![]() ![]() When it comes to the V, the tunes outside matter just as much as those inside – though we’ll be touching on the punching AKG sound system a bit latter. Perhaps they will instead care about the 682 hp and 653 pound-feet of torque that pours out of the hand-built V8 to the tune of four fat exhaust pipes that blare, warble, crackle and pop enough to completely reimagine the Escalade soundtrack. Let’s just accept that those with sufficient financial largesse to afford the Escalade-V’s starting price of $149,990 do not care about such things. Gas mileage? Who cares! The environment? Ha, good one. Now, we frequently hear the argument that people happily doling out giant sums of money for giant SUVs couldn’t care less if their gas tank costs more to fill up than someone else’s more efficient giant SUV. Either way, the purchaser of an Escalade-V will have to be OK shelling out loads of excess cash to Shell. Maybe 13 mpg combined? The trip computer showed 14.5 after 150 miles of highway driving. Just in time for gas prices to hit $5 per gallon.Ĭadillac conveniently made the Escalade-V available for press drives before official EPA gas mileage estimates are available, but considering the regular 4x4 Escalade and its naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 returns 16 miles per gallon combined, one can assume adding 262 extra horses is going to make it a wee bit thirstier. But two years later, that performance-oriented Escalade is here, complete with a 682-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Obviously, it wasn’t – the current Escalade debuted for ’21 without a V. Focus groups loved it, commenting that it should be part of the lineup from the get-go. According to designer Robert Hunwick Jr., his team did a rendering of a more performance-oriented version of the next-generation Escalade during that truck’s development. And the Escalade-V can tow 7,000 pounds should the need arise.PHOENIX – The 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V was not always in the cards. V-specific wheels wear Bridgestone all-season tires. Semi-aniline leather with wood trim is the order of the day, with features like augmented reality navigation included as standard equipment. The digital dash is V-specific with a bit more pizzaz, but you won't find any lap timers in the system. The interior is very much Platinum spec, devoid of red trim or race-inspired seats. Suspension upgrades offer a bit more edge but still specialize in comfort and isolation. And yes, Escalade-V comes with launch control for plastering passengers in all three rows to the back of their seats.Īt its core, however, the Escalade-V remains a luxury-focused full-size SUV. That includes a special V mode that turns all the performance settings to max. Speaking of modes, drivers can fine-tune everything from the suspension firmness and all-wheel-drive system to the steering feel, brake pressure, and engine sound through various drive modes. Damper hardware tuning and calibration is unique to the Escalade-V, and in Sport mode, it sits nearly an inch lower. ![]() Six-piston Brembo brakes are installed up front, and the Caddy's standard-issue air ride suspension with Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 gains stiffer springs at the back. The top speed is 124 mph.Įngineers didn't simply infuse the Escalade with power. Cadillac says the three-ton SUV will reach 60 mph in under 4.4 seconds and continue through the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds, hitting 110 mph in the process. There is no pure rear-wheel-drive setting, which is bad news for aggressive Escalade-V burnouts but great news for acceleration. It goes to all four wheels permanently with an all-wheel-drive system that splits power 50/50 in normal operation, or up to 66 percent rearward in Sport mode. Shifting is still handled by the Escalade's 10-speed automatic transmission, calibrated to handle the extra power. An active exhaust system with quad tips provides audible confirmation of that power, or it can be set to quiet mode for serene luxury motoring. The tradeoff is slightly less torque than the sedan, 653 pound-feet which hits at 4,400 revs. The result is 682 hp – 14 more than the CT5-V Blackwing – and it peaks lower at 6,000 rpm. It's not a straight swap the Escalade-V gets a larger supercharger with a four-lobe rotor design, pumping out 10 pounds of boost while giving the engine a broader powerband. Let's start under the hood, where you'll find the same 6.2-liter force-fed V8 used in the CT5-V Blackwing. ![]()
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