Cadillac Escalade

Moving in, the interior of the Cadillac Escalade resonates with styling that is similar to the old Escalade. However, the car is now upgraded with tech and comfort features, adding to the beauty of the car. Being the flagship vehicle of the luxury car brand’s lineup, the Escalade goes all out on premium in-cabin features and styling. Faux leather is used in the base Luxury trim, but all other trims receive the real deal, with Platinum models getting soft semi-aniline hides. Leather-covered dash and door panels, aluminum speaker grilles, and adjustable interior ambient lighting provide an upscale appearance. Like the outgoing model, both a standard and long-wheelbase model are offered, the latter of which yields more legroom for third-row riders and additional cargo space. 

The interior looks like quite the step up from the old Escalade. It’s hardly restrained and isn’t shy about upping the ante. The dashboard is dominated by a massive 38 inches of display screen up on the dash. To add a premium touch, these screens are advanced curved OLEDs and have twice the pixel density of a 4K TV for the best navigation experience. The collection of displays is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz GLS-class's giant monolithic infotainment setup, but the Escalade's stacked setup creates depth and looks less tacked-on than the Benz. 

Further, the automaker has laden several mechanical techs inside their latest offering. Cadillac presents its latest offering with augmented-reality navigation, 12.6-inch screens for rear-seat passengers, ‘Super Cruise’ semi-autonomous tech, and a 36-speaker AKG surround sound system. Cadillac has partnered with Grammy award-winning audio and acoustics company AKG to develop Escalade's standard and optional sound systems. A 19-speaker Studio Sound system is standard on the Luxury, Sport, and Premium Luxury models, but Platinum trims get the AKG Studio Reference system with a whopping 36 speakers. All of these make it one of the best offerings in the luxury SUV segment.

Cargo space and interior room are some of the fifth generation Cadillac Escalade's strongest traits. Behind the third row seats, the Cadillac offers 25.5 cubic feet of cargo space. With the back seats flipped down, cargo space increases to a whopping 72.9 cubic feet. With both rows of rear seats folded, count on the Escalade to provide 121.0 cubic feet of cargo space. The Escalade seats seven people across three rows in its standard configuration, but you can opt for a second-row bench seat that bumps capacity up to eight.

There are no bad seats in this Caddy. All three rows provide plenty of head- and legroom. Even the third-row accommodates adults with ease. There’s more than just space, too; the seats are comfortable and remain supportive on long drives. Standard seating features include synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, heated second-row seats, a rear-seat reminder, power-folding second-and third-row seats, and a heated steering wheel. Genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and massaging front seats are available. 

The 16.9-inch central OLED touchscreen projects a crystal clear image with a minimalist user interface that is extremely easy to use. Unlike the traditional GM display with its color-coordinated roundels, the Escalade's unique UI projects white icons atop a black screen, with smooth scrolling functionality and options that are easy to decipher. There's even a vertically oriented quick-access screen with one-touch home, music, and navigation options. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both come standard on all trims, and this Premium Luxury model gets a head-up display too.

Directly in front of the driver sits a 14.2-inch digital instrument cluster that's equally crisp and fully customizable. The driver can swap the traditional gauges for things like a full-size map, a night-vision camera feed, or an HD front-facing camera for certain situations. And nearly all of that is customizable via the 7.2-inch screen just to the left of the display, which also serves as an onboard computer. In the second row, passengers have access to two sizable displays with HDMI support and a full-size 110-volt outlet, located behind the center console. 

The latest Cadillac Escalade doesn’t hesitate to pull out the stops when it comes to its exterior styling. It still carries the same design as the previous generation: attractively brutish, with big shoulders and a wide grille. The full-sized luxury SUV carries the look of a bold, blocky car that makes its energy and presence felt on the streets. In terms of the vehicle’s dimensions, the fifth generation of Escalade multiplies in terms of size, resonating with a similarly unique and aggressive exterior. In terms of dimensions, the car has now become taller by almost 8 inches, thanks to the beefed-up Cadillac’s shield grille. The Cadillac Escalade stands at 76.7 inches (6.4 feet) tall from the tire to the roof. It's one of the largest SUVs on sale today and absolutely looks it, hulking over every other vehicle in the car park. Slim LED headlights attempt to modernize the otherwise garish, oversized look but the too-big grille with horizontal chrome inserts takes up most of the face. And waterfall-like LED accents adorn each side of the bumper surrounded by chrome trim.

