The Cadillac Escalade IQ, priced at $130,000, features a cloth roof sunshade that can be installed by the user.

      Joel Feder

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      My colleague Joel Feder recently spent a week testing the 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQ. This all-electric luxury vehicle is priced at over $130,000. He found the car impressive, aside from one significant issue that affects the occupants: a sunroof that can only be covered with a flimsy folding cover resembling something from the clearance section at AutoZone.

      Like many modern luxury cars, the Escalade IQ features a largely glass roof, which creates a spacious and airy feeling in the cabin when the sun isn't too bright. In photos, it looks quite appealing. However, you won’t see any corporate images showing the sunshade in use because it appears unsuitable for a high-end luxury vehicle.

      A Cadillac spokesperson explained, “The fixed glass roof is darkly tinted and treated for shade and UV filtration, reducing the need for a powered sunshade. Customers who prefer this option can opt for an accessory sunshade that’s easy to install.”

      When I asked for further clarification on the lack of a retractable shade, they elaborated: "We intentionally darkened and coated it to eliminate the need for a sunshade—the glass features an infrared reflective coating that effectively reflects the sun’s heat, and the tint is darker than limousine tint, making it quite effective for shading."

      Feder disagrees with GM's definition of “dark.” And given that he lives in Minnesota, his remarks about the sun's presence there are quite humorous. All jokes aside, Cadillac’s sun solution appears underwhelming, especially as it is such a visually significant element in a vehicle of this price.

      However, it’s not just the aesthetic aspect that’s bothersome—it’s the user experience. Folding, packing, then unpacking this cumbersome sun shield will likely be quite irritating for Escalade IQ owners. Additionally, they’ll need to guard against losing it, as well as the small plastic clips that tend to easily detach from the large folding mechanism, or risking damage while it’s housed in its storage bag.

      I suspect that Cadillac opted for a non-power retractable roof to save on costs and reduce weight, only to realize that the ceiling tinting wasn’t enough to block intense midday sun when it was too late in the design phase to make adjustments, resulting in the rushed creation of this portable shade. It’s puzzling why this vehicle lacks an electromagnetic system for electronically adjusting the glass tint, similar to what’s found in the forthcoming budget-friendly Nissan Leaf, Rivian R1S, or even Cadillac’s own Celestiq.

      On one hand, I appreciate the attempt to address the issue. Yet, this oversight during the design phase is quite significant. It will be interesting to see how owners react to this feature after some time. Once these shades have been tossed around in the cargo hold for a few months or years, I suspect they will start to appear quite worn. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the first updates for the Escalade IQ is either a much darker tint for this window or an electromagnetic tint system like those already seen in the Rivian and Leaf, featuring expansive glass ceilings.

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