It took over two decades but the Cadillac Escalade is finally getting supercharged.
On Wednesday, the luxury automaker revealed the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V in full with a blown V-8, available Super Cruise, and it will all cost $149,990 when it arrives later this year.
2023 Cadillac Escalade-V
Under the hood there are no surprises: a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 rated at 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque hooked to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Cadillac said the Escalade V will sprint from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, though it hasn’t said what the big SUV’s top speed is yet. A sport-tuned suspension system with adaptive dampers, Brembo brakes up front, and electronic limited-slip rear differential are all part of the package. A new V drive mode will be exclusive to this Escalade model and enable drivers to tweak the steering weight, brake calibration, suspension firmness, powertrain response, and active exhaust to their liking.
2023 Cadillac Escalade-V
Along with the photos, Cadillac shared a short video that features the sound of the Escalade-V’s engine raging through the gears. The powertrain’s familiar and throaty. The sound warms our hearts and likely the planet.
Design changes are far more subtle than the engine swap, but include a front splitter, red brake calipers and quad-exhaust tips. There’s also V-Series badging inside and out so you know this thing is expensive and supercharged.
2023 Cadillac Escalade-V
Inside there’s a three-spoke steering wheel and what appear to be body-hugging sport bucket seats. The Escalade’s standard curved 38-inch OLED digital display dominates the dashboard and a 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference sound system comes standard. The list of standard equipment is deep including a color heads-up display, rear seat entertainment system, augmented-reality navigation system, night vision, and 16-way power heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats.
Active safety technology including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warnings, surround-view camera system, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control is all standard. But Cadillac’s Level 2 Super Cruise hands-free driver assist system is an option rather than standard.
Note, Cadillac’s plans for the Escalade don’t end with the V-Series, which will inevitably swill gasoline. There will also be a battery-electric version built on General Motors’ Ultium platform. The platform, which debuted in the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, should deliver a range as high as 400 miles in the electric Escalade.
