- Precisely crafted interior with more technology
- Emotional design evolution complemented by quieter cabin, smoother performance and more efficient powertrain
- Higher levels of luxury, with sophisticated new technology for safety and connectivity
NEW YORK – Cadillac today introduced the all-new 2015 Escalade, a sophisticated luxury SUV designed to establish new benchmarks for hand-tailored craftsmanship and technology.
The fourth-generation Escalade is an entirely new design yet instantly recognizable. Much of the story of Cadillac’s redesigned flagship SUV is on the interior, where new levels of luxury combine with the latest technology.
“Cadillac’s growth provides the ideal stage for the all-new Escalade to take a major leap forward,” said Bob Ferguson, senior vice president, Global Cadillac. “The 2015 Escalade is completely new and elevated in design and technology, inside and out. The clear objective is to once again assume the leadership position among luxury SUVs.”
From its introduction, Escalade quickly became the standard among luxury SUVs with a formula of bold design, powerful capability and luxurious accommodations for up to eight occupants. Three succeeding generations led luxury SUV customers to confer icon status on it. The 2015 Escalade takes design and technical elements from Cadillac’s product expansion to elevate the brand’s signature SUV.
Production of the 2015 Escalade begins next spring in Arlington, Texas. The product line will consist of the standard Escalade model, as well as the extended-length ESV edition, with offers a 14-inch-longer (355 mm) wheelbase and approximately 20 inches (508 mm) more in overall length, maximizing space for third-row passengers and 60 percent more cargo space behind the third-row seat than the Escalade.
Offered with 2WD and 4WD drivetrains, Escalade features a new 6.2L V-8 engine that is more powerful and more efficient than previous models. Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control, the world’s fastest-reacting suspension system, is now standard and delivers precisely controlled driving performance.
The exterior features crisp, new and more sophisticated surfaces, accented by dramatic light-emitting diode, or LED, lighting.
The new interior features cut-and-sewn and wrapped materials, with wood trim options chosen for elegance and authenticity. Seats were engineered to be more comfortable and sculpted in appearance. The new interior is dramatically quieter, too, thanks to a stronger new body structure, new and enhanced acoustic material, and Bose Active Noise Cancellation technology.
CUE, Cadillac’s advanced system for connectivity and control, is standard featuring state-of-the-art voice recognition with touch controls common with the world’s most popular tablets and mobile devices. A standard 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster can be reconfigured with four themes and an available head-up display projects information onto the windshield. An available Blu-Ray DVD rear entertainment system includes a nine-inch, roof-mounted screen on Escalade and two nine-inch screens on Escalade ESV.
The front seating area offers more than 1.5 inches (44 mm) more headroom and more than four inches (101 mm) of additional legroom compared to previous models while the second- and third-row seats fold flat for greater cargo versatility – and a segment-first hands-free liftgate includes programmable height settings.
Escalade’s new technologies include safety features to help protect occupants before, during and after a collision, such as Front and Rear Automatic Braking, which relies on short-range radar technology and ultrasonic sensors to help the driver avoid front and rear low-speed collisions via a progression of alerts that extend to complete braking, if necessary.
Also new is the segment’s only Front Seat Center-Mounted air bag, which is engineered to provide additional protection to drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes, where the affected occupant is on the opposite, non-struck side of the vehicle.
A Driver Awareness package includes Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning System, and the patented Safety Alert Seat, which offers directional vibrations to alert the driver about potential crash threats. A Driver Assist package adds Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control, Front and Rear Automatic Braking, Automatic Collision Preparation and Automatic Safety Belt Tightening.
Additionally, Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Change Alert are standard on Luxury and Premium models.
Crafted interior
Craftsmanship defines the 2015 Escalade’s passenger space, designed to be one of the industry’s most authentic and luxurious cabins mixed with seamless technology integration for today’s connected luxury customers.
Real wood combined with premium cut-and-sewn materials and sueded accents, along with ambient lighting, were designed to add elegance to the interior design. Tight tolerances of the instrument panel and door panels, precision controls and triple-sealed doors were engineered and designed to reinforce a feeling of quality.
“An exceptional level of craftsmanship has gone into the redesign of the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, and it all centers on the premium materials and extensive use of cut-and-sew live stitching – the way fine furniture is produced,” said Eric Clough, director of design, Cadillac Interiors. “We designed Escalade with what we call the beauty of contrast. It offers a distinctive combination of bold, truck-like character, but also the refinement of the Cadillac form vocabulary and technology.”
The seats were designed to be more comfortable and sculpted in appearance with a reclining second row. The design incorporates dual-firmness foam that ensures long-trip comfort and helps retain appearance over time.
Heated and cooled seats are standard in front and second-row bucket seats have standard heat. The available second-row bench has heated outboard seats now reclines.
Intuitive technology
Technology is integral to the Escalade’s driving experience. New and enhanced features help make what already was one of the industry’s most-connected vehicles more intuitive.
