The Sopranos, rappers and suburban mums (perhaps the Chinese as well…) can all rejoice; yes, that's right, the Cadillac Escalade is making a comeback - in fact quite a visual one, as you can see in our illustration based on recent spy shots and our own intel.
On the heels of the latest Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, GM's Cadillac unit has been busy massaging the truck-based platform with the aim of turning it into America's ultimate luxury SUV statement.
When first introduced in 1999, the aim was to tackle opposition from the likes of the Ford Group's Lincoln Navigator. The resulting effort was rather dismal as GM hastily took the GMC Yukon Denali as a starting point and barely modified it; thankfully whilst still being truck-based, successive generations have somewhat improved.
More Cadillac design DNA has filtered across the second and third generations, widening the styling differentiation between the Escalade and its GMC stablemate.
Released in 2006, the current GMT900-based version has allured those with a hunger for big wheels and chrome; however, sadly they were accompanied by an unrefined mishmash of shapes and detailing.
The next, fourth generation model will look to rectify these misadventures and give the world a much cleaner looking Escalade. How does one know? Have I gone to the future and illustrated one? Well almost; the creative rendering you see here is based on camouflaged test mules spotted along the highway wilderness. Some details are impossible to make out, but the ones that count have been captured and illustrated for you to see.
Starting at the business end, the frontal graphic imprints a strong visual statement. It is dominated by the bold signature Cadillac grille flanked by vertical headlights that sit slightly recessed against a character line that boldly starts from the bottom intake, across the headlight/fender and all the way back to the rear. Aligned parallel with the other side body creases, this aesthetic is much classier, cleaner and refined.
Also lending itself to a simpler view is the all-new glasshouse; the A-pillars are still of similar form to the Silverado/Sierra, but beyond that the stampings are different. The C-Pillar in particular now appears blacked out with the Cadillac emblem positioned near its base. Also new is the chrome framing on the upper part of the doorframes. Elsewhere, the mirror-like coatings can be found in the lower intake gills, side steps and trunk plaque.
While we've yet to view the cabin, GM has indicated interior differentiation will be greater than previous attempts, with more upmarket and Cadillac-specific styling to justify the higher sticker.
We expect the new Escalade to come with a host of tech and safety wizardry such as Cadillac's CUE system with integrated touchscreen, lane departure warning, radar based cruise control and potentially an HUD (heads up display) to name but a few.
As a whole, the upcoming Escalade is shaping up to be quite a comprehensive package. Mark Reuss, President of General Motors North America has described the next generation Caddy as being "mush less ostentatious" and elegant. What do you think? Let us know below.
By Josh Byrnes
Renderings Copyright: CarScoop / Josh Byrnes
30 Comments:
whilst. lol
A boxier and truckier Q7?
Why would anyone want to buy this over a Range Rover? X5? ML? Cayenne? Touareg? If one needs a people-mover in the same price category, the Infiniti JX on the low end, & Mercedes GL on the high end, do the job better. Or forget an SUV all together and go for the Mercedes E-series wagon if you need extra cargo space, & treat yourself to a rewarding driving experience....
Most people who buy it don't use it to the truck's full potential, why not save on fuel, & actually drive something engaging? Nor do they utilize it's seating capacity. It's a pain to park, a hog at the pump, drives like a boat with a floaty ride that doesn't even absorb roadbumps well to begin with, uninspiring interior, with more seating & towing capacity then you'll ever use... and it still looks like a dressed up Yukon.
This thing would be much better as a Traverse/Acadia triplet & more proportioned. This looks like a more elegant version of the earlier leaked Escalade rendering, the earlier one was far more "art deco," thematically speaking.
It looks great
You guys did awesome job with this rendering.
Thank you.
I love it. Cadillac has it going on these days.
Can't really tell that much from a rendering such as this, and especially what its driving manors would be as outlined below. Will wait until seeing it in the flesh as so many vehicles look differently then. One thing seems apparent from the drawing, it doesn't look as blinged out as before and more Euro in flavor. I agree, Caddy has been turning out some very nice cars as of late. Keep it going GM!
I like it! Might just buy one to piss off the eco/euro weenies. Gotta haul the Donzi with something anyway, ya know?
If it looks like that and only it looks like that, meaning its not just a cheap copy of the yukon or any other iterations for that matter. But if its a stand alone design that is unique caddilac then I will buy it.
Have you driven the cars mentioned above including the Escalade? First most of these vehicles mentioned are not in the same category, and the ones are, are light years behind escalade.
It seemed to have lost some of it's prominent identity as a Cadillac from the back end with all the rounded "edges"...have to see the full set of photos to determine that. If it wants to compete with the rest in it's class it better lose alot of weight and improve the interior and mpg.
