Cadillac's Escalade SUV is on a mission to sit atop the luxury ladder

By Miles Branman February 10, 2016

Cadillac Escalade Platinum — 2015 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Image used with permission by copyright holder

Each new generation of Cadillac’s Escalade seems to improve significantly over its previous generation when it comes to refinement and styling, but it would appear the next-generation SUV will pioneer elite levels of luxury for the brand.

Cadillac’s President, Johan de Nysschen, has revealed some lofty aspirations for the flagship model, lofty … and expensive. In an interview with The Detroit News, de Nysschen said the vehicle “must become more sophisticated and technically advanced.”

Ok, so far we could be quoting pretty much any executive describing the next generation of their star model, but de Nysschen also admitted that the current form needed improvement — an interesting note considering how successful the SUV has been for the brand lately.

Sweeping changes could fit nicely with previous hints from the company that an ultra-luxury version of the Escalade is coming with a price tag in the $100,000 range. For reference, the 2016 Escalade starts at $72,970. Already there’s a premium variant available for $81,545, but that leaves a lot of room for a distinctive range-topper.

There’s also talk of a higher performance, V-branded Escalade, which will surpass the 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque in the current model. There are a number of zesty engine options in GM’s portfolio, but most likely, a supercharger would find its way under the hood.

Cadillac’s boss also mentioned it would retain the body-on-frame architecture for the next-generation model instead of switching to a unibody design.

In terms of interior updates, the CT6 has put several new designs and technologies on the table, including a rear camera mirror, 360-degree camera recording, a Bose Panaray 34-speaker sound system, and a 10.2-inch CUE infotainment system with Chromecast streaming.

Undoubtedly, Cadillac will pull out all the stops for its brash and beautiful SUV, but we likely won’t see significant changes for another couple years.

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