The 2022 Cadillac Escalade offers available Super Cruise™†—the first true hands-free driver assistance technology for compatible roads, including the all-new Automatic Lane Change functionality. The 2022 Escalade SUV offers every high-tech item and the utmost in luxury features. Luckily, due to the Escalade’s massive size, Cadillac could fit it with a lot of those features.
Fine leather, genuine wood, and shiny metal trims line the cabin. A huge, curved digital display dominates the dashboard, serving up both infotainment- and driver-gauge displays in a unique way. The Escalade’s exterior draws inspiration from the gorgeous Escala concept car scaled up to size XXL and adapted to the Escalade’s boxy silhouette. Most Escalades will roll with the standard 6.2-liter V-8 but Cadillac also offers a more fuel-efficient 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six as an option.
No matter the engine, the Escalade’s ride and handling are luxury-car appropriate—but, of course, don’t expect the playfulness you’ll find in the brand’s sedans.
ENGINE AND IMPLEMENTATION
Cadillac’s biggest SUV is powered by either a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that makes 420 horsepower and can deactivate half of its cylinders when cruising to save fuel or a turbo-diesel 3.0-liter inline-six. A 10-speed automatic transmission will be standard with both engines, and buyers will be able to choose from the rear- or all-wheel-drive setups based on their individual needs.
As with its siblings, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and the GMC Yukon, the Escalade rides on an independent rear suspension to help provide a smooth ride. Higher-end models also offer an air suspension with adaptive dampers that use computer-controlled shock absorbers. At our test track, the long-wheelbase Escalade ESV with the V-8 engine sprinted to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds. The diesel engine sounds less refined than the V-8, but for some buyers that compromise is worth the improved fuel economy and low-end torque.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND REAL-WORLD MPG
Rear-wheel drive Escalades are rated at 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined; adding all-wheel drive drops each of those numbers by 1 mpg. The last generation model carried ratings as high as 23 mpg highway and Escalade’s key rival–the Lincoln Navigator–offers more efficient ratings too. Opting for the turbo-diesel engine makes a big difference, with EPA estimates as high as 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. On our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test route, an all-wheel-drive Escalade with the optional diesel engine returned 26 mpg. For more information about Escalade’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
INTERIOR, CONVENIENCE, AND BOOTH
As the flagship of the Cadillac lineup, the 2022 Escalade ups the ante on in-cabin luxury. Faux leather is used in the base Luxury trim, but all other trims receive the real deal, with Platinum models getting soft semi-aniline hides. Leather-covered dash and door panels, aluminum speaker grilles, and adjustable interior ambient lighting provide an upscale appearance. Like the outgoing model, both a standard and long-wheelbase model are offered, the latter of which yields more legroom for third-row riders and additional cargo space.
In addition to the extra luxury features in the cabin, Cadillac has completely tricked out the Escalade in the electronics department. The main showpiece is the digital dashboard that’s comprised of three curved OLED displays that layer on top of one another to create a cool 38-inches of combined digital real estate, some of which serves as the driver’s gauge cluster while the rest projects the CUE infotainment system for the driver and passenger.
The collection of displays is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz GLS-class’s giant monolithic infotainment setup, but the Escalade’s stacked setup creates depth and looks less tacked-on than the Benz. Other tech features include an augmented-reality navigation system and an available rear-seat entertainment package that includes two 12.6-inch displays with streaming capability.
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration and a Wi-Fi hotspot are also standard. Audiophiles will be in for a treat no matter which Escalade model they choose. Cadillac has partnered with Grammy-award-winning audio and acoustics company AKG to develop Escalade’s standard and optional sound systems. A 19-speaker Studio Sound system is standard on the Luxury, Sport, and Premium Luxury models, but Platinum trims get the AKG Studio Reference system with a whopping 36 speakers.
PROTECTION AND DRIVER-ASSISTANCE ASPECTS
Cadillac is set on making its flagship SUV a showcase for driver-assistance technology, though, and in addition to making many of the most popular active-safety features standards, Cadillac says it also will offer its Super Cruise semi-autonomous drive mode as an available feature. For more information about Escalade’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.
PHOTOS
FULL SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED
$112,965 (base price: $83,490)
ENGINE TYPE
pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement
376 in3, 6162 cm3
Power
420 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque
460 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): control arms/trailing arm; Brakes (F/R): 13.5-in vented disc/13.6-in vented disc; Tires: Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02, 275/50R-22 111H M+S TPC Spec 3156MS
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 134.1 in; Length: 227.0; Width: 81.1; Height: 76.5 in; Passenger volume: 180 ft3 ; Cargo volume: 43 ft3 ; Curb Weight: 6270
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.9 sec
100 mph: 15.4 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.2 sec
1/4 mile: 14.5 sec @ 97 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 176 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft dia skidpad: 0.71 g
Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 16/14/19 mpg
2021 Cadillac Escalade Duramax Diesel
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, rear- or rear/4-wheel-drive, 7- or 8-passenger, 4-door wagon
BASE PRICE
RWD, $77,490
4WD, $80,490
ENGINE TYPE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement
183 in3, 2993 cm3
Power
277 hp @ 3750 rpm
Torque
460 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 120.9 in
Length: 211.9 in
Width: 81.1 in
Height: 76.7 in
Passenger volume: 172 ft3
Cargo volume: 26 ft3
Curb weight (C/D est): 6000–6200 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 7.7–7.9 sec
100 mph: 23.9–24.1 sec
1/4 mile: 15.9–16.1 sec
Top speed: 110 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 22–23/20–21/26–27 mpg
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