2023 Cadillac Escalade V Packs 682 HP, $150,000 Price
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2023 Cadillac Escalade V Packs 682 HP, $150,000 Price
Cadillac's Escalade might not have created the luxury full-size SUV segment (that was the Lincoln Navigator), but it definitely defined it and continues to do so, some 24 years after its introduction. Now, Cadillac seeks to take that a step further by creating its vision of the ultimate performance luxury full-size SUV with the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V, which it introduced on Wednesday.
By now, the V formula is fairly well-established. Take a current production model, throw the most powerful engine that'll fit at it, and give it a mesh grille. That's more or less what Cadillac has done here with a slightly tweaked version of the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine from the CT5-V Blackwing that, in this trim, produces a whopping 682 (GM-estimated) horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque.
That power is routed out through a specially calibrated 10-speed automatic gearbox and out to a full-time all-wheel drive system. The all-wheel drive system is tuned for performance, as expected, but won't ever send all the power to the back axle. That makes sense, being that this is a full-size, 6,300-pound SUV with nearly 700 horsepower, and keeping it on the road with rear-wheel drive would likely require no small measure of talent behind the wheel.
As a $150,000 SUV, the interior had better be nice and based on what we've seen, it's very nice indeed.
CadillacAside from the absolute crap-ton of power, what does going V get you? Quite a lot, actually. You also get bright red Brembo six-piston front brake calipers that clamp down onto 16.1-inch rotors. GM's exceptionally good and very configurable Magneride suspension is present, as is a dynamic adaptive air suspension system for ride height adjustments on the fly. The V gets its own special 22-inch wheels with all-season tires (this seems like a weird choice, but when asked, GM doubled down on the Escalade V being an all-weather performance vehicle).
Aesthetically, all the usual V changes make an appearance. You get lots of blacked-out trim, the aforementioned mesh grille and a three-mode performance exhaust with four great big exhaust tips. The overall effect is muscular but not over the top, which suits the Escalade well. It was a handsome SUV to begin with, and we appreciate GM not going totally over the top with hyperaggressive styling. GM is also planning to offer the Escalade V as an extended-wheelbase ESV model.
The V's interior is based on the Platinum Escalade, which means it gets all the best materials and tech that GM has to offer, including zebra wood trim with semi-aniline leather seating for all three rows as well as heated and ventilated and massaging front seats. There's also a high-spec AKG audio system with a mind-boggling 36 speakers plus a massive 38-inch-wide OLED dash display. In short, it seems like a nice place to be.
Of all the tech you'll get as standard on your Escalade V, GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving assistant is the one notably absent feature (at least at launch). This is a case of the ongoing global semiconductor shortage once again rearing its ugly head. Still, it seems like GM might be able to retroactively instate the system once parts become available, as we're seeing with Ford and Lincoln's BlueCruise. While it's not totally clear when Super Cruise will be available, what is clear is that even on this flagship SUV, it's not standard equipment. Buyers will be expected to pay an estimated $2,500 premium for the tech when it becomes available.
So, if by this time you're thinking that the Escalade V sounds pretty rad, you're not alone. We're very excited to get some time behind the wheel. That just leaves the elephant in the room, which is how much GM is charging for it, and friends, it's a lot. The 2023 Cadillac Escalade V will start at a whopping $149,990, including an unspecified destination fee. That's for the short-wheelbase model, though. Cadillac hasn't said what the long-wheelbase ESV version will cost, but we expect it will ask somewhere around the $3,000 price premium the non-V ESV asks over the regular Escalade.
Even if you have the considerable pile of cash needed to get your hands on an Escalade V, putting one in your driveway might not be that simple. Cadillac has stated that the Escalade V will be a limited-production model, which isn't terribly surprising. The catch is that it won't divulge how limited it will be, saying only that "production will be limited to volume." So, whether that means thousands or tens of thousands, we can't say, but it gets more complicated still. Cadillac isn't doing any kind of reservation program for the V, so if you want one, we suggest you start bugging your dealer before it goes on sale this summer.
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Even when motivating something this prodigious, that motor proves plenty, accelerating smoothly and cleanly slicing through the attached 10-speed auto. It even sounds nice when pressed, deep and purposeful without being annoying. It's a thirsty thing, though, a fact that should come as no surprise. The EPA says you should expect 14 miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. My mostly rural driving scored me 15.3 mpg, just shy of the official 16 mpg combined rating. Keep in mind those gallons must be of 91 octane fuel, further boosting the running costs. (If fuel economy is a major concern, perhaps consider the Escalade Diesel.)
The Escalade brakes just as competently as it goes, and while the pedal feel can be a bit lacking, the long throw means you can get exactly as much stopping power as you need. The new, independent rear suspension also means a smoother, more compliant ride for those in the back. Important details, these, for a rig destined to haul as many dignitaries as this one surely will.
