Cadillac Escalade Favors Elegance Over Excess, Product Chief Says

BLUFFTON, SC – It would seem rather curious to say a vehicle weighing upwards of 6,000 lbs. (2,720 kg) and capable of comfortably carrying eight adults finally has grown up, but that’s exactly how David Schiavone would characterize the redesigned ’15 Cadillac Escalade.

“It’s matured,” says Schiavone, product manager for the large luxury SUV that historically brought the most bling to the truck segment. “It’s a lot like (rapper) Jay-Z, who has matured into a business entrepreneur.”

During the heyday of the large- and mid-luxury SUV market between 2003 and 2007, when the segment delivered 1.5 million units in the U.S., the Escalade was the undisputed King of Bling. Bright chrome dripped from every corner, the driver’s seat was a veritable throne given a commanding view, and a 400-hp V-8 delivered concert-quality bass thump.

The fourth-generation model remains the most powerful in its segment, and the ’15 Escalade arguably retains its crown as the most comfortable and functional among the big-lux players.

But satin-finished Galvano chrome replaces the gleaming brightwork of earlier models, its all-new 6.2L small-block V-8 engine gains efficiency and the interior shifts from one largely shared with other body-on-frame GM SUVs to one that is uniquely Cadillac.

“We wanted to keep the basic DNA, keep the excitement and the drama, but move forward by taking it further upscale,” Schiavone  tells WardsAuto during a media event here to launch the new Escalade.

“The interior was a key focus,” he adds. “We wanted to get it alongside other Cadillac interiors.”

That means Escalade shoppers will find the CUE infotainment system atop the center stack; micro-suede inserts to the seats, dashboard and door panel; and trim pieces using open-pore wood and satin chrome.

The front seats still are fit for royalty, but no longer come at the sacrifice of second-row ingress and egress. Three adults still will find elbow room in the third row, but those seats now fold flat via electric motors.

A new hands-free feature opens the rear liftgate to provide access to upwards of 120.9 cu.-ft. (3,420 L) of cargo space by waving a foot under the bumper. It’s quieter inside, too, and about the time dealers get fully stocked with Escalades this summer the SUV will add 4G LTE wireless Internet access.

No Longer Segment Leader

Schiavone stops short of predicting the Escalade will reclaim segment leadership, saying only that he expects a sales spurt from current owners who waited seven years for a full redesign.

According to WardsAuto data, the Escalade sold 20,542 units last year for second place behind the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and its 29,912 deliveries. The G-Class overtook the Escalade in 2011.

Pricing on the new Escalade nudges up several thousand dollars with entry models starting at $72,690. Copies from the top-of-the-line Premium Collection begin at $81,190, and adding all the bells and whistles results in a maximum sticker price of roughly $87,000 to make it the most expensive Cadillac next to the ELR extended-range electric vehicle.

A hybrid version discontinued after the ’13 model year does not return, and for obvious reasons, Schiavone says.

“Nobody bought the last one,” he admits. “Hybrids just don’t create a lot of excitement in this segment.”

As for the future of the Escalade in a quickly tightening regulatory environment, where CAFE likely will peak a 54.5 mpg in 2025, Schiavone says sales in the segment remain consistent. However, it, too, will mature.

“CAFE standards are always getting tighter and (we’re) always looking at what it is going to take, because this segment is not going away,” he says. “It may not grow, but it’s going to be pretty consistent.”

Schiavone says a broad range of alternatives are being studied for the truck, ranging from turbocharged diesel engines to twin-turbo high-output V-6 engines. Far greater use of aluminum also will keep the Escalade on the road, and GM may have to abandon the sturdy but less fuel-efficient body-on-frame architecture for a unibody design.

“If there’s a better solution, we’ll do it,” he says.

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