The vehicle seat vibrated in the hamstring area, and the vehicle soon moved into the fast lane. After overtaking another car in the second lane, the vehicle signaled the driver again and returned to the first lane. While changing lanes twice, the driver's display relayed the driving status in real time, showing "automatic lane change," "change complete," and more. On curves and downhill stretches, as long as the driver operated only the speed button, the vehicle overtook other cars on its own. All of this happened with the driver's hands and feet free.
This is how General Motors' (GM) Super Cruise driver-assistance technology operates. GM Korea applied the technology to the large electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV) Escalade IQ and introduced it in Korea for the first time. For this, GM Korea spent 10 billion won on mapping, which builds a lidar-based high-precision map. For now, it can only be used on about 23,000 kilometers of mapped domestic expressways and major arterial roads. On the 3rd, we test-drove the Escalade IQ over about 50 kilometers in the area of Goyang, Gyeonggi.
When we entered Jayu-ro, a steering-wheel-shaped icon appeared on the driver display, signaling that Super Cruise could be activated. Operating the final step, the "SET-/RES+" button, turned the indicator green and allowed hands-off driving. The "SET-/RES+" button adjusts the speed for adaptive cruise control (ACC).
To overtake the vehicle ahead, the reporter set the speed to 100 kph using the SET-/RES+ button. The vehicle then accelerated into the fast lane, and after passing the car in front, returned to the second lane.
With Super Cruise activated, the driver can also command a manual lane change by operating the turn signal. Turning on the left signal moves the vehicle to the left lane, and the right signal to the right lane. We turned on the right signal to move into the fourth lane and waited, and the driver display showed "changing lanes." After waiting about 20 seconds more, the vehicle judged there was not enough space and did not change lanes.
Even on downhill grades and curved lanes, Super Cruise kept the center steadily, and the benefit of free hands was clear. However, it seems somewhat complicated to activate. You have to press the ACC button and the Super Cruise button in sequence, then operate the speed button, and the driver must set the speed to the road's limit, which is cumbersome.
Keeping eyes forward is essential. Even briefly looking away to find a charging cable and connect a mobile phone triggers a red warning light and the alert "distracted." That is because Super Cruise is a Level 2 partial Autonomous Driving system. If, despite the Super Cruise warnings, the driver does not keep eyes forward, the vehicle will stop and deactivate Super Cruise. The vehicle must be restarted to use Super Cruise again. A GM Korea official said it was "a choice for safety."
The ride was stable. The Escalade IQ measures 5,715 mm long, 1,935 mm high, and 2,055 mm wide, and its curb weight alone reaches 4.2 tons. Even as this massive vehicle traveled at over 100 kph, the Super Cruise feature kept it centered in the lane. It was so comfortable that you could hardly feel the actual speed without looking at the speedometer. The jolting was reduced even over bumpy surfaces and speed bumps. The Escalade IQ is equipped with air suspension. In addition, thanks to rear-wheel steering that turns up to 10 degrees, the over-5-meter vehicle exited roundabouts smoothly.
The Escalade IQ's acceleration was also excellent. Motors rated at 354 horsepower (260 kW) on the front and rear axles combine for a maximum torque of 108.5 kg·m. On the left of the steering wheel is a V-marked velocity activation button. When activated, a high-performance mode delivers up to 750 horsepower. Despite weighing over 4 tons, the Escalade IQ takes only 4.7 seconds to reach 100 kph from a standstill.
The energy efficiency was 2.9 kilometers per kWh. The Escalade IQ's official combined efficiency is 3.1 km/kWh. The cold weather below freezing that day appears to have had an effect. It carries a large 205 kWh battery made by the joint venture of GM and LG Energy Solution. This is why, despite the low combined efficiency, it can travel up to 739 kilometers on a single charge. That level of range is among the highest in Korea.
The 55-inch curved display mounted on the dashboard shows the side and rear camera views. The curved shape is comfortable because you don't have to turn your head as much as with a flat display, but the camera image quality was not very good, which was inconvenient. The 345-liter front storage space appears to be a key attraction of the Escalade IQ.
The domestic selling price is 277.57 million won. Because the Escalade as a model has a clearly defined customer base, the price looks to be a barrier to experiencing Super Cruise widely. In response, GM Korea plans to expand Super Cruise to other models. A GM Korea official said, "We plan to launch a Super Cruise that does not require keeping eyes forward by 2028," adding, "Until then, we will speed up the expansion of models equipped with Super Cruise."