

    BMW also keeps pricing in check for the other two iX grades. The xDrive60 starts at $89,675—$1,430 less than the xDrive50 model it replaces. The M70 xDrive costs $112,675—the same as the equivalent M60 model from 2025.

    While the xDrive60 offers more range, and both it and the M70 offer more power and a higher DC fast-charging power rate, the actual driving experience isn’t different enough to warrant upgrading from the xDrive45. That model’s lower base price leaves plenty of headroom for options, so you can spec it how you want without FOMO. And in today’s car-buying environment, that feels like a major win.

  • 2025 Lincoln Navigator review: new looks and tech, same throwback driving dynamics

    2025 Lincoln Navigator review: new looks and tech, same throwback driving dynamics

    MSRP $101,990.00

    3/5

    ★★★☆☆

    Score Details

    “Lincoln’s redesigned flagship maintains the upscale feel of its predecessor, but doesn’t improve on it.”

    ✅ Pros

    • Looks upscale inside and out
    • Impressive dashboard display
    • Torquey twin-turbo V6 engine
    • Helpful split tailgate

    ❌ Cons

    • Touchscreen-reliant interface
    • Pricier than rivals
    • Still feels truck-like

    The 2025 Lincoln Navigator is one of the most aptly-named vehicles on the market. Redesigned for the current model year, it’s a full-size, three-row SUV of titanic proportions, from a luxury brand named after a dead president.

    This combination has proven a winner with customers, facilitating Lincoln’s shift away from sedans like the Continental to an all-SUV lineup of which the Navigator is the flagship. In its latest refit, the Navigator gained Lincoln’s latest infotainment tech — with expanded screen space and capabilities — while keeping the truck-like body-on-frame design used by previous generations dating back to the nameplate’s 1998 launch.

    Since that time, the Navigator has accumulated rivals working off a similar template, including the Cadillac Escalade and Infiniti QX80. While similar money will buy you a more sensibly-proportioned BMW X7, Land Rover Range Rover, Lexus LX, or Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, The Navigator continues to play in that plus-sized sub-class.

    2025 Lincoln Navigator: design

    2025 Lincoln Navigator rear quarter view.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The previous-generation Navigator set the tone for the rest of Lincoln’s lineup, but product-launch cadence means the new Navigator takes its cues from the smaller Lincoln Nautilus SUV launched last year. The studded grille with a centered Lincoln badge flanked by horizontal bars (with optional illumination) and wing-tipped headlights mounted high on the fenders all follow the course charted by the Nautilus.

    The Navigator is a very different vehicle, though. It’s not only much bigger, but instead of the Nautilus’ more common unibody construction, it shares a body-on-frame platform with the redesigned 2025 Ford Expedition. The body shell and doors are shared with the Ford, but Lincoln did a good job of disguising that, lowering the roof rails for a sleeker appearance and adding its signature chrome strips to the sides of the front doors.

    At the back, the Navigator also shares the Expedition’s split tailgate, a handy feature for securing cargo or providing tailgate-party seating. Actual cargo space — 21.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 60.8 cubic feet behind the second row, and 107.0 cubic feet with all rear seats folded — is more than the 2024 model and the European alternatives, but trails the Navigator’s closest rival, the Cadillac Escalade. Close the tailgate, and you’re greeted by a full-width taillight bar that sits awkwardly low and juts out a bit, but that may be a result of the split tailgate’s packaging requirements.

    For 2025, the Navigator comes standard as a three-row, seven-seater with individual second-row seats, but a 40/20/20 split-folding rear bench can be swapped in to add an extra seat. Lincoln also continues to offer a long-wheelbase Navigator L, but the main benefit of that version is added cargo space (but still less than the equivalent Escalade ESV). Headroom and legroom in all three rows are as generous as one would expect in such a big vehicle, and comparable to the equally-enormous Escalade and Infiniti QX80.

    The Navigator’s size and body-on-frame design can make it feel like an anachronism, but its minimalist interior is decidedly on-trend. The lack of buttons, knobs, and protruding air vents fulfills the prophecy of dozens of concept cars, while the undersized, square wheel is an interesting touch that also helps avoid blocking an infotainment screen that spans the entire dashboard (more on that below).