For the first time, Escalade will feature CUE standard. The eight-inch center screen uses capacitive touch technology and gesture recognition, enabling tapping and swiping common to smartphones and tablets. CUE uses proximity sensors to activate common options and controls as the user’s hand approaches. An expanded “favorites” section offers quick access to phone contacts, navigation destinations – even digital music – in the same one-touch form as traditional radio presets.
The instrument cluster features a standard, reconfigurable, high-resolution 12.3-inch digital driver information center display paired with Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system. Key data also is displayed on an available, full-color head-up display. Along with vehicle systems information, the color driver information center also provides details on the audio, Bluetooth phone and navigation systems, and they can be easily adjusted via steering wheel controls.
Precise exterior
The new Escalade’s exterior advances a 15-year legacy of design distinction with evolved character cues designed to add sophistication. Full LED lighting creates a bold new interpretation of Cadillac’s vertical light signature.
The headlamps incorporate the industry’s first Total Internal Reflection LED high-beam function, which consists of four vertically stacked crystal lenses and LEDs. The low beam consists of five crystal lenses and LEDs that create the light pattern. The Cadillac script is branded in the headlamp bezel. Tall, thin vertical LED taillamps reach to the top of the Escalade and feature the brand’s wreath-and-crest insignia, which illuminates in the dark. Escalade also features LED-illuminated door handles on the Premium Collection.
“The new Escalade’s surfacing is sophisticated, and the sectioning of the body exudes more emotion to forge a new presence for Cadillac’s iconic SUV,” said Bob Boniface, design director, Cadillac Exteriors. “Our designers worked with the studio sculptors closer than ever to translate a two-dimensional vision into a three-dimensional representation that captures your attention from afar, and then pulls you in with beautiful details in the lamps, door handles and wheels.”
New inlaid doors fit into the body side openings instead of over the top of the body, significantly reducing wind noise and contributing to improved aerodynamics that help the vehicles slip through the air on the highway with less wind drag. Active air shutters close in front of the condenser/radiator assembly at certain highway speeds to improve aerodynamics for greater efficiency. A lightweight aluminum hood and liftgate panels reduce overall mass.
Body panel gaps are tighter throughout. The new liftgate is designed to be sleeker in appearance integrates the rear window wiper into the spoiler.
“Moving the rear wiper to the top of the glass and packaging it within the contours of the spoiler resulted in a clean appearance and improved visibility,” said Boniface. “It is an example of the attention to detail in the new Escalade.”
Performance and driving experience
The performance threshold for the 2015 Escalade lineup rises with an all-new, more efficient 6.2L V-8 engine rated at an SAE-certified 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 460 lb-ft of torque (623 Nm) – a nearly 5-percent increase in horsepower and 10 percent more torque. The greater torque delivers an enhanced feeling of power on demand, particularly from a standstill and at low speeds.
The new 6.2L features state-of-the-art technologies, including direct injection, Active Fuel Management, or cylinder deactivation, continuously variable valve timing and an advanced combustion system, designed to make the most of power, torque and efficiency across a broad range of operating conditions. More precisely controlled combustion enables Escalade to run with a higher compression ratio, which delivers greater power and greater expected efficiency.
The engine is matched with the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission with enhanced TapShift control.
Escalade’s performance is channeled to a more sophisticated chassis and suspension system, engineered for a greater feeling of solidity and a quieter, smoother ride. A fully boxed frame – composed of more than 75 percent high-strength steel – is the foundation for its ride quality. New shear-style body mounts help reduce vibrations transmitted into the vehicle.
Additional chassis and suspension highlights include:
- Coil-over-shock front suspension and five-link/coil-spring rear suspension
- Wider rear track that contributes to a more planted stance
- Standard 20-inch wheels and available 22-inch wheels
- New, electric variable-assist power steering system that enhances fuel economy and tailors steering assist to vehicle speed
- New 9.5-inch rear axle and standard automatic locking rear differential
- StabiliTrak electronic stability control, incorporating tow/haul mode, auto grade braking and hill start assist
- New four-wheel-disc brake system with Duralife™ brake rotors that offer up to double the service life, along with brake pedal revisions engineered to improve pedal feel for more confident braking performance
- Third-generation magnetic ride control is standard with Tour and Sport modes.
Magnetic Ride Control is a real-time damping system that delivers more precise body motion control by “reading” the road every millisecond. Damping can go from full force to lowest force in a few milliseconds, or within three inches of road travel. It replaces conventional mechanical-valve shocks with electronically controlled shocks filled with a magneto-rheological fluid containing minute iron particles. Under the presence of a magnetic field, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance almost instantly.
Security measures
The new Escalade has been designed with greater security features to thwart theft attempts, including an intrusion sensor, inclination sensor and glass breakage sensors. Along with triggering the vehicle’s alarm systems, some of the features shut down key control systems to make it almost impossible to start or move the vehicle. The security features are supported by OnStar Stolen Vehicle Assistance, which can help police locate the vehicle.
CADILLAC ESCALADE FEATURES BOSE CENTERPOINT SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM
Escalade equipped with one of the most advanced sound systems from Bose
NEW YORK – Cadillac today is showcasing the all-new Bose audio system in the 2015 Escalade luxury utility vehicle. The Centerpoint® surround sound system is the most advanced system from Bose ever in a Cadillac. Customized exclusively for the Escalade, the Bose system features new technologies that help heighten the sophisticated in-vehicle experience for Cadillac’s new flagship SUV.
“Bose’s expertise is in perfect alignment with Cadillac’s progressive integration of advanced technology,” said Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus. “With the standard all-new Bose audio system in the Escalade, we continue to elevate the level of luxury offered to our customers.”
The 2015 Escalade has been artfully created to highlight Cadillac’s high level of luxury and craftsmanship. The all-new interior combines luxurious, handcrafted elements with state-of-the-art advanced technology. The new design takes advantage of Cadillac’s cut-and-sew interior, enabling precisely elegant surfacing of the instrument panel and door areas.
Advanced technical features and controls are designed to add a boldly modern element to the Escalade design, as well as offering the latest features in luxury, connectivity and safety for up to eight occupants. The Bose Centerpoint surround sound system complements the other sophisticated attributes of the 2015 Escalade.
Proprietary technologies and 16 strategically placed speakers create a concert-like experience throughout the cabin. Five custom-tuned speakers placed across the instrument panel and front doors, combined with Bose Advanced Staging Technology, help reproduce expansive, crystal-clear sound precision and clarity.
Along with the five forward speakers, there are one-inch tweeters in each mirror patch and each rear door, 5.25-inch speakers in each rear door, 2.5-inch Twiddler® speakers in each D-pillar, 6×9-inch woofers in each front door, and a 5.25-inch Richbass® woofer housed under the front-center console.
Further enhancing the experience within the Escalade’s cabin is Bose Centerpoint 2.0 signal processing technology, which enables a surround sound experience across all rows and SurroundStage® signal processing circuitry, which compensates for off-center vehicle seating to create a 360-degree sound for every occupant.
The Bose Centerpoint surround sound system is standard on all 2015 Escalade models.
The 2015 Escalade design is entirely new yet instantly recognizable. Much of the Escalade redesign focuses on the interior, where new levels of hand-crafted luxury combine with the latest technologies. The all-new Escalade goes on sale this spring and is built in Arlington, Texas.
ELECTRIFYING CRAFTSMANSHIP: A LOOK AT THE 2015 ESCALADE’S LED EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The all-new 2015 Cadillac Escalade’s exterior design uses architecture-influenced approaches to take its unmistakable appearance to a new level of sophistication while the brand’s heritage and the powerful appearance of modern urban buildings inspired a bold new interpretation of Cadillac’s vertical light signature.
“The 2015 Escalade exterior light signature draws inspiration from a variety of sources, beginning with Cadillac’s heritage of vertical exterior lamps and extending into architecture,” said Exterior Lighting Design Manager Martin Davis. “Iconic buildings, like the Hearst Tower in New York City, were a big inspiration due to the interplay of glass and metal.”
Vertical lighting, a Cadillac signature since 1948, remains a vital and ever-evolving theme for designers today. Davis and his team studied Cadillacs from history, especially the 1967 Eldorado and Deville models.
The strong relationship between glass and metal of Manhattan skyscrapers especially influenced the Escalade’s designers. The combination of the materials suggest the lighting elements are floating in space. Each of the five rectangular parabolas separated by metal accents in the headlamp appear to float within the lamp. Together, they give the lens the look of fine-cut crystal.
“Combining metal and glass elements also allows for a uniformity of appearance,” said Davis. “We wanted something that conveys an artistic integration of technology for the front daytime running lights and the taillights.”
In particular, the tail lamps emphasize the technical dimension of using light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. At approximately one meter tall, the tail lamps are “neo-tailfins,” recreating the drama from the 1960s in a modern interpretation. Edge-lit blade technology is the only one that would make the light look like it was floating in space. The Cadillac Crest is also laser etched into the glass light blade. It catches the light as it passes through the blade.
A total of 142 LEDs make up the front and rear lights of the 2015 Escalade. Forty-eight LEDs – 17 for each headlamp and seven for each lower fascia lamp – fully enable the desired appearance and functionality of the front lamps. The remaining 94 LEDs create the provocative appearance and technical functionality of the rear lamps. Each taillamp uses 29 LEDs with 36 in the center high-mount stop light.
The 2015 Escalade is an entirely new design yet instantly recognizable. Much of the story of Cadillac’s redesigned flagship SUV focuses on the artistic craftsmanship that went into the vehicle’s creation, from the refined and detailed exterior to the luxurious cut-and-sew interior.