That chrome extends to the side profile too, separating the second-and third-row windows with a single piece of shiny metallic. With its futuristic-looking LED setup, the car sets up a complete vibe for users of every type. The car presents users with some strong lines running across its front, giving out squared-off sides that showcase subtle fender flares and angled chrome trim on the rear windows. However, not many changes can be witnessed on its rear. The wheels pictured here are the most basic on offer for this trim being 22-inches with 14 spokes that are finished in bright silver. The backside of the Escalade isn't any less gaudy, with its overuse of chrome trim and badging, but the vertical taillights are a nice touch that helps offset those shiny exterior pieces.

With a hulking V8 and a 5,800-pound curb weight, fuel economy is about as poor as you’d expect. With this powerplant under the hood, we were able to hit 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. The fifth generation Escalade actually gets worse fuel economy than it did last year, returning 14 miles per gallon city, 19 highway, and 16 combined in this four-wheel-drive spec. The previous version achieved 14 city, 21 highway, and 17 combined with all-wheel drive. A 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six diesel engine serves as the only alternate motivation for the Cadillac Escalade. We expect the diesel Escalade to hit 60 mph from a standstill in 8.5 seconds. 

Talking of the ride and handling in the Escalade, the SUV seems to have adapted with its size. The car, despite its size, feels much lighter and more convenient to drive in almost all types of terrains. Interestingly, the independent suspension of the car adds to the perks of driving it. The handling of the car is smooth and the ride quality is comfortable. The long-wheelbase Escalade ESV with the V-8 engine sprinted to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds. The diesel engine doesn’t deliver the straight-line performance of the standard V-8, but for some buyers that compromise is worth the improved fuel economy and punchy low-end torque. For those Escalade fans with a need for speed, only the V will do. 

With a standard air suspension setup plus the optional Magnetic Ride Control equipped, the advanced setup kept the Cadillac composed, mitigating as much body roll as physics would allow. The steering was surprisingly responsive, too, with no noticeable dead-on-center feel common in some truck-based SUVs. On the highway, it was easy to forget that there were eight working cylinders underhood at all – and sometimes there wasn’t, thanks to the cylinder deactivation system. The 10-speed automatic, meanwhile, shifted effortlessly all the while.

This year, Cadillac is adding a high-performance V-series model to the lineup with mega horsepower, marking the birth of the first V-Series Escalade. The fifth generation Cadillac Escalade is powered by the same 6.2-litre V8 found in the previous iteration. It is capable of generating 420 hp and 623 Nm of torque and can deactivate half of its cylinders when cruising to save fuel. This powertrain was borrowed from the award-winning CT5-V Blackwing sedan. However, compared to previous generations, Cadillac has begun offering a new diesel option in the form of a 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine. It produces 277 hp and a similar output of 623 Nm of torque as the other powertrain. Both engines are mated to a standard 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Cadillac Escalade offers an advanced suite of active safety equipment out of the box. The Cadillac Escalade is equipped with Front 6-Piston Brembo Brake for a reliable braking experience. Cadillac's more advanced automatic emergency braking system, reverse automatic braking, and Super Cruise driver assistance are now standard. Further, the safety features of the car include a standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, front and rear parking sensors, active lane control, a seat that vibrates in the direction of potential danger, and a surround-view camera system. The system is also equipped with blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, automatic parking, rear automatic braking, and night vision.

​​The Escalade is exactly what its buyers need it to be: big, stylish, and packed with state-of-the-art technology. The Escalade's exterior design is bold and eye-catching. As marvelous as it is to look at this Caddy, the interior is the place to be. The leather is of the finest quality we've seen on a Cadillac and a massive 38 inches of OLED touchscreen displays cover the dash. The impressive display can command an optional 36-speaker sound system that has to be heard to be believed. However, the suspension is a bit stiff for our tastes. We can best appreciate the new fully independent suspension on smooth and curvy roads. That some of the switchgear can be found in other GM models also degrades the luxurious atmosphere a little. Finally, the V-8 model delivers poor fuel economy that's not a match for the rest of the segment.

Value for money

Price of Cadillac Escalade: P14,800,000

To truly deck out the Escalade in its best features, go for the Premium Luxury Platinum trim. It adds semi-aniline leather, 16-way power-adjustable front seats with massage, soft-close doors, and an AKG audio system with 36 speakers. It also comes standard with a self-parking feature, a head-up display, and adaptive cruise control. Looking at all the features, fun, looks, and class that the Escalade adds to the offering, we can say that this is one such car that is bound to be on the wishlist of many. However, its price and size might not be a taste for all. Buyers who love big, full-sized SUVs can certainly go with the Cadillac Escalade.