X5, ML, Cayenne, Toureg - Not the same size or price range.
JX - Hideous and doesn't sell
GL and Range Rover - Probably the only comparable options. Meaning, plenty of room for the Escalade and Denali. And they sell well. This new Escalade looks like it could be amazing.
As for your assessment of what other people "should" drive, that's really no one's business except for the buyer.
looks more like a bus
Clearly you don't have a clue. What are you talking about, do you know?
M
Oh I sure do have a clue, I drive these cars all the time and the only 2 that are basically same class with Escalade are GL and Range Rover. GL feels like really cheaply built with harsh ride poor fuel economy and no where near capabilities. Range Rover feels good in quality but really cramped inside. People who buy these vehicles want great comfortable ride with lots of power capabilities and great features, and that's what Escalade can offer, not to mention, everything European will loose its value a lot quicker.
We're thinking alike! That's what I'd like to see, fingers crossed. Beautiful machine.
My point is that the Escalade is only great for someone who has a lot of passengers and enjoys the utility & functionality of a big-ute.
If you intend to just drive it to work, run kids to school, or to the mall, there are many more comfortable, park-able, more fuel efficient, and better handling alternatives on the market that provide space, utility, luxury, & light off-road prowess.
I'm not saying people "should" drive this, but do recall the prestige that brought the Escalde into vogue was by enough people stating and attaching status to a big ute. And those looking to signal status have boughten into that drivel. We can change this by socially disapproving of the use of this behemoth as a status symbol, & praise instead our socially preferred alternatives.
The X5, Range, ML, JX, GL, Cayenne, Q7, and RX are all light years ahead of the Escalade. The day a pickup truck based ute can handle like a sports sedan, ride like a bentley, with a more sophisticated design language, a more luxurious interior, and a more fuel efficient package, then, and only then, will it be on par(forget light years) with those car-based utes. Recall what these luxury car-based utes are made for, what they are capable of, and what people buy them for and use them as. The Escalade takes a back seat to everyone one of those car-based utes.
Not bad, but Like the design of the present Escalade much better.
Looks like a Flex, not tall enough.
So Cool.
stunning...very,very nice redesign and I am sure the interior is even better
Will it finally be as good as a Range Rover?
Looking nice!
Still looks like a Flex, it's too short. I hate the flex
as a suburban escalade driving mom, i miss the height-looks a little squished. also, the tail lights are important to me and i can't see them here. BTW, i'm no rapper or star, just a wasp
People buy it because of two things: size and image. Size, because it's an accepted philosophy that bigger is better; that is why companies still make these big cars! Whether this is actually true or not doesn't matter because people always want to be the big boy on the road. And image because it's a Cadillac which is synominous with americn luxury. Not to mention Cadillacs/Escalades are THE ride of celebrities, politicians etc. Whether its the best car in it segment doesn't really matter to the market Cadillac is aiming to sell the Escalade to.
The New 2014 Escalade Looks great IF, AND I SAY IF GM KEEPS THIS ONE THAT WE SEE IN FRONT OF US ? OR CUT CHOP IN down to a smaller size sort of like the volt, At one time that was looking very KOOL,THEN whatever got it and forgetaboutit !!
The Escalade has a market segment...It's own!! There is nothing else on the road like it, save it's sisters (Suburban & Denali). People driving them have entourages, buy items they can take with and can afford the gas it takes to cart their peepz & cargo around town!! Maybe that's why all Escalade's numbers constantly leave Rovers, GLs & the like, in it's HUGE shadow!!!
I like the new look. I have been an Escalade fan since the 2007 model came out. Although I admit I own Denali's. My first was the XL and now I own the shorty. It didn't make sense to shell out another $15-$20K for the same truck with a slightly different badge and analog clock on the dash. For me to jump into the next version of Denali or Escalade they have to be very diffrent. Styling and comfort creatures. The Cadi should be 100% American Luxury Truck. The Denali (I know this is not a Denali thread) should be a hybrid of the Yukon and Escalade. Powerful and tough with some finer living inside. Otherwise I would rather drive the Infinity QX56 for about what I paid for my Denali.
Regarding the comments to buy a Range Rover, M5 or some silly wagon. Sounds silly to me. How will I pull my 6,000lb boat to the lake? My 4 place enclosed snowmobile trailer down the mountian pass? Blast through 4 ft snow drifts?
My Dad has the Range Rover HSE Sport. He's not overly impressed with the ride and interior comforts and neither was I. He calls me when he needs to pull his toys to the lake. He even prefers to drive the CLS550 over the Rover in the winter. I would rather see him store it for the winter.
Agree
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