Cadillac Escalade Limousine on 2040-cars

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2021 Cadillac Escalade makes its grand debut among the stars during Oscars week

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade has arrived in high style in Los Angeles during Oscars week. With no January Detroit Auto Show, there’s no better place for the next generation of CadillacÂ’s iconic luxury SUV to be revealed than star-studded L.A. We got to spend some time in and around the Escalade a couple weeks ago, and now we can finally tell you all about it. As expected, the 2021 Escalade is following in the footsteps of all the other full-size GM SUVs by going with an independent rear suspension setup. Just like the Tahoe and Yukon, Cadillac is also making the next-gen magnetic shocks and new air suspension optional equipment. Engineers told us that thereÂ’s hardly any difference underneath the Escalade versus its platform stablemates, and our early impressions of the ride suggest thatÂ’s perfectly fine. Powering the new Escalade is GMÂ’s trusty 6.2-liter V8 or the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six — both are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.   Related: 2021 Cadillac Escalade vs. 2020 Lincoln Navigator | How they compare on paper 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV will debut at the New York Auto Show   WeÂ’re not surprised to see the oil-burner being offered as an option with the Escalade after itÂ’s been tucked under the hood of the Tahoe and Yukon, but it is a significant addition to the Escalade lineup. GM has never fit a diesel engine to an Escalade before, but engineers tell us that this motor is refined enough for an Escalade buyer. We were surprised by its smoothness in the Silverado, and weÂ’ll wager itÂ’s even more discrete in the luxury SUV. The lovely 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 Blackwing engine was never mentioned in CadillacÂ’s presentation to us. We asked, but thereÂ’s no news to be had on the Blackwing front, as Cadillac shrugged us off. Arguably, the most important aspect of the new Escalade is its interior. When the redesigned Lincoln Navigator came out, it made the aging Escalade look like a boring dinosaur. Cadillac knew this interior had to be extraordinary to compete, and itÂ’s taken an interesting approach.  Do you recall the Cadillac Escala concept? If so, thatÂ’s exactly what Cadillac has done with the EscaladeÂ’s interior. The tri-screen layout of the EscalaÂ’s concept dash has been translated into a final production design, and it looks spectacular in person.

2019 Lincoln Nautilus vs 2018 Cadillac XT5: How they compare on paper

There will no doubt be endless ads touting the "first-ever" 2019 Lincoln Nautilus, which is accurate, but it's really just a mid-cycle update of an existing midsize luxury SUV attached to a greatly welcomed name change. Frankly, Lincoln could've called it the Diamond Jubilee Bill Blass and it would've been an improvement. Whatever. The MKX is dead. Long live the Nautilus. Now, speaking of SUVs with silly alphanumeric names, the 2018 Cadillac XT5 lines up remarkably well with the 2018 MKX. Besides hailing from American luxury brands, they have virtually identical exterior dimensions and similar standard engines as well. Cross-shopping seems assured. But what does the change to the 2019 Nautilus mean for how it compares to the XT5? Cosmetic changes might tweak exterior dimensions by a tenth of an inch here or there, but the interior should remain the same. The Nautilus gets a new engine, though, so check out our spreadsheet below to see if America's (and Canada's) luxury SUVs still stack up. Conclusions The switch to a turbocharged four-cylinder base engine means the XT5 and MKX/Nautilus are no longer on equal terms under the hood. While the Cadillac now has a considerable power advantage, the Lincoln Nautilus could save you hundreds every year based on its likely fuel economy (the 2.0-liter turbo engine, albeit with a different transmission, is in the mechanically similar Ford Edge). Besides the new engine for 2019, the Nautilus also gains an eight-speed automatic and an automatic stop start system. Both of those elements are already included on the XT5. It was announced that the 2019 Nautilus will start at $41,335, which compares to the base MKX at $39,960 and the 2018 Cadillac XT5 at $41,590. In other words, the Lincoln is still less expensive, but just barely. Standard feature content is also comparable, especially as the Nautilus gains standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are already standard on the XT5. So really, no matter what they're called, the Cadillac and Lincoln should continue to be neck-and-neck competitors. 2019 Lincoln Nautilus Photos View 20 Photos 2018 Cadillac XT5 Photos View 28 Photos 2018 Lincoln MKX Photos View 57 Photos Related Video: Cadillac Lincoln Car Buying Crossover SUV Luxury Comparison consumer cadillac xt5 lincoln nautilus

Cadillac XT4-V on the way?

An anonymous photographer sent Cadillac Society two tightly cropped images of an XT4 crossover wearing two surprising badges. On the right, above the taillight, there's a 2.7 badge, In the lower right corner there's a V Series badge — the full-fat, multicolored V badge, not the monochrome V-Sport version. The images — assuming they're real — elicit more questions and no answers, the first being, is this the XT4 V-Sport that's been rumored since last October? Back then, GM Authority discovered front and rear images of such a vehicle hiding in plain sight, on a Cadillac site landing page. The backside of a thick-hipped XT4 is graced with the old V-Sport badge. We know the carmaker has split its V Series cars into two tiers, the lower intended to be less intimidating than before, the upper tier the continuation of the mongo V Series cars we've known and loved. The hints have been that the entry level will be called V Series, while the upper level takes the name "Blackwing," after the name of Cadillac's new 4.2-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine. With Mark Reuss himself having said, "We got rid of all the V-Sports," this supposed XT4-V offers more proof that V Series effectively represents a new V-Sport line. The only cosmetic giveaways to increased performance we can see are a carbon fiber trim in the license plate area, and an exhaust treatment similar to that on the recently introduced CT4-V. We're not certain what the 2.7 badge means for V branding on crossovers. The standard XT4 wears a 2.0 badge on the tailgate, representing its 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The XT5 gets a number, too, but the XT6 does not. GM's 2.7-liter four cylinder with 311 hp and 348 lb-ft first showed up in the Chevy Silverado, will get 320 hp and 369 lb-ft in the coming CT4-V, and has been predicted for the XT4-V. However, V cars — both Sport and Series — have never worn displacement badges. The new CT4-V and CT5-V go without numerical identifiers on their decklids. If there is an XT4-V on the way this year, we only have a few months before we see it and get some answers.