    Lincoln sells the Navigator in base Reserve and high-end Black Label grades, but there wasn’t a huge difference in material quality between the two. In both models, everything at eye level looked and felt premium, with more plastic at lower points that are likely to see more wear. But the real stars are the seats. Lincoln’s Perfect Position front seats provide ideal support and cushioning without constricting bolsters or squishy cushions. That comfortable feeling carried through to the second row (helped by available seat massagers), and even the third row was decently spacious.

    2025 Lincoln Navigator: specs

    Length 210.0 in
    Width 94.6 in
    Height 78.0 in
    Wheelbase 122.5 in
    Headroom (first/second/third row) 38.3 in/37.9/37.4 in
    Legroom (first/second/third row) 43.5 in/42.0 in/43.5 in
    Cargo space (behind first/second/third row) 21.6 cubic feet/60.8 cubic feet/107.0 cubic feet
    Powertrain 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, 10-speed automatic transmission
    Horsepower 440 hp
    Torque 510 lb-ft
    Fuel economy 17 mpg combined
    Price $101,990

    2025 Lincoln Navigator: tech

    2025 Lincoln Navigator dashboard.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    One of the biggest changes with this redesign is the Lincoln Digital Experience infotainment system, first seen in the Nautilus, which makes full use of the Navigator’s expansive interior. A 48.0-inch screen extends from one side of the dashboard to other, incorporating an instrument cluster for the driver, middle display that shows navigation and entertainment items, and a third section with selectable widgets for things like fuel economy, tire pressure, and weather. Below that is an 11.1-inch touchscreen that, along with a pair of touchpads on the squashed steering wheel (to provide an unobstructed view of the instrument cluster) controls most in-car functions.

    Driving the Navigator shortly after the all-electric 2025 Lucid Gravity, it was amusing to see that Lincoln, one of the industry’s oldest brands, and Lucid, one of its newest, had both concluded that touchpads are the best way to adjust the steering and mirrors (and in the case of the Navigator, pedals). Unlike Lucid, Lincoln leaves a shortcut button on the relevant touchpad illuminated at all times, so it’s less likely you’ll forget how to access these settings. But it’s still a bit more awkward than having dedicated switches or knobs.

    The same goes for the many other features that are controlled via the lower touchscreen, which has excellent graphics — including animations of the car that illustrate when different features are in use — but it’s still doing a lot of heavy lifting. It’s great that Lincoln allows drivers to fold the third-row seats from the touchscreen, for example, but it seems like it will be easy to forget exactly where within the menus that function is located.

    On the software side, Lincoln Digital Experience incorporates Google Built-in apps, similar to recent infotainment systems from General Motors, Nissan, Volvo, and Polestar, but retains standalone wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system is also designed with significant headroom for more software-based features that can be added via over-the-air (OTA) updates, making full use of that massive screen.

    Notable features available at launch include in-vehicle video streaming while parked (four years of free 5G connectivity are included) and Lincoln Rejuvenate relaxation programs. These give you five or 10 minutes of curated sounds, visuals, and smells from the in-car scent dispenser, accompanied by a massage from the seat. Lincoln says this unusual feature didn’t come out of nowhere, claiming that survey data shows that 87% of Americans use their cars as a place to get some alone time, but considering that it must be used while parked with the engine on, this seems like a better fit for an electric vehicle.

    One area where Lincoln definitely got the interface right is with the BlueCruise 1.4 hands-free highway driving system. With this latest version of a BlueCruise, a pop-up notification on the main dashboard screen tells you when you’ve reached one of the pre-mapped stretches of highway where the system can be used, and activation is one tap of a steering wheel touchpad away. How-to videos are also available on the dashboard display to further clarify things, and BlueCruise itself performed flawlessly during my time with the Navigator. But the Super Cruise system available in the rival Cadillac Escalade is quite good as well, and offers similar capabilities.

    2025 Lincoln Navigator: driving experience

    2025 Lincoln Navigator headlight.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    Not much has changed under the hood. Like the previous-generation 2024 model, the new Navigator is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This combination is also used in the related Ford Expedition and many versions of the Ford F-150 pickup truck. In Navigator spec, the twin-turbo V6 makes 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, harnessed to standard four-wheel drive.

