2021 Cadillac Escalade – Full-Size Luxury SUV. 2021 Cadillac Escalade – Drive, Interior and Exterior. Subscribe.
Confidence-inspiring performance remains a hallmark of the 2021 Escalade, with a new 6.2L V-8 engine offered as standard. With variable valve timing, stop/start and Dynamic Fuel Management technologies, it balances performance — 420 horsepower (313 kW) — with comparative efficiency.
For the first time ever, the Escalade is also offered with an available 3.0L turbo-diesel engine, which is designed to produce strong torque across the power band for confident performance and trailering capability. In fact, its 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of peak torque matches the 6.2L V-8.
Both engines are matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission with electronic shift control; and a trailering package is standard on all models. An enhanced trailering experience is offered with the available Trailering Integration Package.
The all-new 2021 Escalade goes on sale in late-2020 in North America, with availability in other regions to follow. It is manufactured at GM’s Arlington, Texas assembly facility, which has received more than $1.4 billion in investments since 2015. The Arlington plant employs approximately 4,800 hourly and salaried personnel, and was recently upgraded with a new paint shop, body shop and additional assembly quality improvements to support the production of new SUVs.
The most spacious Escalade ever is complemented with new and enhanced chassis technologies intended to deliver a responsive, precise driving experience that offers exceptional isolation from the road. Contributing elements include:
– An all-new independent rear suspension fundamentally transforms the driving dynamics of the Escalade, allowing each rear wheel to handle road conditions separately to dramatically enhance ride quality, steering responsiveness and overall driver control.
– Cadillac’s signature Magnetic Ride Control, the world’s fastest reacting suspension technology, continues for Escalade. It uses sensors to continually “read” the road and alter the damping rate of the shocks almost instantly. It reacts much faster than computer-controlled shock absorbers to reduce vertical body motion, body roll and vibrations that can often resonate in a large SUV.
– New Air Ride Adaptive Suspension is available as a new system that combines with Magnetic Ride Control. The Air Suspension delivers automatic load-leveling and ride-height adjustments continuously at all four wheels. In highway driving, the system automatically lowers the ride height to improve aerodynamics; and a driver-selectable setting lowers the suspension 2 inches (51 mm) to aid passenger entry and exit when the vehicle is parked. Drivers can also raise the body for additional ground clearance when driving off-road.
– An electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) is available, offering more precise traction and power engagement for the rear wheels. Its infinitely variable clutch engagement delivers torque to the wheel with the most traction, including cornering and wet weather conditions.
Escalade’s available and unique combination of Magnetic Ride Control, Air Ride Adaptive Suspension and eLSD offers exceptional body control and remarkable agility for a vehicle of its scale. Four-wheel drive is available on all models.
The 2021 Escalade enters the future of mobility as the first full-size SUV with Super Cruise driver assistance technology. It enables hands-free driving on more than 200,000 miles of compatible highways in the United States and Canada, using LiDAR map data, high-precision GPS, a state-of-the-art driver attention system and a network of cameras and radar sensors.
The 2021 Escalade features an enhanced Super Cruise 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; and recent technology enhancements include dynamic lane offset, which can adjust the Escalade slightly over in its lane for driver comfort when other vehicles are passing in close proximity. Additionally, new messaging on the driver information center alerts drivers when Super Cruise may not be available in certain instances.
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 and a large enclosed subwoofer, powered by a 14-channel amplifier.
