Cadillac Escala Hint of Tomorrow, Possibly Today

Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen says the newly unveiled Escala concept car fulfills two objectives: It signals a future design direction both emotionally and technically, and it can be taken as a statement of the brand’s return to the height of premium automobile making.

The longtime luxury executive also leaves the door open for Escala to come to market in totality.

“Escala is a concept car, but one based upon the unrelenting rise of our product substance,” de Nysschen says during the car’s premiere ahead of this weekend’s Pebble Beach Concours de’Elegance. “Depending on the development of (the) market segment for large luxury sedans, Escala is a potential addition to our existing product plan.”

The Escala is 6 ins. (152 mm) longer than the current CT6 flagship, so if it did make it to production it most likely would slot above that car and put a Cadillac sedan well into 6-figure-territory for the first time in its 114-year history.

The General Motors brand considers the rear-wheel-drive Escala, which is Spanish for “scale,” a driver’s car that also indulges the senses. It boasts a technology-rich 4.2L twin-turbo V-8 prototype already under consideration for future Cadillacs, as well as hand-tailored fabrics throughout the interior inspired by fashion.

Exterior organic LED elements executed in Cadillac’s signature vertical orientation give the car a “sinister look,” while inside the technology serves as the backbone for a radical new instrument-panel execution.

Cadillac design chief Andrew Smith says the interior conveys a dual personality, where the front of the Escala is intensely focused on modern technology and the rear of the car emphasizes relaxation.

“My brief to the designers was to create a car you desperately want to drive, and also one in which you want to be driven,” Smith says. “So rather than a single design, this interior consists of two themes. It was an opportunity for our designers to break the rules a little bit, exactly what Cadillac should do from time to time.”

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