    The Navigator nearly matches the output of the Infiniti QX80, which has a twin-turbo V6 of identical displacement but making 450 hp and 516 lb-ft, and exceeds the standard naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8 in the Cadillac Escalade. A big V8 is the traditional powertrain for a full-size SUV, but as the numbers show, turbocharging allows smaller V6s to keep pace. The Navigator’s 8,700-pound towing capacity also exceeds the Escalade’s, and the Lincoln borrows towing tech from the F-150 that will automatically line up with a hitch and steer the SUV when backing up with a trailer attached. The only thing missing is the more satisfying rumble of a V8, which Lincoln generates artificially via sounds piped into the cabin.

    Soundtrack aside, the twin-turbo V6 continues to be a good fit for the Navigator in terms of drivability. Like the previous generation, the 2025 Navigator isn’t fast, but the amount of torque available to launch it from stops or pull it up hills means it won’t be a liability in traffic, either. The 10-speed automatic (a joint Ford/General Motors effort also used in the Escalade) also remains one of the best gearboxes available in a big SUV. Its many ratios provide flexibility, but shifts are so quick and seamless that the feeling of acceleration is always uninterrupted.

    Standard adaptive suspension goes a long way toward giving the Navigator a properly luxurious ride, but can’t fully mask this SUV’s body-on-frame construction. This is inherently less rigid than the integrated-frame unibody construction used by most new cars and SUVs, and that’s apparent through the shuddering driver and passengers will feel over bumps. There’s also not much that chassis engineers could do about the Navigator’s enormous size and weight. It corners as well as one can expect for a vehicle of this size, but the nautical theme of its name is still hilariously appropriate. Driving a Navigator down a twisty road is like sailing an ocean liner through a bath tub.

    2025 Lincoln Navigator: gas mileage

    2025 Lincoln Navigator front fender.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    A smaller, turbocharged V6 should provide a fuel-economy advantage over larger naturally-aspirated V8 engines, like the ones that used to power the Navigator, but that doesn’t really show up in the numbers.

    EPA-rated at 17 mpg combined (15 mpg city (22 mpg highway), the Navigator isn’t much more fuel efficient than a four-wheel drive Cadillac Escalade, which is rated at 16 mpg combined (14 mpg city, 18 mpg highway) with its much larger V8 engine (Cadillac previously offered a more efficient inline-six turbodiesel, but it’s been dropped for 2025). The Infiniti QX80 gets roughly the same fuel economy — 17 mpg combined (16 mpg city, 19 mpg highway) — with the same-size engine as the Navigator and four-wheel drive.

    Lincoln doesn’t currently have any EVs, so there’s no electric Navigator to take on the Cadillac Escalade IQ. It’s also pulled back from plug-in hybrids, dropping that powertrain option from the midsize Aviator and limiting the Nautilus to a hybrid powertrain without a plug. So in that sense the Navigator is the perfect flagship for Lincoln’s current lineup.

    2025 Lincoln Navigator: How DT would configure this car

    2025 Lincoln Navigator front view.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    Navigator pricing starts at $101,990 for the Reserve trim level, but there isn’t much need to upgrade beyond that for tech features. The $118,490 Black Label trim level mostly adds choices for exterior and interior colors and trim. Key features like the 48.0-inch dashboard display and BlueCruise driver-assist system, as well as four-wheel drive, are standard. The extended-wheelbase Navigator L, which costs about $3,000 more than an equivalent standard-wheelbase model, will likely make more sense for livery services than retail buyers.

    It’s a good thing the Lincoln comes with so much standard equipment, because even though four-wheel drive is optional on the rival Cadillac Escalade and Infiniti QX80, they still come in at $93,295 and $87,545, respectively, with that option box checked.

    These three body-on-frame SUVs represent an unusual convergence of old-school mechanicals with the latest tech. Each has an enormous footprint and an enormous screen, and a luxurious cockpit experience undone by a truck-like driving experience. The Navigator plays this tune well, but not well enough to justify its price premium over the Escalade and QX80. And it would be great if all three brands applied their tech to platforms that could provide a more refined driving experience.

  • Name aside, Cadillac’s Escalade IQ isn’t the smartest EV decision

    The Cadillac Escalade is a study in contradictions. With the current generation, Cadillac doubled down on tech, giving its biggest and most expensive vehicle an elaborate dashboard display and audio system, along with General Motors’ Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist system. Yet, mechanically, the Escalade is still a cousin to the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, sporting a retrograde ladder frame and powertrains aimed more at towing than fuel economy.

    Enter the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. It’s still based on a pickup truck, but this time it shares a dedicated electric platform with the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV. It’s still got all the tech one could want, but now with an equally modern electric powertrain.

