In 2019, it was the Chevrolet Corvette that we were desperate to see, and the wait seemed interminable. This year it's the opposite end of the spectrum that has us transfixed in the big daddy of bling, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, which has had us waiting, wondering, and worrying it might not live up to the hype.
And make no mistake about the hype. The Escalade is the flagship of the Cadillac brand, and Cadillac is the only luxury brand GM has left. It's also a full-size vehicle, and that's a profitable footprint for any brand. It's the sales leader in its segment, and Cadillac is also GM's tech showpiece. And the new 2021 Escalade has a high bar to clear, with the stylish Lincoln Navigator garnering critical acclaim.
The expectations are also high because GM execs have built them up. It started with former Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen, who kept promising the new Escalade would be worth the wait and blow us away. His successor, Steve Carlisle, was equally full of promises albeit in his more quiet demeanor.
GM CEO Mary Barra herself made no bones about how she felt. Asked by MotorTrend if the 2021 Escalade would blow the Navigator out of the water, she didn't even blink: "I'm very confident about the next generation of Escalade. Let me just put it that way." The Escalade became the flagship for Cadillac at a time when other brands had large sedans in that role. The Escalade also made Cadillac cool again, and the brand needs a re-injection of that as it works to rebuild its portfolio and reputation.
We've been let down by Cadillac before. The XT6, a smaller three-row SUV, failed to excite with styling that paled in comparison with the new Lincoln Aviator's. But some compromises were made in XT6 development, which shares underpinnings with the XT5, whereas the new Escalade has had high-priority status and the resources that come with it. The fifth-generation Escalade, on sale this summer, is a whole different animal, and our first look is heartening.
That last paragraph does drive a point home. When GM chooses to invest in something, they show tremendous potential. The Volt survived the bankruptcy due to internal priority and more recently the C8 shows what they can do when they apply resources. Now this new Escalade (and really all of the GMT-1XX vehicles) is really coming to the market with no apologies or excuses.
On sort of a related note, when you watch the Savage Geese on the new Explorer, he makes a similar and opposite point that you can really tell where Ford invested and where Ford completely phoned it in with the new platform/vehicle. You cannot apply #1 priority to all aspects of the business. That's really the trick - convincing the market that you have, in fact, pulled a rabbit out of your hat. In GM's case, these vehicles are probably their profit center. I read an anecdote that the Arlington, TX plan generates some ~$20B revenue for the company. Famously they produced the last B-body in December of 1996 before re-tooling for GMT-4XX SUVs...can't argue with the decision in retrospect or, frankly, at the time.
The Kia Telluride/Hyundai Palisade are another example of when a company really puts everything they have into a new platform/product. They were already well on an upward trajectory across the entire 2010s but I think the product still exceeded expectations nonetheless.
There will be more than one powertrain, but the Escalade will launch with an updated version of the 6.2-liter V-8 as standard, which already generates 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, and whose active fuel-management cylinder-deactivation system is supplanted by the more efficient Dynamic Fuel Management version of the same tech. It also has variable valve timing and automatic engine stop/start. GM's other recently redesigned large SUVs, the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and 2021 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL, have the 5.3-liter V-8 as the base engine and the 6.2-liter available as an option.
New to all three SUVs is the 277-hp, 460-lb-ft 3.0-liter Duramax I-6 turbodiesel, which will be added later in the 2021 model year. It won't be a high-volume engine but provides a fuel economy boost and a character that will appeal to some customers. Early plans to give the Escalade the 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged Blackwing V-8 engine were shelved. Any future performance or V versions of the Escalade are expected to instead have a version of GM's 6.2-liter supercharged small-block V-8.
All engines are paired with GM's 10-speed automatic transmission with paddles for manual gear selection and the smarts to downshift automatically when going downhill. In addition, GM's new electrical architecture provides for faster calculations and responses, plus more robust capability, for everything from infotainment and connectivity to safety systems.
Still surprised about the diesel but maybe with the Blackwing not happening they had to do something else "interesting."
And here is more on their market-leading autonomous driving Super Cruise:
The 2021 Escalade will have Super Cruise, the hands-free, semi-autonomous driver-assist system that works on 200,000 miles of mapped highways. It views its surroundings with a new sensor set, with a front camera module, 360-degree cameras, and long- and short-range radar all reacting to lidar-enhanced map data and a camera on the driver to ensure readiness to take control of the vehicle suddenly if necessary.
Super Cruise won't be available at launch, but it will be offered soon after and has been enhanced to include lane change on demand. Flip on the turn signal to initiate, and the system will check the surroundings and change lanes when it's safe. Better sensors, map info, and software are designed to make the steering and speed control feel more natural.
For those unfamiliar with augmented reality, it overlays navigation graphics onto live street views, using arrows to animate directions as you drive in real time to ensure you don't miss a specific turn. When you approach your destination, a pin on the camera feed indicates the exact location.
The infotainment screen can be operated by touch or via a controller in the center console; we're told the team worked hard to get the controller's weight, shape, and feel just right. The attention to this detail pays off on something the driver constantly connects with. It feels robust and easy to use. When you use the touchscreen, the presentation of the icons is horizontal, but when you use knob, the presentation changes to a carousel to mimic the controller.
Rear passengers can enjoy 12.6-inch, individually controlled touchscreens on the backs of the front seats. These can share entertainment with other screens or play unique content, and USB outlets provide audio and video connections. Passengers can track the trip, so no more "are we there yet?" questions. The driver can control the rear screens and lock out content, as well. Conversely, passengers can find info such as the nearest rest stop and send the info to the driver to accept or decline.
All cool stuff.
Another first: an AKG surround-sound audio system exclusive to Cadillac in the automotive space. The standard Studio system has 19 speakers; the Studio Reference package upgrades to 36 speakers and 3-D audio. Speakers can be found in the doors, headliner, instrument panel, center console, head restraints, and even in the A-pillar with the airbags.
A cool feature is the ability to crank the tunes for the driver but turn down the volume for sleeping passengers. The system also automatically adjusts the volume and quality of sound to vehicle speed and in response to outside noise as you cruise along. And the speakers and microphones can also be used to enhance conversations between rows.
Seriously, they have thrown everything at this vehicle and not in a half-assed way, either. It doesn't have one, or two headline features; it has like a dozen legit conversation-making features and functions. I don't know if the Navigator even retains any advantages (maybe the seats? Some will say the Ecoboost but give me the 6.2L any day) but the Escalade is going to retain the sales lead for sure with this level of execution. Maybe even more importantly, properly use the Escalade to boost the Cadillac brand value. I would argue the Escalade didn't previously do that because it was sort of a brand unto itself. Before, the Escalade was luxurious by virtue of being large, brash and sure, comfortable, but also sought by people who wanted to show off (i.e. one of the major reasons to buy a luxury brand, but not the only one). Now, the Escalade is a legitimate luxury vehicle in the broadest sense, no longer only a narrow sense.