Cadillac today announced numerous enhancements to the just-launched 2015 Escalade, including the new range-topping Platinum Collection model launching in the fourth quarter this year.

Escalade Platinum features elegant, hand-crafted luxury additions to both the exterior and interior while the entire Escalade range gets new technical features, highlighted by the addition of 4G LTE connectivity, a new 8-speed automatic transmission and a Surround View camera system to help increase visibility.

“Since the launch just a few months ago, the next-generation Escalade has proved exceptionally desirable among luxury SUV buyers,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer, Cadillac. “Now, within the same year we are able to elevate the Escalade line with the Platinum Collection, as well as deliver enhancements through the entire Escalade range.”

The 2015 Escalade Platinum extends and upgrades the use of premium materials within the Escalade’s cut and sewn interior. First- and second-row seats are wrapped in Nappa semi-aniline leather, while the dashboard, upper door panels and center console are clad in hand-stitched and hand-wrapped leather. Customers can choose between two distinct interior environments, each paired with sueded microfiber headliner trim and unique exotic wood accents.

Escalade Platinum Collection is also designed to provide passengers with unsurpassed comfort and convenience. Heated and cooled 18-way power front seats are standard, and include a massaging function on the driver’s seat. A pair of seven-inch LCD screens, embedded in the front head rests, supplement the overhead 9-inch screen, while a cooled center console compartment can keep chilled beverages handy. Platinum models also include premium floor mats and Platinum-branded door sill plates.

Escalade Platinum models ride on 22-inch wheels and the model is distinguished by chrome accents, Platinum exterior badging, and a unique grille mesh design. All Escalade models wear the new, streamlined Cadillac Crest.

In addition, all Escalade models – from the standard Collection through to the Platinum – feature a host of technology upgrades. Vehicle performance is aided by the new eight-speed automatic transmission that is standard on all models, as well as a two-speed transfer case standard on four-wheel drive models. An electronic hands-free liftgate already standard on Escalade will also feature hands-free closing capability.

Like the new ATS sport sedan, Escalade includes OnStar with 4G LTE connectivity with a WiFi hotspot capable of connecting up to seven devices and inductive wireless device charging. Surround View, which provides a bird’s eye view of the area immediately surrounding the vehicle.

The enhancements add just $1275 to Escalade’s starting price in the U.S., for a total of $73,965, including destination.

The top-of-the-range 2015 Escalade Platinum is priced from $90,270, including $995 in destination.

It's time to move on from the small block V8. Or is it?

Welcome to 2020. SUVs are still alive and selling extremely well, as are pickup trucks. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs are more abundant than ever, but America will always be America when it comes to loving its trucks and SUVs. Fortunately, automakers learned years prior how to make these once gas guzzlers more efficient with technologies like downsizing and turbocharging, and electrification.

But it was only in 2018 when the fourth generation Cadillac Escalade came with only one engine: a thirsty 6.2-liter small block V8. What was Cadillac thinking only six years prior when the now previous generation Escalade launched? Only one engine option and it’s naturally aspirated?

Wow, glad we’re living in 2020, right? Jump back in time now to 2018 and a report from Cadillac Society claims GM is planning to offer the next generation Cadillac Escalade, due for 2020, with at least three engine options. What could they be? Cadillac isn’t talking details, but Cadillac Society learned of the three engine approach from unnamed sources, but the rumor doesn’t sound too farfetched. A few engine possibilities include the current 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp remaining the base option, though it’d likely receive a few upgrades.

Another possibility is Cadillac’s new 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8, making its debut right now in the refreshed 2019 CT6 sedan. It’s rated up to 550 hp and would likely be paired up with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The third option is, of course, a plug-in hybrid setup with the powertrain also coming from the CT6, specifically the PHEV version.

For now, Cadillac won’t confirm details, but we’ll likely have some answers in the coming months because the 2020 Escalade will likely debut sometime in 2019. Detroit is one possibility, but we think the New York Auto Show in April will be the chosen venue. After all, New York City is also home to Cadillac’s global headquarters.

Cadillac recently held a dealer meeting in Las Vegas and the company used the event to showcase a handful of upcoming models including the 2020 Escalade and XT6. While the automaker has been tight-lipped about the vehicles, several dealers talked openly about them with the Detroit Free Press.


Starting with the Escalade, Williamson Automotive Group owner Ed Williamson said the model is “evolutionary, not revolutionary.” He went on to say the SUV has a “really jazzy” interior and will finally be getting a console-mounted shifter. Williamson also shot down rumors suggesting the Escalade will receive three different engine options as he said the “powertrain is the same as the current generation.”

Speaking of the latter, the current Escalade has a 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 420 hp (313 kW / 425 PS) and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque. It is connected to a ten-speed automatic transmission which can be paired to an optional four-wheel drive system.

The news that the engine will once again be offered in the Escalade isn’t too surprising as model will be based on the same platform that underpins the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Both those models are available with the aforementioned 6.2-liter V8.

The Escalade is expected to be launched late next year or in early 2020. Cadillac hasn’t said much about the model, but it is expected to have an independent rear suspension and rear seats that finally fold flat.

Now you don’t have to go aftermarket to get an all-black Escalade. The 2019 Cadillac Escalade will offer a Sport Edition with black exterior trim starting early next year.