And what luxurious appointments await for them, a reinvented interior that's far more polished than anything I've seen in Caddy's biggest boy before. Sure, individual features aren't quite as posh as, say, a Mercedes-Benz GLS or BMW X7, but there's a different sort of luxury to be found here, one that emphasizes volume and spaciousness.
Quite a view.
That's not to say the details are lacking. Hallmark of this latest Escalade is the series of massive, curving OLED panels that sweep cleanly from gauge cluster to infotainment. OLED not only enables the subtle shaping here but also means inky blacks and huge contrast of the sort you just can't get out of ye olde LCDs. The overall effect is not only expansive but genuinely premium looking and feeling. It's a huge step up over the outgoing experience.
Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are here, wirelessly even, but you'll have to rely on the integrated navigation if you want to take advantage of one of the Cadillac's new trick features: augmented-reality navigation. In this mode, the car uses a high-resolution, forward-facing camera and paints the footage from that onto the gauge cluster. When it comes time for a turn, the car superimposes a big, hovering arrow over the image to literally point the way. It's overkill for leisurely trips across country roads, but I could absolutely see it being a godsend on trickier jaunts through twisty city confines. After all, when you're piloting something this huge, you'll want all the help you can get to avoid having to make an extra U-turn.
That mega gauge cluster can also be toggled over to show the Escalade's night vision system, which not only gives a comprehensive vision into the darkness but kindly highlights and warns about pedestrians or wildlife along the way. My road always, always has deer this time of year, and the Escalade never failed to slap a big yellow box around them. However, as a $2,000 option, you're paying a hefty premium for that warning.
This makes other reconfigurable gauge clusters look a bit... basic.
The Platinum-trim Escalade seen here comes with a whopping 36-speaker AKG sound system. Of all the cars I've tested over the years, I've never been so quick to dial down the bass as I was on this one. Suffice to say this system has plenty of power to fill that massive cabin.
Given the volume of that cabin it should come as no surprise that there are some cheap feeling plastics to be found if you look hard enough, but the overall effect of the Escalade's new interior is undeniably refined from stem to stern. I will say the white -- sorry, whisper beige -- carpeting outfitted on this ESV is perhaps not the best choice for a car that will see winter duty, and the loud Zebra wood pattern doesn't win high marks among the Roadshow crew, but there are six different woods and many interior configurations from which to choose.
It's all illuminated by a massive, panoramic glass roof the size of a small pool that makes even the way back feel less claustrophobic. And, since the rear of this car is indeed way back there, the digital rear-view mirror is a welcome addition, which uses the camera at the back to give you a clear, crisp view of what's behind. Trying to rely on the traditional mirror is a little like using a compact to look over your shoulder down a subway car.
On the outgoing Escalade, some of the massive styling details made it look a little like a train on the outside, too. The new one is more modest in nearly every respect. Though the grille is still big enough to give an X7 envy, the chrome has been toned down a bit. The stacked headlights have been replaced by subtler, more slender units that squint out from on top of Cadillac's vertical signature illumination.
The massive, 22-inch polished wheels are exactly the right scale to go with the ESV's proportions while the strong shoulder crease running the length of the SUV adds some much needed character to the side profile. About the only styling detail I don't like here are the garish LEDs on the ($1,750 optional) power retractable running-boards, but they are certainly effective at ensuring those steps don't catch you in the shin when they pop out.
Usually at this point in a review of a car that costs in excess of $100,000 I'd have mentioned many more options than I have here, and that's because the Platinum trim on the Escalade includes just about everything you could want. As it should, considering the starting price of $107,290 (including a $1,295 destination charge) for the all-wheel drive model. The Escalade you see here has an additional $5,210 in options (like $700 for a decidedly powerful armrest cooler), bringing the total price to $112,500.
Best measure carefully before bringing this big boy home.
A base, RWD Escalade ESV Luxury starts at $80,490 including destination, and for that you'll be giving up niceties like Magnetic Ride Control suspension, lane-keep assist and rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking. The latter is optional on the $87,290 Premium Luxury and standard on the Platinum and above. Otherwise, the majority of the Escalade's comprehensive safety suite is standard on even the base trim, but if you want the best hands-off driver assistance system on the market, Super Cruise, you'll have to pony up an additional $2,500.
So that's a lot for sure, but then this is a lot of SUV and, this year more than ever, it feels well worth it. It's miles ahead of sister SUVs like the GMC Yukon in terms of luxury and, though the Escalade is not as posh as a Mercedes-Benz GLS nor energetic as a BMW X7 nor cosseting as a Lincoln Navigator, it has a unique flavor of luxury that is all its own.
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