    It makes sense for GM to get the most out of its investment by using this platform for a luxury SUV with potentially higher profit margins — pricing starts at $129,990 — but it still needs to be good enough to convince Escalade buyers to go electric, or for other EV buyers to super size their orders.

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: design

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ front.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The IQ’s styling is as up to date as its powertrain. It looks like a futuristic reimagining of an Escalade for a sci-fi movie. The tall hood, broad grille, and stacked headlights are similar to the standard Escalade, but because this is an EV with minimal cooling needs, the grille is blanked off and features light-up elements.

    In contrast to the squared-off profile of the regular Escalade, the IQ’s roof takes a dramatic plunge toward the tailgate, where split taillights echo the look of Cadillac’s other EVs. The ridges in the standard Escalade’s body sides have been ironed out, and rounded off wheel arches house enormous 24-inch wheels.

    Like other GM EVs, the Escalade IQ is based on a dedicated architecture in which the body structure is built around the battery pack. EVs generally offer packaging flexibility that yields more interior space compared to internal-combustion models, but here it’s just the Escalade IQ’s sheer size that creates that spaciousness.

    Cadillac’s latest dwarfs other three-row electric SUVs like the Rivian R1S and Volvo EX90, putting it in a class of its own until another automaker tries to electrify a full-size SUV. And its lack of an engine means the IQ has a 12.2-cubic-foot front trunk. But aside from some additional third-row legroom, passenger and cargo space are pretty close to the non-electric Escalade.

    Unlike the non-electric Escalade, though, the IQ is available with an Executive Second Row Seating Package, with 16-way power adjustable captain’s chairs that will give you a massage and airline-style folding tray tables to hold snacks. Combined with the Escalade’s power-operated doors and air suspension that will lower the vehicle for easier ingress and egress, the IQ does luxury-car theatre much better than its dino juice-swilling counterpart.

    The situation up front is pretty good as well. The driver and front passenger are greeted by an impressive-looking display that spans the entire dashboard, although that’s also a feature of the standard Escalade thanks to a 2025-model-year refresh. High-quality materials and a varied color palette (our test car had blue leather upholstery) ensure the cabin isn’t all about the screen, though.

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: specs

    Length 224.3 in
    Width 94.1 in
    Height 76.1 in
    Wheelbase 136.2 in
    Legroom (first/second/third row) 45.2 in/41.3 in/32.3 in
    Cargo space (behind first/second/third row) 119.1 cubic feet/69.1 cubic feet/23.6 cubic feet
    Frunk space 12.2 cubic feet
    Powertrain Dual-motor all-wheel drive, 200-kWh battery pack
    Horsepower 750 hp
    Torque 785 lb-ft
    Range (estimated) 460 miles
    Price $129,990

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: tech

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ dashboard.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The Escalade IQ’s tech features look great on paper. The 55-inch dashboard display incorporates a digital instrument cluster, central touchscreen, and front passenger screen, with a smaller screen placed below for climate control and some vehicle functions. A head-up display is also available, and buyers can choose from 21-speaker, 38-speaker, and 42-speaker AKG audio systems (Dolby Atmos tech is due for the 2026 model year).

    However, it’s less pleasant to use the in-car tech than it is to read the spec sheet. Like other recent GM EVs, the Escalade IQ’s infotainment system is based on Google Built-in apps, including Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play Store. The latter enables in-car video streaming apps like Hulu and YouTube for the front-passenger screen. But GM doesn’t offer standalone Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for phone connectivity.

    Cadillac’s UX team also spread controls across the dashboard in a less-than-intuitive way, mixing vehicle, climate control, and infotainment functions. Headlights are on the main touchscreen, controls for the IQ’s four-wheel steering are on the secondary screen below, and ride height is changed via a physical button on the dash, for example. Some of these features were grouped on an easy-to-reach panel in the pre-facelift Escalade, but the bigger screen negates that.

    Expected driver aids are standard, along with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free highway driving system. Super Cruise’s ability to wrangle a full-size SUV is just as impressive in the IQ as it is in the standard Escalade, and now it’s also possible to have the navigation system plan routes around Super Cruise-compatible roads (they have to be pre-mapped for the system to work). When it’s time to take over full control, Cadillac also now offers a blind-spot camera system, but its low resolution and the way it takes over the entire central element of the dashboard screen were not up to the standards of a six-figure vehicle.

