Curated By Cadillac Program Brings A Taste Of The Celestiq Customization Experience To The Escalade IQ

Cadillac dove head-first into the individual customization game when it introduced its Celestiq flagship, promising no two would be alike and that every buyer would be an integral part of the design process. The Celestiq, of course, is an ultra-luxurious, ultra-exclusive sedan with a starting price north of $400,000. That's far outside the reach of most car buyers, but I suppose Cadillac (and its customers) liked the idea of vehicle customization so much, the automaker decided to spin up its new Curated by Cadillac program and go crazy with the CT5-V Blackwing, creating bespoke $158,000 supercharged V8 monsters in the process.

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Now, the customization skunkworks within Caddy is turning its attention to something a bit more civilized and luxurious, and much closer to the Celestiq's ethos: the all-electric Escalade IQ. Cadillac says the Curated by Cadillac Escalade IQ will give clients "the chance to create a vehicle that reflects their individual taste by working alongside expert Cadillac designers." It gives those buyers millions of available design combinations depending on how they spec their interior and exterior, and will undoubtedly make sure your Escalade IQ is different from every other one at the country club. It's basically Cadillac's version of the Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur and BMW Individual programs, and part of a growing industry trend toward more customizable and interesting cars.

Cadillac is touting that its program goes beyond simple customization. It offers a deeper customer experience, giving buyers a dedicated design concierge who will work with them and the dealer to "guide the customization process." This reads to me that Cadillac will give buyers a guy to make sure their terrible design ideas don't completely ruin the resale value of the car, and that's something that could actually be pretty easy to do.

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There are apparently over 160 exterior colors available, including solids, metallics, tri-coats, frosts and mattes. On the inside, there are a further 44 colors for buyers to choose from to create combinations on all three rows of seating, the center console and the floor mats. There's plenty of mixing and matching to be done.

The automaker will hand-paint every Curated by Cadillac Escalade IQ, and they'll be marked with a unique VIN and exclusive serialized builder's badge. Right now, there's no word on how many of these Curated Escalade IQs Cadillac plans to build or how long the process will take, but my best guesses are not many per year and a while.

Cadillac

As for pricing, well, we do know that. Cadillac says every Cadillac Escalade IQ will be hand-built at the company's Artisan Center in Warren, Michigan — the same place it builds the Celestiq — and the package will set customers back $54,995 on top of the price of an Escalade IQ.