The Escalade is a full-size, body-on-frame luxury SUV with three rows of seats and room for your entire family. The model was first launched in 1998 as a direct answer to the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class, Lexus LX, and, most notably, the Lincoln Navigator . Currently in its fourth generation, the large SUV will usher in a new decade with a completely redesigned model that makes use of a fully independent suspension in place of the live rear axle. It will also boast an Escalade-exclusive interior, and it will get a star-powered advertising boost thanks to a launch promotion with famed Hollywood director Spike Lee .
The new Escalade shares key styling features with the XT6, including the horizontal headlight that merge into the brand’s polygon grille, which will replace the current model’s vertical clusters. The overall shape and size of the new Escalade will remain relatively unchanged and we expect an evolutionary look for the rest of the luxury high-riding model’s exterior styling. The Escalade’s backside was actually inadvertently leaked in a recent Cadillac announcement for its Super Cruise technology, showing thin vertical taillights reaching all the way to the top of the SUV’s rear hatch. The taillight shape is a traditional Cadillac design element spanning decades of vehicles .
Moving inside, the cabin will feature a massive 38-inch curved OLED display with over twice the pixel density of an ultra-high-definition 4K television. Cadillac says that’s an industry first, and it should offer quite a visual experience for front-seat passengers in the new Escalade. We also know the SUV will be jam-packed with driver-assist technology, including an updated version of the company’s hands-free super cruise semi autonomous driving system .
The new Escalade will be mechanically similar to the Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL, with which it will share the GMT1XX platform. The big change is obviously the switch to an independent rear suspension versus a live axle, which should also create additional space in the cabin for passengers as it does on the already-revealed suburban and Tahoe .