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: driving experience

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ door panel.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The Escalade IQ’s chassis and powertrain make the regular Escalade look like the old school truck that it is. The electric Escalade features adaptive air suspension, a more rigid structure thanks to its integrated battery pack, and powerful dual electric motors, one turning each axle. But it proves that you can’t cheat physics.

    That 200-kilowatt-hour battery pack, consisting of 24 modules stacked in two layers, might help structural rigidity, but it also adds a lot of weight. Like its Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and GMC Hummer EV platform-mates, the Escalade IQ exceeds the maximum weight for passenger cars. As far as federal regulations are concerned, it’s a heavy-duty truck.

    It certainly drives like one. Handling is a bit more confidence-inspiring than the Sierra EV, but that’s to be expected given that there isn’t a pickup bed out back. It would presumably be even worse without the Escalade IQ’s four-wheel steering system, the effect of which was hard to detect. And while huge wheels and low-profile tires have been an obligatory Escalade fashion accessory since the early 2000s, they contributed to ride quality that was decidedly un-luxurious.

    As with the other big GM EVs, the Escalade IQ attempts to make up for fundamental handling and ride-quality issues with party tricks. The dual-motor powertrain generates 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque, which makes the Escalade IQ as quick as a sports car. It’ll do zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds using the Velocity Max launch mode, Cadillac says, but maintains truck-like capability with an 8,000-pound towing capacity.

    Velocity Max is a rebranding of the Watts to Freedom (WTF) and Wide Open Watts (WOW) modes from GMC and Chevy, respectively, and similarly the Escalade IQ gets its own version of the sideways-crabbing mode available from those brands, called Arrival Mode. A Lowrider Mode also slams the suspension down, which looks cool as heck, but only works at low speeds or while parked.

    Features like these are fun, and automakers should definitely continue doing them, but once the novelty wears off you’re left with a vehicle that isn’t any better to drive than its internal-combustion counterpart.

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: range and charging

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ rear quarter.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    That 200-kWh pack provides a Cadillac-estimated 460 miles of range. That’s the same as in the GMC Sierra EV pickup, and makes the Escalade IQ among the longest-range EVs currently available. However, such a large pack will take a long time to recharge without a powerful charging station.

    Cadillac says the Escalade IQ can recover 100 miles of range in 10 minutes when DC fast charging, but that’s only with the most-powerful 350-kilowatt connection. Many public fast chargers are still lower-power, which will add a lot more time to road-trip charging sessions.

    Similarly, Cadillac quotes the ability to recover 36.5 miles of range per hour of Level 2 AC charging, but that only applies to the optional 19.2-kW onboard charger, not the standard 11.5-kW unit. In this case, at least, we’re mainly talking about home charging where vehicles will likely be left to charge overnight after being a relatively short distance during the day.

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: How DT would configure this car

    2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ front quarter.
    Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends

    The Escalade IQ finally marries mechanical tech with infotainment tech, but the result still isn’t very pleasant to drive. So why bother?

    The $7,500 Executive Second Row option takes full advantage of the Escalade IQ’s main asset — space — by adding truly luxurious appointments. The reclining seats and full center console give more traditional luxury vehicles a run for their money. This option does require the rear-seat entertainment system ($1,995) and a $22,290 upgrade from the base Luxury 1 trim level to Luxury 2, though. Hopefully livery companies will take that hit.

    If you can’t hire a chauffeur, the Escalade IQ doesn’t make as much sense. Smaller three-row electric SUVs like the Rivian R1S and Volvo EX90 are much nicer to drive and won’t make your road-trip plans reliant on finding a 350-kW fast charger. Cadillac also has its own smaller three-row electric SUV — the Vistiq — on the way for the 2026 model year, and the two-row Cadillac Lyriq remains one of the most satisfying luxury SUVs for its price — electric or otherwise.

    The Escalade IQ seems to mostly exist so that GM could market an electric Escalade. It repackages the powertrain, chassis, and battery tech from the automaker’s more rugged electric SUVs and pickups with a nicer interior and slightly improved driving dynamics. That might make for a compelling corporate product plan, but for anyone who has to do their own driving, it doesn’t make for a compelling EV.

  • Mercedes-Benz CLA EV is a small car ushering in big tech updates

    Mercedes-Benz is known for innovating from the top down, introducing new tech on high-end models like the S-Class and letting it gradually trickle down to less-expensive models. Now it’s changing things up.

