The vehicle seat vibrated at the hamstring area, and soon the vehicle moved into the fast lane. After overtaking another vehicle in the second lane, the vehicle signaled the driver again and returned to the fast lane. While changing lanes twice, the driver's display relayed the driving status in real time with messages such as "automatic lane change" and "change complete." On curves and downhill stretches alike, as long as the driver operated only the speed button, the vehicle overtook other cars on its own. All of it was done with the driver's hands and feet free.
This is how General Motors (GM)'s driver-assistance feature "Super Cruise" operates. GM Korea applied this technology to the large electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) Escalade IQ and introduced it in Korea for the first time. To do so, GM Korea spent 10 billion won on a lidar-based high-definition mapping project. For now, it can be used only on about 23,000 kilometers of domestic expressways and major arterial roads where mapping has been completed. On the 3rd, we test-drove the Escalade IQ for about 50 kilometers around Goyang, Gyeonggi.
When we entered Jayu-ro, a steering-wheel-shaped icon appeared on the driver's display. That signaled that Super Cruise could be activated. When we operated the final step for activating Super Cruise—the "SET-/RES+" button—the icon turned green, indicating we could take our hands off the steering wheel. 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 with the SET-/RES+ button. The vehicle then accelerated and moved into the fast lane, and after passing the car in front, it returned to the second lane.
With Super Cruise activated, the driver can also directly command a lane change. Just operate the turn signal. If you turn on the left signal, it moves to the left lane; if you turn on the right, it moves to the right lane. We turned on the right signal to move into the fourth lane and waited, and the driver's display showed "changing lanes." We waited about 20 seconds more, but the vehicle determined there was not enough space and did not change lanes.
Super Cruise held the center steadily even on downhill stretches and curved lanes, and the advantage of hands-free driving was clear. However, it seems somewhat complicated to activate. You have to press the ACC button and the Super Cruise button in sequence and then operate the speed button, and it is inconvenient that the driver must set the speed to the road's speed limit.
Keeping your eyes forward is essential. Even if you look away briefly to find a charging cable and connect it to your phone, a red warning light appears with the message "distraction." That is because Super Cruise falls under Level 2 partial Autonomous Driving. If, despite Super Cruise's warnings, the driver does not keep eyes on the road, the vehicle stops and disables Super Cruise. You have to restart the car to use Super Cruise again. A GM Korea official said it was "a choice for safety."
The ride quality was stable. The Escalade IQ measures 5,715 mm in length, 1,935 mm in height, and 2,055 mm in width, with a curb weight of 4.2 tons. Even as this massive vehicle traveled at more than 100 kph, the Super Cruise feature kept it centered in the lane with stability. If you did not look at the speed, it felt so comfortable you could hardly sense how fast it was going. It also jolted less over bumpy surfaces and speed bumps. The Escalade IQ uses air suspension. And thanks to rear-wheel steering of up to 10 degrees, this over-5-meter vehicle exited roundabouts smoothly.
The Escalade IQ's acceleration was also outstanding. Motors rated at 354 horsepower (260 kW) each for the front and rear axles deliver a combined maximum torque of 108.5 kg·m. On the left side of the steering wheel is a V-marked velocity activation button. When activated, it enables the vehicle's peak performance, delivering up to 750 horsepower. Despite weighing over 4 tons, the Escalade IQ takes only 4.7 seconds to go from a standstill to 100 kph.
The energy efficiency came out to 2.9 kilometers per kWh. The Escalade IQ's official combined efficiency is 3.1 km/kWh. The subzero temperatures that day appear to have had an effect. A high-capacity battery of about 205 kWh, made by a joint venture between GM and LG Energy Solution, is installed. That is why, despite the low official combined efficiency, it can travel up to 739 kilometers on a single charge. This level of range is among the highest in Korea.
A 55-inch curved display mounted on the dashboard shows the side and rear camera views. The curved format makes it more comfortable because you do not have to turn your head as much compared 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 strong selling point of the Escalade IQ.
The domestic price is 277.57 million won. Because the Escalade model itself clearly targets a specific customer base, price is likely to be a barrier to experiencing Super Cruise more 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 expanding the models to which Super Cruise is applied."