From its introduction in 1999, the Cadillac Escalade quickly became the standard among luxury SUVs, with a formula of bold design, powerful capability and luxurious accommodations. The all-new 2015 Escalade takes design and technical elements from Cadillac’s product expansion to elevate the brand’s signature SUV.
The fourth-generation Escalade has an entirely new exterior design yet is instantly recognizable. Inside, cut-and-sewn materials and wood trim, chosen for elegance and authenticity, combine with the latest technologies to convey an exceptional level of luxury.
“Cadillac’s ongoing growth provides the ideal stage for the all-new Escalade to take a major step forward,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer, Global Cadillac. “Escalade has always had a bold character, differentiating itself from other luxury SUVs. Now, Escalade adds more sophistication, with advanced technology and hand-tailored craftsmanship.”
The product line includes the standard Escalade and the extended-length ESV edition, which offers a 14-inch-longer wheelbase and approximately 20 inches more in overall length, maximizing space for third-row passengers and nearly double the cargo space behind the third-row seat.
Luxury and Premium collections are available in addition to the base models, offering higher levels of content and technology. And all models are offered with 2WD and 4WD drivetrains, as well as a new 6.2L V-8 engine that is more powerful and more efficient than previous models.
In fact, it’s powerful enough to enable 0 to 60 mph performance in less than 6 seconds – 5.96 seconds for Escalade 4WD and 5.98 seconds for Escalade ESV 2WD.
The new 6.2L engine also delivers an EPA-estimated 21 mpg on the highway. That’s about 17 percent greater efficiency on the highway than previous models.
Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control, the world’s fastest-reacting suspension system, is standard, delivering precisely controlled driving performance. And at its core, Escalade is an SUV with the capabilities of a full-size truck, enabling a trailering rating of 8,300 pounds on the standard model and an 8,100-pound rating on Escalade ESV.
Cadillac design
Escalade’s new design provides a signature look of quality, elegance and capability. The styling cues combine sculpted surfaces and high technology embellishments to give Escalade a unique and stand-out appearance.
“At a glance, it is undeniably and unmistakably a Cadillac Escalade,” said Bob Boniface, Cadillac exterior design director. “It is powerful in size and presence, with integrated technologies that push its design to the leading edge.”
Dynamic front styling cues are enhanced by a highly detailed Galvano chrome grille that has a unique, almost brushed appearance. It is accented by full light-emitting diode – LED – lighting in the front and rear that creates unique, razor-like vertical light signatures. LEDs provide even, steady and very bright illumination, while delivering longer life and using significantly less energy than conventional lighting.
The headlamps incorporate the industry’s first Total Internal Reflection LED high-beam function, which consists of four vertically stacked crystal lenses and LEDs. The low beam consists of five crystal lenses and LEDs that create the light pattern. The Cadillac script is branded in the headlamp bezel. Tall, thin vertical LED taillamps reach to the top of the Escalade and feature the brand’s wreath-and-crest insignia, which illuminates in the dark.
New inlaid doors fit into the body side openings instead of over the top of the body, significantly improving the quietness of the interior and contributing to improved aerodynamics – an attribute that helps Escalade slip through the air on the highway with less drag for greater efficiency. Lightweight aluminum hood and aluminum liftgate panels also enhance efficiency through reduced overall mass.
Crafted interior
Craftsmanship defines the 2015 Escalade’s passenger space, which is designed to be one of the industry’s most authentic and luxurious cabins – with seamless technology integration for today’s connected luxury customers. And like the exterior, there’s harmony with Cadillac’s other vehicles in the cabin’s appearance, amenities and controls.
“An exceptional level of craftsmanship is found in the 2015 Escalade, and it all centers on the premium, layered materials and extensive use of cut-and-sew live stitching – the way fine furniture is produced,” said Eric Clough, director of design, Cadillac Interiors. “We designed Escalade with what we call the beauty of contrast – a distinctive combination of bold, SUV character, but also the refinement of the Cadillac form vocabulary and technology.”
