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Cadillac Rear Camera Mirror | 2017 Autoblog Technology of the Year Finalist

We give Cadillac a lot of credit for being the first to make good on the promise to replace mirrors with cameras and displays. That was good enough to earn the Cadillac Rear Camera Mirror a place on our 2017 Technology of the Year awards shortlist for new features. The idea behind this system is relatively simple; what perhaps took more doing was getting the regulations in place to allow a video feed to replace the government-mandated mirror. The hardware and that rules compliance starts with what looks like a normal rearview mirror – because it defaults to being a mirror until you switch on the display or in the event the system somehow fails. Flip the little toggle at the bottom of the mirror – the one normally used to switch from day to night mode – and the reflection is replaced by a very crisp feed from a camera at the back of the vehicle. This live stream gives you a wide-angle view of what's behind, without obstruction from back-seat passengers, headrests, or any bodywork. The camera is even shielded from weather and has a coating to shed water. What you see doesn't exactly look like a normal reflection, but the quality is good enough and you see more than you would normally with something aimed through today's small rear windows. But because it isn't actually a reflection, you have to make some adjustments. When your eyes are focused down the road, glancing at a mirror gives you a view the same distance away but in the rear. With the rear camera mirror, a glance back requires your eyes to first refocus on the display, which takes a moment. And unlike a normal mirror, which you look through at an angle, this display is angled toward the driver but projecting an image that looks straight back – no matter how you move it, the image doesn't change like a mirror's would. And because it's an image and not a reflection, you can't choose what's in focus and lose your sense of depth perception. It's not clear whether objects in mirror are closer or farther than they appear. And there are other limitations. For instance, while the display balances bright lights and dark surroundings well at night, it is tricked by LED headlights, which flicker at a rate faster than the camera shoots. The result is a distracting strobe effect like you get when you point a smartphone camera at any LED light source. For those with migraine sensitivity, this kind of fast flashing can cause real problems.

2021 Cadillac Escalade's EPA highway fuel economy is worse than before

EPA fuel economy estimates for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade are out, and the news is mostly not good. The redesigned SUV sees slim to no improvement in the Feds' city ratings, and its highway numbers are considerably worse than before. These are estimates for the standard 6.2-liter V8. Figures for the no-cost-optional 3.0-liter turbodiesel six have not been released yet. Specifically, the rear-wheel-drive 2021 Escalade has estimates of 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. Compared to the outgoing 2020 version, powered by the same 6.2L V8, those numbers represent a 1 mpg improvement in city (the lone piece of good news) but are 3 mpg worse on the highway. With all-wheel drive, the 2021 Escalade can't even get out of the teens, with EPA ratings of 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 16 mpg combined. That's the same city rating as before and a 2 mpg decline versus the 2020 model's highway rating. For further comparison, cross-town rival Lincoln's Navigator with its 3.5-liter turbo V6 manages 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway (RWD) and 16/21 with AWD. No one expects an ultra-large, body-on-frame, three-row SUV to achieve Prius-like levels of fuel efficiency, but it's pretty rare these days to see such backsliding with a fresh redesign. Here's hoping the diesel variant will have a happier story to tell. Related Video:

2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV officially shown for the first time

When Cadillac originally debuted the 2021 Escalade at the beginning of the year, it held back on photos of the long-wheelbase ESV version of the truck. GM told us the ESV would be revealed in full at the New York Auto Show this year, a show that was promptly postponed due to coronavirus. However, that hasn’t exactly stopped us from seeing the ESV anyway. One of our spy shooters managed to capture a trove of images, showing the ESV without any camouflage. You can scroll through those below. 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV Sport View 20 Photos At the top of this post sits the one official Cadillac image of the ESV — the other photos are from Cadillac's online visualizer tool. What a grand reveal! The Escalade pictured in front is the Platinum Luxury trim, and the one behind it is the Sport (or Sport Luxury Platinum). Just like we spied before, the main styling differences between the regular Escalade and ESV are minimal. Cadillac extended the rear door and massaged the C-pillar — itÂ’s thicker and leans at a sharper angle. Even before revealing the car in photos, Cadillac gave us all the specs. That was enough for an on-paper comparison between it and the Navigator, including the long wheelbase versions of both. The ESV is 15.9 inches longer than a standard Escalade, allowing for more third row legroom and additional cargo capacity. In other news, Cadillac says orders for the 2021 Escalade can be made today via its website. The system will put you in touch with a dealership to place your order. Those orders will begin arriving in dealerships this fall, according to CadillacÂ’s current plans. You can check out full model line pricing in our post detailing it all here. Related video: