Cadillac Escala Concept: The Harbinger of Cadillac’s New Design Language
After the 2011 Ciel concept and 2013 Elmiraj, Cadillac has once again unveiled a concept car in at a private gala in Monterey. The Escala concept is a full-size sedan with coupe styling. It’s six inches longer than the current CT6 and features a rear hatch for accessing the cargo hold. The car is powered by a new twin-turbo, 4.2-litre V8 with cylinder deactivation technology.
This concept vehicle ushers in a transition in Cadillac’s design language. According to President and CEO Johan De Nysschen, the Escala’s style gives a clear indication of the designs we’ll be seeing on upcoming Cadillac models.
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Coupe style with a four-door boost
The Escala name isn’t meant to indicate a direct relationship with the Escalade SUV, which remains one the brand’s most popular models. It actually means “scale” in Spanish, reflecting the range of styles that will be used for new Cadillac models.
The Escala concept features a sculpted body, indicating a clear shift for the brand with less pronounced angles and a ridged hood. The A-pillars are slender, while the C-pillars bear a certain resemblance to BMW’s Hofmeister kink. The front light clusters were redesigned, as were the inverted Y tail lights. The 22-inch alloy wheels are simply superb with dual spoke levels.
Minimalist interior
The dashboard makes a statement with three curved OLED screens (an LED variant) to replace the traditional instrument cluster. But what really caught our attention was the minimalist style that successfully combines leather and fabric on the seats and dash.
Will this concept see the day as a production model?
Chances are good that the Escala concept is the precursor to a new production model, which could come in more configurations than just a sedan. From a technical standpoint, the Escala shares several components with the current CT6, and the fact that they fine-tuned the twin-turbo, 4.2-litre V8 indicates that there’s more to come, including one or several production models. Just as Mercedes-Benz now offers its S-Class as sedans, coupes and cabriolets, the same could happen at Cadillac as they adapt the Escala concept for mass production.