Real wood combined with premium cut-and-sewn materials and sueded accents, along with ambient lighting, were designed to add elegance to the interior design. Tight tolerances of the instrument panel and door panels, precision controls and triple-sealed doors were engineered and designed to reinforce a feeling of quality.
The seats were designed to be more comfortable and sculpted in appearance with a reclining second row. The design incorporates dual-firmness foam that ensures long-trip comfort and helps retain appearance over time.
Infotainment and connectivity
Technology is integral to the Escalade’s driving experience. New and enhanced features help make what already was one of the industry’s most-connected vehicles more intuitive.
CUE – Cadillac User Experience – is standard. It is an advanced system for connectivity and control, featuring state-of-the-art voice recognition with touch controls common with the world’s most popular tablets and mobile devices. The eight-inch center screen uses capacitive touch technology and gesture recognition, enabling tapping and swiping common to smartphones and tablets.
The system also uses proximity sensors to activate common options and controls as the user’s hand approaches. An expanded “favorites” section offers quick access to phone contacts, navigation destinations – even digital music – in the same one-touch form as traditional radio presets.
The instrument cluster features a reconfigurable, high-resolution 12.3-inch digital driver information center (DIC) display paired with Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system, with data also shown on an available, full-color head-up display on Luxury and Premium Collections. Along with vehicle systems information, the DIC provides details on the audio, Bluetooth phone and navigation systems, which can be adjusted via steering wheel controls.
Enhanced connectivity includes a new Text Messaging Alerts feature for smartphone users with Bluetooth profile (M.A.P.), which reads incoming texts through the vehicle’s speakers, and Siri Eyes Free for iPhone iOS 6 and iOS 7 users to enhance connectivity and convenience. Each enables voice-controlled connectivity, to help keep phones safely stowed and hands on the wheel.
Complementing CUE to enhance Escalade’s connectivity is new OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (late availability). It provides a mobile hub for drivers and passengers to stay connected. The hotspot is on whenever the vehicle is on and comes with a three-month/ three gigabyte data trial.
4G LTE is the most current and fastest mobile data network – 10 times faster than 3G and 100 times faster than the previous generation of OnStar hardware. And with OnStar, it also offers stronger, broader coverage than smartphones on the same network and it’s easy to use: If the vehicle is on, the connection is on.
Bose® Centerpoint® audio system
The 2015 Escalade features a new Bose Centerpoint® surround sound system that is the most advanced ever in a Cadillac. Customized exclusively for the Escalade, it features new technologies that help heighten the sophisticated in-vehicle experience.
Proprietary technologies and 16 strategically placed speakers create a concert-like experience throughout the cabin. Five custom-tuned speakers placed across the instrument panel and front doors, combined with Bose Advanced Staging Technology, help reproduce expansive sound with exceptional precision and clarity.
Further enhancing the experience is Bose Centerpoint 2.0 signal processing technology, which enables a surround sound experience across all rows and SurroundStage® signal processing circuitry, which compensates for off-center vehicle seating to create 360-degree sound for every occupant.
An available Blu-Ray DVD rear entertainment system is tied into the audio system and includes a nine-inch, roof-mounted screen on Escalade and two nine-inch screens on Escalade ESV. The overhead system also includes built-in remote storage, USB, SD car and RCA ports.
Safety and security measures
Escalade’s new technologies include safety features to help protect occupants before, during and after a collision, such as front and rear automatic braking, which relies on short-range radar technology and ultrasonic sensors to help the driver avoid front and rear low-speed collisions via a progression of alerts that extend to complete braking, if necessary.
Also new is the segment’s only front-seat center air bag. It is designed to inflate between the driver and front-seat passenger for added protection in far-side impact crashes when the affected occupant is on the non-struck side of the vehicle.
A Driver Awareness package includes forward collision alert, lane departure warning system, and the patented safety alert seat, which pulses the left, right or both seat cushion bolsters to alert the driver of a dangerous situation. A driver assist package adds full speed range adaptive cruise control, front and rear automatic braking, automatic collision preparation and automatic safety belt tightening.
Additionally, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert and lane change alert are standard on Luxury and Premium models.
