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Cadillac Escala Concept shows off a softer side of American luxury

When Cadillac announced that it would be appearing at Monterey Car Week with a stunning, new concept, the news sent a rush of blood to the head. Would it be a CT6 Coupe? A new V-series model? A follow-up to the show-stopping Elmiraj? Tonight, at the beginning of a weekend of festivities to tantalize automotive enthusiasts and aficionados, Cadillac instead showed off a glimpse of reality: the Escala four-door coupe concept. It wasn't behind a flat-white background, but at a futuristic yet modern home nestled in the hills that Cadillac president Johan De Nysschen introduced the Escala as a "point of inflection" for the brand. Keen observers will note that "Escala" is nearly "Escalade," but any similarity between the two vehicles ends there. De Nysschen noted that the four-door is meant to "relentlessly drive this brand back to its place at the pinnacle of premium." "Nothing less will do," de Nysschen said. The Escala is neither as bold as some recent Cadillacs to take the stage, nor as brash. From a distance, it has a wide, muscular stance wrapped in a tailored suit. Up close, it almost resembles a four-door Camaro — perhaps a nod to the work of former Holden design chief and incoming General Motors director of design, Michael Simcoe. De Nysschen described the Escala project as an "opportunity for designers to flex their creative muscle." The Escala seems to have a footprint mirroring that of a Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, but it feels wider and smaller at the same time. Is the shape derivative? Perhaps, but the Escala's design is less a reflection of a future, incognito Cadillac, and more of a chance for the brand to show off the details that might soon become icons. The Escala's shape may not be earth-shatteringly different, but the truth is in its details. The mirrors are as thin as designer spectacles. The C-pillar offers an opportunity to show off Cadillac's latest take on the Hoffmeister kink. A glass roof adds visual airiness. And a simple "GM DESIGN" badge sits below the side doors, in deference to the stylists who labored to make the Escala different. The most defining element of the concept is the way it utilizes light. There isn't anything blinding about its lighting, but that means you can focus on the shape and appreciate the ambience. The depth of the LED tail lights adds visual length to the Escala and shows where Cadillac's designers placed the most importance. It's contrast and beauty at once.

You want screens? The 2021 Cadillac Escalade infotainment system gives you screens

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade’s infotainment system shocked and awed when it debuted, but now weÂ’ve finally had a chance to live with both it and the giant SUV that surrounds it for a week. Sliding behind the triple OLED screens is like stepping into the tech-forward future Cadillac promised us. The 6.2-liter push-rod V8 under the hood says otherwise, but the interior technology has already arrived. There are three screens in total: a 16.9-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, a 14.2-inch instrument cluster and a 7.2-inch touchscreen to the left of the cluster. All three are OLED displays, and just as you might expect, they are gorgeous to take in. None of the high-tech German luxury vehicles have screens this pretty. The Escalade's donÂ’t just look great, though. All three screens are quick to react and pop through functions/menus without a hitch. The only slop or delay in the whole system is when you go to turn the cluster's augmented reality (AR) camera on  — you wait one potato, two potato, and then the feed pops up. ItÂ’s a new take on GMÂ’s infotainment system as a whole. YouÂ’ll still be swiping side-to-side through an iPad-esque display of apps, but the UI is totally rethought and appears fresh. Icons are big and easy to press. Nothing is hidden off-screen at any point. It just makes good sense. 2021 Cadillac Escalade infotainment View 17 Photos Cadillac has found a way to better utilize its redundant scroll wheel, too. Though it's the same wheel as is on other models, this time the whole display changes to match the wheelÂ’s action when you use it. For example, the home screen turns into a revolving circle of apps that you twist through as soon as you twist the dial. It may take some getting used to, but the option between two different interfaces that both function well is a positive. Redundant combos of touchscreen and control wheel are common, but no one offers something like this.  Keeping a few physical buttons and an actual volume knob around to control the infotainment system is another thoughtful touch — same goes for the climate controls, which entirely consist of physical buttons. Despite the central instrument panel screenÂ’s prodigious size, you wonÂ’t actually find a whole lot buried in there. All of the trip settings and general car settings have been moved into the infotainment system itself.

2020 Cadillac Escalade spied for the first time

Cadillac is expanding its crossover and SUV range with a new three-row XT6, but that doesn't mean it has forgotten about the one that started it all. As seen in the above photos, the company is testing a new version of the Cadillac Escalade. It's well-covered, but there are a number of details that we can make out. We'll get to what we can see of the design in a bit, but the big news is the suspension. Like the new Tahoe we previously spied, the 2020 Cadillac Escalade will have an independent rear suspension replacing the solid axle set-up that GM's full-size SUVs have always possessed. Its rivals from Ford/Lincoln went independent long ago. We can't underline enough how much of a difference this will make. Handling should be less cumbersome and the ride will be smoother and less prone to jiggling over bumps. It would be improved even further if Cadillac continues to offer magnetically controlled shocks as standard. Inside, the third-row should be positioned lower, thus lowering the current sky-high load height and resulting in a third-row that's actually habitable. In other words, the Escalade won't be so archaic. You can see the visual differences between the new (top) and current (bottom) designs below. Now, as for the design, our best clue to the new Escalade's design is in the grille. The flashy slatted chrome grille of the current model is gone and in its place a more modest mesh grille with little studs pushed to the front. It's very much like the grille found on the new CT6 and XT4. Also, like those two vehicles, the headlights appear to have more horizontal elements than the very vertical examples on the current Escalade. The rest of the SUV is harder to make out. The profile is very similar to the current one, and will surely be shared with the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon models. The rear features new rectangular exhaust tips nestled into the rear bumper. The taillights will likely continue to stretch up the rear pillars. Like the suspension, the Escalade will continue to be generally mechanically the same as the aforementioned Chevy and GMC versions, albeit with the best parts standard. The updated 6.2-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management first introduced on the Silverado and Sierra will likely be the standard engine. It will then be paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission. With the new Navigator so widely impressing in reviews and in sales, this new Cadillac Escalade will have to step it up.