After Years of Ferrying VIPs, Cadillac Escalade Finally Arrives

BLUFFTON, SC – The king of bling is back, but with refreshingly less flash and delightfully greater refinement.

Fans of the Big Daddy Caddy need not fear, either, because the ’15 Cadillac Escalade retains many of the desirable traits that in the previous decade lured so many musicians and professional athletes to the SUV and thrust it to pop-icon status.

For starters, it remains as roomy as any SUV on the road, so go ahead, bring the whole gang. A powerful V-8 engine will move it from the curb to the street faster than a paparazzi’s lens can follow. And while it no longer drips with bright work, it still makes one hell of an entrance and leaves no question that its owner has arrived in life.

It’s just that after 15 years of ferrying around all sorts of VIPs and MVPs, the Escalade itself finally has arrived. It is for the first time a bona fide Cadillac.

Nowhere is the transformation more apparent than inside the fourth-generation model. A person could step out of any of the latest Cadillac models, such as the CTS midsize sedan, XTS large sedan or ELR electric car, and into the Escalade knowing they all come from the same lineage.

The now-familiar Cadillac User Experience 8-in. (20-cm) touchscreen sits front-and-center of the Escalade’s cabin, serving as the SUV’s nexus for smartphone connections, audio and video, navigation and vehicle information. The system has received mixed reviews since its launch, but CUE’s colorful, detailed images combine with its tablet-like swipe-and-tap functions to confirm the Escalade is a high-tech truck.

Cadillac’s trademark cut-and-sewn materials run door-to-door in the Escalade, stitching together leather and suede on the door panels, dashboard and seams of the leather-wrapped steering wheel and seating surfaces. It gives the cabin a bespoke feel.

Subdued Galvano chrome trims the center stack and steering wheel, and wraps air vents and door speakers of the premium Bose audio system.

Escalade cabins also receive a choice of open-pore or finished woods, such as elm and walnut, and leather interiors include a Konah that resembles the lounge of a private club or a Shale environment that’s as modern as an Ikea kitchen.

Quality Top-Notch; Cargo Room Cavernous

Build quality of the early production models tested here was outstanding and our elbows and knees never met a hard surface. Extra attention was paid the second-row seating, where storage shelves were added under the door armrests. Mobile devices fit snugly into a nifty leather pocket and charge port at the back of the center console.

The rear cargo remains cavernous, but includes a power fold-flat third-row for the first time. That means no more lugging heavy seats out of the Escalade if you require a flat floor. A hands-free liftgate was added and engineers moved the B-pillar forward for easier second-row ingress and egress, while the C-pillar was shifted more upright to make it easier to reach behind the second-row seatbacks.

The interior also gets a Blu-ray disc player for the first time. The 9-in. (23-cm) screen flips down from overhead and is 15% larger than in previous models. ESV extended-wheelbase versions receive two flip-down screens.

The Bose sound system provides theater-like audio quality through 16 speakers, and engineers tinkered with the system to deliver better acoustics over for a broader range of music.

The Escalade’s connectivity finally enters the 21^st century and does so with gusto, adding items such as an available text-message-alert system that will play messages through the speakers. The OnStar safety and security service adds 4G LTE high-speed data access and wireless Internet connectivity, although in a poorly missed rollout the Web will not be available until the summer months.

The updated exterior styling receives sharper lines and an all-new grille, although it would hardly qualify as a revolutionary change. Front and rear LED lighting gives the lamps a jewel-like sparkle, while low-gloss chrome softens brightwork that had become gaudy and outdated. But the truck loses none of its presence and remains the most powerful-looking SUV on the road.

A long line of advanced safety equipment includes convenient high-beam headlamps that sense oncoming traffic to dim and brighten automatically, as well as a new lane-change alert that identifies traffic approaching quickly from behind.

An all-new version of GM’s small-block V-8 engine growls under the hood and its pleasing, low rumble is one of the few sounds that slip into the cabin. The 6.2L unit produces 420 hp and 460 lb.-ft. (623 Nm) of torque. Six thousand pounds never moved so swiftly.

A number of new technologies ensure the Escalade does not lose efficiency, although a peak 21 mpg (11.2 L/100 km) highway will not impress your neighborhood environmentalist.

Your peers at the country club, however, will pant with envy, because the new Escalade accomplishes everything its predecessor could but does so in a manner more befitting a modern Cadillac.

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'15 Cadillac Escalade Specifications