Cadillac is finally getting ready to launch a replacement for the aged Escalade SUV.
What’s the new word for “bling”? Whatever you want to call it, Cadillac hopes to regain some of the magic that made its original Escalade the darling of the hip-hop generation when it launches an all-new model next year.
And journalists and potential buyers alike will get a sneak peek at what’s coming in the coming days when a concept version of the 2015 Cadillac Escalade makes a brief appearance during an exclusive preview of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Thursday night.
The invitation-only event will reveal a product that Caddy parent General Motors seemed ready to walk away from just a few years ago despite the huge profits the Cadillac Escalade generated in the years leading up to the Great Recession.
But the maker reversed itself when it became apparent that despite rising fuel prices there was still a market for exclusive sport-utility vehicles – indeed, even British ultra-luxury maker Bentley announcing plans to come to market with a production version of its EXP 9 F concept SUV.
“The Escalade is still a very bold vehicle, but the next generation is going to become more sophisticated,” Robert Ferguson, GM vice president of Global Cadillac, told a gathering of investment analysts during a meeting at the maker’s suburban Detroit proving grounds in June.
(Ferguson discusses plans for Cadillac revival. Click Here to learn more.)
The new model is expected to get a more contemporary design, a radical upgrade of its interior, significant improvements to its traditionally cumbersome, truck-like handling, and lots of new technologies that will likely include an update to the maker’s voice and touch-controlled Cadillac Cue infotainment system.
The 2015 Cadillac Escalade remake will have a strong foundation to work from, company insiders note, as it will share the same underlying vehicle architecture as the all-new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups introduced for the 2014 model-year. That platform will also be used for the next-generation Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon full-sized SUVs.
Escalade sales have fallen steadily in recent years, with a 5% year-over-year dip in July. It hasn’t helped that the competition has cut into the Detroit maker’s lead with models like the latest-generation Mercedes-Benz GL. On the other hand, observers note that there continues to be demand for the big Caddy despite its age.
GM isn’t saying much about the new ‘Slade, though it promises to have the new models “story…captured by famed indie rock photographer Autumn de Wilde.”
(Caddy XTS to get new twin-turbo powertrain. Click Here for details.)
The Thursday preview at Tehama, the exclusive mountaintop resort owned by actor Clint Eastwood will take place at the beginning of one of the most celebrated weekends for automotive fans, a long weekend anchored by Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours. Many potential buyers for the Escalade will be gathering on the Monterey Peninsula for the classic car show and related events.
For those who don’t catch the concept’s debut in California, Cadillac plans to reveal the new luxury SUV to a wider audience at a New York City event in October.
The next-generation Escalade could become an important part of Cadillac’s latest revival plan. The maker received strong kudos early this year for its first compact model in decades, the ATS, which one North American Car of the Year honors. It is now getting ready to launch a larger and more luxurious third-generation CTS sedan as well as a luxury version of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to be dubbed the Cadillac ELR. Meanwhile, Caddy is also pushing to expand outside its North American base and recently launched production of the big XLR model in China.
(Cadillac still has plans for “halo” car. Click Here for more.)
But the new Escalade will face a lot more competition when it hits showrooms next year. The large luxury SUV segment has grown steadily more crowded with offerings like the Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes GL and BMW X5, with even a super-premium Bentley model coming.
Meanwhile, Ford’s struggling luxury arm Lincoln, which had its own hit with the then-groundbreaking Navigator, also plans to revive its full-size model with an all-new update about a year from now.