    Expected to go on sale in the United States later this year, the redesigned 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class will remain one of the automaker’s entry-level models while introducing Mercedes’ next-generation tech.

    A new operating system that aims to make software-based features more common and more seamless, while the first-ever CLA EV (officially known as the CLA with EQ Technology) will take a big step forward in efficiency and charging performance. So this is a small car that’s a big deal for the future of one of the auto industry’s most storied brands.

    Design rethink

    2026 Mercedes-Benz EV profile view.
    Mercedes-Benz

    Launched in 2014, the CLA brought a more expressive aesthetic to the Mercedes brand. That continues with the 2026 model, although the addition of an electric powertrain didn’t lead designers down the same aerodynamically-focused path that led to the controversial design choices of Mercedes’ EQ EVs.

    Because it must share its platform with an internal-combustion model, the electric CLA still looks like a CLA. It’s a small sedan with a low roofline that aims for a sportier appearance, although dimensions have changed slightly. The new model is 1.3 inches longer than the previous-generation Mercedes CLA, 0.8 inch wider, and 1.1 inches taller. The raised roof, along with a 2.4-inch wheelbase stretch, should increase passenger space, but this fairly conventional looking sedan’s 0.21 coefficient of drag (Cd) is only a tick behind the more dramatically styled Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan.

    Integrating an electric powertrain did lead to compromise, though. The electric CLA stands a bit taller than its internal-combustion counterpart because engineers had to make room under the passenger-compartment floor for the battery pack. Designers compensated by giving the CLA a lower, stretched out grille, sheet metal creases along the sides, and bands connecting the headlights and taillights to hide some of that extra girth.

    Probably more effective in diverting attention, though, is the illuminated grille that features a firmament of 142 Mercedes three-pointed stars. Made possible by the EV’s lower cooling needs, it’s accompanied by headlights and taillights that also resemble the Mercedes logo without replicating it, as that would run afoul of German regulations about the display of corporate logos.

    A holistic approach to EV engineering

    2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV grille.
    Mercedes-Benz

    Its styling may not be as radical as the EQ models, but the CLA features more improvements under the skin, helping to maximize range while keeping the size of the battery pack in check. In the United States, that pack will have a capacity of 85 kilowatt-hours and nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry, but with a new recipe using less cobalt and more silicon, which should help boost energy density by 20%, Christoph Starzynski, Mercedes’ head of vehicle integration, told Digital Trends in a media roundtable.

    Greater energy density means more range from a given battery volume, although Mercedes isn’t saying how far U.S.-spec models will go on a charge just yet. When that charge runs out, the CLA will be among the first Mercedes EVs that can DC fast charge from a built-in North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, allowing owners to plug into Tesla Supercharger stations without an adapter. A separate AC port for home charging sits alongside the NACS port, and bidirectional charging capability is built in as well, allowing the CLA to serve as an emergency home backup power source.

    The CLA’s Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) also incorporates an 800-volt electrical system for quicker charging. Capable of DC fast charging at up to 320 kilowatts, the CLA can recover up to 186 miles of range in 10 minutes, Mercedes claims. The automaker is playing catchup here; 800-volt charging is already a feature of Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, and the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) used by the Audi A6 e-tron, Audi Q6 e-tron, and Porsche Macan EV.

    Another bit of hardware Mercedes is copying from its crosstown rival is a two-speed transmission for the rear axle, previously seen on the Porsche Taycan. The CLA isn’t a performance car like the Taycan, but Mercedes’ engineers felt an extra gear could help benefit efficiency without sacrificing powertrain responsiveness.

    “You have a lot of advantages, especially at higher speeds,” Starzynski said. “But the idea behind the two-gear was also to give you the same advantage in the city.” That’s thanks to a lower first-gear ratio for standing starts in traffic, while the higher second gear helps maintain efficiency at highway speeds.

    The base CLA 250 with EQ Technology uses a single motor attached to that gearbox, producing 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque, to scoot from zero to 60 mph in a Mercedes-estimated 6.6 seconds. The CLA 350 4Matic with EQ Technology adds a front motor for all-wheel drive, 349 hp, 380 lb-ft of torque, and a 4.8 second zero to 60 mph time.

