Five Things to Know About the 2021 Cadillac Escalade

Published on March 6, 2020 in Previews by Guillaume Rivard

In February, General Motors unveiled the final piece of its new full-size SUV offensive with the fifth-generation 2021 Cadillac Escalade. Of course, this is a very important product for the brand, especially since BMW recently launched the X7 and Mercedes-Benz significantly upgraded the GLS.

The redesigned Escalade will go on sale in Canada this summer and pricing will be announced just before its arrival. In the meantime, here are five things you need to know about this vehicle…

More Space

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade offers more room for passengers and their cargo. A new architecture and new chassis technologies have significantly expanded interior volume, including more than 25 centimetres of additional legroom in the third row and an 80-percent increase in maximum cargo space in the trunk (773 litres) of the standard-length model. Access to the second and third rows has also been improved.

New Suspension

The new independent rear suspension that enabled a lower interior floor makes a huge difference on the road, too. This suspension can utilize either classic dampers (standard) or one of two MagneRide systems (optional). The first is connected to sensors that scan every inch of the road at 95 km/h. The second adds adaptive air damping for automatic or driver-controlled ride height adjustments on the fly. You can lower the suspension to aid passenger entry and exit when the vehicle is parked or raise the body for additional ground clearance when driving off-road.

Two Engines… and an Electric Escalade?

The company is offering a diesel option, namely the 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder Duramax that’s also available in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, not to mention the redesigned Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. It produces 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

The standard engine remains the 6.2-litre gasoline V8 which serves up the same amount of torque along with 420 horsepower. In both cases, a 10-speed automatic transmission handles shifting.

Earlier this week, a presentation of future EVs at GM’s Tech Center in Warren, Michigan included a big surprise in the form of a large Cadillac SUV sized like the Escalade. This likely confirms rumours of an electric Escalade… unless a different name is chosen.

Super Cruise

The 2021 Escalade features an enhanced Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system with several new features and improvements, including automated lane change. Automated lane change will allow the driver to direct the system to perform a single lane change using the turn signal to indicate the direction of the desired move. Super Cruise’s driver attention system helps keep drivers engaged by detecting and signaling when drivers need to pay more attention to the road.

Like a Movie Theatre

Finally, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade boasts a massive 38-inch curved display with OLED technology for superior graphics quality. It is split into three sections: the main one facing the driver is for the eyes only, while the two sections on each side are actually touchscreens. The theatre-like display boasts double the pixel count of a 4K television and it can be configured the way you want.

Known worldwide for microphones and headphones used by leading musicians in recording studios and live venues, AKG has brought its audio technology to the auto industry for the first time, exclusively for Cadillac. The result is the Escalade’s available AKG Studio Reference system, 36 speakers powered by three amplifiers that deliver 28 channels, offering a listening experience that is astonishingly crisp and immersive. A standard AKG Studio system includes 19 speakers including a large enclosed subwoofer, powered by a 14-channel amplifier.