The Sport Edition receives a black grille, black window moldings, and black body side moldings. It also features dark-finished 22-inch wheels as standard equipment. Buyers can opt for the Sport Edition treatment on all trims except the base model. That means it’s available on the Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum models.

“Two decades after its introduction, the Escalade remains the segment’s benchmark and sales leader,” said Cadillac President Steve Carlisle in a statement announcing the vehicle. “The Sport Edition extends that momentum in response to customer and dealer demand for a dark and aggressive look.”

Cadillac introduced the current-generation Escalade in 2015, but this is the first time it’s offering a special edition version. The special edition comes at an opportune time to boost interest in an older model as Lincoln tries to steal the spotlight with its new Navigator. All Escalades come with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine good for 420 hp and paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The introduction of a special Escalade model comes less than a week after General Motors announced it would discontinue six cars, including the Cadillac CT6 and XTS, and lay off 15 percent of its salaried workers. The move is intended to pivot the company’s focus away from cars toward SUVs and crossovers. The Escalade has historically been a high-profit-margin vehicle for GM, so offering a new special edition seems to align with Cadillac’s strategy to increase profitability by $1 billion by 2020.

Prices for the 2019 Cadillac Escalade Sport Edition start at $84,790. The order books will open in the first quarter of 2019.

Cadillac unveiled the all-new 2021 Escalade, completely redesigned with pioneering technologies that add new dimension to the iconic luxury SUV.

Featuring exclusive, first-to-market technology advances including a curved Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) screen, the first AKG automotive audio system and Cadillac's acclaimed Super Cruise driver assistance technology, the fifth-generation of Cadillac's flagship expands on its more than 20 years of segment-defining leadership.

"There is something special about driving an Escalade," said Steve Carlisle, Cadillac president. "It has the bold presence and exclusive technology to elevate the extraordinary and make every drive feel like an occasion."

Launching in the third quarter of 2020 in North America, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade has been completely redesigned to deliver improved driving dynamics and significantly greater passenger and cargo capacities.

"The 2021 Escalade takes its leadership into a new era of mobility, with comprehensive upgrades that are transformative to the driving experience," said Carlisle. "It's more than a new Escalade. It's a new experience."

Cadillac's high-performance V division has existed nearly as long as the Escalade. The beefy SUV hit the market in 1999, with the first V-branded car (the CTS-V) arriving in 2004. In the 17 years since then, the two worlds have never crossed paths but now, that could be changing.

Seen here for the first time at Motor1.com, we have two camouflaged Escalade test vehicles that our sources say are part of the V family. It's difficult to see detailed changes under the heavy covers, especially with Cadillac using some cladding behind the grille screen to resemble something we'd expect to see from Ram, but it's not enough to cover the lower fascia. We can see it dips a bit lower and looks a tad more aggressive, and then there are the quad exhaust outlets at the back. These are clearly still unfinished components for testing, but it's a sure indication we aren't dealing with normal Escalades.

One test vehicle has the shorter stature of the standard Escalade, while another is stretched like the ESV. Both are riding on black multi-spoke wheels, but there doesn't appear to be any changes to the Escalade's ride height for improved handling. Not that the three-ton SUV would ever function as an effective corner carver, but we suspect the emphasis for this big V-badged people mover will be focused on two things: image and power.

Speaking of which, Cadillac has reorganized its V lineup as modest mid-level performance machines. Blackwing is now Caddy's apex predator, and there's no indication at this time that the Escalade will advance that far. However, we're hearing this version will indeed get the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 from the CT5-V Blackwing. As a refresher, it develops 668 horsepower (498 kilowatts) though it's possible the mill could be detuned for the Escalade. Even if it isn't, such power in the sizable SUV body would offer lively performance, but not record-setting thrust by any stretch.

When can we expect to see the Escalade-V in dealerships? That is still unknown, though with these prototypes wearing heavy camo and equipped with janky parts for testing, it will probably be a while. Our best guess right now is an arrival next year as a 2023 model.

The global microchip shortage strikes again. A reliable source contacted Motor1.com with information showing Super Cruise was, at least temporarily, being cut as an option for the 2022 Cadillac Escalade. A specific reason wasn't provided, but it's not exactly a risky leap to say the enduring semiconductor shortage is behind it.

Upon receiving this news, Motor1.com contacted Cadillac to confirm the information and it is accurate. A Cadillac representative offered the following statement.
With Super Cruise temporarily pulled from the Escalade, it means the highly touted semi-autonomous driving system originally launched three years ago is virtually non-existent in GM vehicles. Super Cruise is coming to the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado, but not until the spring of 2022. Production of the Chevrolet Bolt – which also offers the feature – was expected to resume at the end of September amid issues with its battery pack, but it's unclear if the line is up and running. Super Cruise still shows as an option for the CT4 and CT5 with availability in late summer 2021. It's unclear if the feature is now shipping on the sedans.

In 2020, the Escalade outsold both the CT4 and CT5 combined. With shortages of key microchips being the problem, it makes sense to pull the option for the Escalade and continue production as opposed to sidelining the high-dollar, high-profit luxury SUV. We've certainly seen a similar strategy from a range of other automakers, including the aforementioned Silverado being built without cylinder deactivation systems. With the chip shortage expected to spill over into 2022 and possibly stretch to 2023, it seems the overall situation won't be rectified anytime soon.