    Different packaging parameters

    2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV taillight.
    Mercedes-Benz

    The CLA will also be sold with a mild-hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, assisted by an electric motor and 1.3-kWh battery pack. Engineers also had to find room for those components, but that’s partly why Mercedes chose the dual-powertrain strategy for this particular model and not one of its bigger cars.

    “In this case, it’s a bit of a different story because the engine is basically smaller,” Starzynski said, adding that in compact cars like the CLA, Mercedes uses a more space-efficient transverse arrangement with the engine placed parallel to the axle, like in typical economy cars. “Of course you have to have more space for the powertrain for the classic one, but it’s not as extensive.”

    Juggling powertrain components, interior space, and crash protection with the longitudinally-mounted powertrains Mercedes uses in its larger cars required too many compromises, Starzynski said. That’s why, for example, Mercedes sells the similar-sized all-electric EQE sedan and the internal-combustion E-Class, rather than building one car with both powertrains. Deleting the large HEPA filter used in more expensive models like the EQE also left room for a front trunk — the first on a Mercedes since the rear-engine 130, 150, and 170 H of the 1930s.

    Packaging flexibility only goes so far, though. Mercedes won’t be offering a CLA plug-in hybrid because it just doesn’t anticipate that many people raising their hands for one, Starzynski said, adding that the calculation is different for Mercedes’ bigger, pricier cars.

    Fresh display and OS

    2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV interior.
    Mercedes-Benz

    The CLA debuts the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system. For the first time in one of the automaker’s compact models, Mercedes is offering a dedicated passenger screen, slotted next to a central touchscreen and digital instrument cluster to create a wall of screens spanning the entire dashboard.

    Also new is the in-house developed Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MBOS). The interface hasn’t changed much, but the new OS allows for deeper integration between infotainment features and a car’s core systems, Mercedes claims, enabling new features like face ID and mood-sensitive ambient lighting. It also helps the car juggle various third-party apps and data sets.

    For example, Mercedes is using Google Maps data for its own navigation system rather than simply buying into Google Built-in apps like General Motors or Volvo. Mercedes claims it can offer better integration with its own vehicle data for route planning this way, which is important for planning charging stops. When using the built-in navigation system, you also still get an augmented-reality display that highlights where to turn. But now warnings from the driver-assist tech are integrated as well.

    Apps aplenty

    2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV touchscreen.
    Mercedes-Benz

    Apple CarPlay and Android Auto return, but a substantial amount of content can be accessed by built-in apps, including: Audible, Tidal, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube. Videos, along with gaming, can be accessed while parked or on the optional front-passenger screen while driving. As usual with passenger screens, polarization prevents the driver from seeing what’s on the screen.

    ChatGPT and Google Gemini integration are included as well, handling general knowledge questions and points of interest, respectively. So if you ask a trivia question, ChatGPT will generate the answer, while Google will pull up restaurant recommendations and the like. But both chatbots work in the background, so you don’t need to select them individually. Just say “Hey Mercedes,” as in the automaker’s other recent models.

    My experience with the CLA was limited to a few minutes sitting in a studio, so it was hard to confirm much other than the voice recognition system’s proficiency at delivering groan-inducing jokes (“What room has no walls? A mushroom) and that the number of third-party apps could trip up the infotainment system.

    When the CLA launches, you’ll be able to open apps with the built-in voice recognition, but not control any functions within them. Mercedes hopes to add that capability with a future software update, but in a demonstration of the in-car video streaming capabilities, even the Mercedes experts on hand seemed to lose track of which combination of touchscreen controls and voice commands to use for playing media and adjusting audio volume.

    Small car, big change

    2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV rear quarter view.
    Mercedes-Benz

    The CLA EV shows that Mercedes has learned from its earlier electric vehicles. While it still has some dramatic styling elements — like it’s starry-night grille — the CLA is packaged like a conventional car, and looks like it will improve on previous dedicated electric models in efficiency and charging performance despite sharing a platform with combustion models.

    Mercedes is also keeping up to date on software, but real-world use will be needed to determine if the CLA’s elaborate intertwining of in-car systems and third-party apps is really worthwhile.

    And while the CLA will be the poster child for all of this new tech, Mercedes hasn’t forgotten about SUV-loving Americans. Expect new versions of the GLA-Class and GLB-Class mini utes sharing the CLA’s MMA platform and electric powertrains to reach showrooms eventually as well. Together, these compact models will lead a bottom-up reimagining of Mercedes’ lineup.