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2021 Cadillac Escalade makes its grand debut among the stars during Oscars week

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade has arrived in high style in Los Angeles during Oscars week. With no January Detroit Auto Show, there’s no better place for the next generation of CadillacÂ’s iconic luxury SUV to be revealed than star-studded L.A. We got to spend some time in and around the Escalade a couple weeks ago, and now we can finally tell you all about it. As expected, the 2021 Escalade is following in the footsteps of all the other full-size GM SUVs by going with an independent rear suspension setup. Just like the Tahoe and Yukon, Cadillac is also making the next-gen magnetic shocks and new air suspension optional equipment. Engineers told us that thereÂ’s hardly any difference underneath the Escalade versus its platform stablemates, and our early impressions of the ride suggest thatÂ’s perfectly fine. Powering the new Escalade is GMÂ’s trusty 6.2-liter V8 or the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six — both are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.   Related: 2021 Cadillac Escalade vs. 2020 Lincoln Navigator | How they compare on paper 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV will debut at the New York Auto Show   WeÂ’re not surprised to see the oil-burner being offered as an option with the Escalade after itÂ’s been tucked under the hood of the Tahoe and Yukon, but it is a significant addition to the Escalade lineup. GM has never fit a diesel engine to an Escalade before, but engineers tell us that this motor is refined enough for an Escalade buyer. We were surprised by its smoothness in the Silverado, and weÂ’ll wager itÂ’s even more discrete in the luxury SUV. The lovely 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 Blackwing engine was never mentioned in CadillacÂ’s presentation to us. We asked, but thereÂ’s no news to be had on the Blackwing front, as Cadillac shrugged us off. Arguably, the most important aspect of the new Escalade is its interior. When the redesigned Lincoln Navigator came out, it made the aging Escalade look like a boring dinosaur. Cadillac knew this interior had to be extraordinary to compete, and itÂ’s taken an interesting approach.  Do you recall the Cadillac Escala concept? If so, thatÂ’s exactly what Cadillac has done with the EscaladeÂ’s interior. The tri-screen layout of the EscalaÂ’s concept dash has been translated into a final production design, and it looks spectacular in person.

Cadillac follows Lincoln in going back to proper names

Who else is excited for the 2025 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham? Right, don't all excitedly jump up and down at the same time. May make Earth wobble. In an interview with multiple outlets (and brought to our attention by Reuters and CNET Roadshow) that mostly covered Cadillac's electrification plans, Cadillac President Steve Carlisle indicated that the brand's Euro-style alphanumeric naming strategy will mercifully be coming to an end. CNET indicates it'll correspond with the rollout of new EV models, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it happen even earlier. Lincoln's similar decision has already proven to be successful, and it's always seemed like a matter of time before Cadillac followed suit given the two brands' similar history and market segments. The current naming convention of CT(number) for cars and XT(number) for crossovers was hatched in 2014 and is widely credited to former Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen, who had previously transformed Infiniti's naming convention into something similarly Germanic. That the man previously worked at Audi should be a surprise to no one. While people have generally been confused by the switch, we can't say it's any worse than the old CTS, XTS, ATS and SRX business that came before. At least de Nysschen's system had a hierarchy. Yet, for a brand once known for grand, stately cars and equally grand, stately names like Eldorado, Seville and, yes, Escalade, a European-style alphanumeric strategy never seemed right. It was at least indicative of Cadillac's constant attempts to emulate German brands rather than setting its own, uniquely American course (as Lincoln has done recently). That the most American and successful of its lineup, the Escalade, hung onto its name through thick-and-thin speaks volumes. So, will we really be seeing that '25 Fleetwood Brougham? That does seem rather doubtful. Beyond Eldorado, there's not a lot out there in the back catalog that doesn't reek of crusty old country club luxury. Or was garbage. Perhaps sampling from Cadillac's concept car file with something like Elmiraj? Whatever it comes up with, though, how could it be worse than simultaneously selling an XT5 and XTS? Cadillac Future Vehicles Luxury

Why an independent rear suspension for GM's new, full-sized SUVs wasn't easy

A Motor Trend report last month laid out how Cadillac's 4.2-lier twin-turbo Blackwing V8 could be an orphan due to cost concerns in the GM empire. Last-minute chassis changes to Cadillac's new sedans and XT6 crossover led to engine bays that couldn't fit the Blackwing. On the SUV side, according to the report, the new independent rear suspension for big people haulers cost so much to implement that GM ruled out reworking the Escalade to accept the Blackwing. At least one commenter rightly asked how could a suspension swallow that much money. A new piece in Motor Trend has the answer. The excellent Alissa Priddle spoke to Tim Herrick, GM's executive chief engineer for full-size trucks, about why the clean-sheet IRS cost "multimillions of dollars."  First, GM would need to build a new body shop at the Arlington, Texas plant that assembles the automaker's big SUVs to stamp the numerous wholly new parts and panels accommodating an IRS. Then GM would need to design and pay for a new assembly process. On top of those up-front costs, there was the incremental cost of the four-link IRS components being more expensive than those in the trucks' former leaf-sprung solid axles. Herrick endured so many rejections for so long that he remembers the date and time when he got approval for the new unit. He said it came down to a meeting where he told a higher-up, "I'll make you a deal: If we get to the reveal, or if we launch this and you think this was a dumb idea, I'll hand you my badge and let you walk me out." Head to Motor Trend to read the full story. Based on Herrick being on stage to help present the new SUVs to the press, and on our First Ride in the new Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban at GM's Milford Proving Grounds, it appears this will have a happy ending for all involved. Furthermore, since Herrick worked on the T1 platform that supports the big SUVs as well as the light- and heavy-duty pickups, he understood the demands on the commercial side, too. That could be why when Roadshow asked Tim Asoklis, chief engineer of the Tahoe and Suburban, if the new IRS could endure life in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, Asoklis answered, "Oh, absolutely." Related Video: