![]() In practice, the V model is a sleeper, which frankly is a bit out of character for a vehicle whose commercial success has come in large part from its ability to make a statement. Nor does the Escalade-V's styling relay its greater potency, as its model-specific bumpers, wheels, badges, and red-painted brake calipers fail to make it look notably different from other Escalade models. Another V downside is the 11 mpg we averaged over a few hundred miles of evaluation. Sure, the Sport Platinum lacks the V's supercharged thrust and sound, but those qualities are largely irrelevant when you let GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving assist, which is available on both Escalade-V models, take control of the steering, brakes, and accelerator on certain divided highways. The V is held back by an overly intrusive stability-control system that pours salt into the Caddy's lateral-performance wound, just like all of General Motors' full-size SUVs. No surprise, the Escalade-V's 0.69 g of cornering stick around our skidpad fell far short of the two German SUVs' 0.92-g runs. Both of those quicker and nimbler Germans hit the mile-a-minute mark in under four seconds and are available with sticky summer tires from the factory. While the V treatment does make for a better-handling Escalade-which in standard form we'll grant is already one of the more athletic examples of its kind-the enjoyment that comes from being behind the wheel of this body-on-frame Cadillac still falls short of that offered by unibody competitors such as the Mercedes-AMG GLS63 and the BMW Alpina XB7. ![]() But the V's brakes remained more consistent during our testing, resisting fade, and with no brake-overheating warnings popping up as has happened when testing lesser Escalades. It's the same rubber Cadillac fits to all Escalades, and the sole setup offered on the Escalade-V. Blame the V's 192 pounds of additional mass and its 22-inch Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02 all-season tires. Though the brake pedal of an Escalade-V ESV we drove around Arizona struck us as a tad too grabby, the short-wheelbase model Cadillac sent to our Ann Arbor, Michigan, office for testing exhibited no such issue.ĭespite its upgraded binders, our Escalade-V test vehicle's 178-foot stopping distance from 70 mph is four feet worse than that of an Escalade Sport Platinum. And six-piston Brembo front brake calipers endow the V with a firmer and more responsive brake pedal. Tweaks to its air springs and adaptive dampers lessen this elephantine SUV's body motions with little sacrifice to its ride quality. Yet, like the aforementioned Sport Platinum, just 66 dB of sound finds its way inside the V at 70 mph.Ĭadillac also altered the Escalade's suspension and braking systems for V duty. That's 10 more decibels than an Escalade Sport Platinum, which sounds roughly twice as loud. Flat-footing this 6290-pound SUV results in 85 decibels of mostly exhaust noise entering the cabin. At speed, the system exhales with loud crackles and pops when you abruptly lift off the accelerator. ![]() ![]() ![]() Even at idle, the V's quad pipes emit a menacing burble (Stealth mode does let you quiet things down for the school pickup lane). Unlike an EV, though, the subtle whine of the Escalade-V's supercharger and the raucous wail of its active exhaust system bring a symphonic quality to its straight-line acceleration. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play With the help of standard all-wheel drive and a 10-speed automatic transmission, this blown V-8 propels the standard-wheelbase Escalade-V to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds-1.7 seconds quicker than a 420-hp 2022 Escalade Sport Platinum we tested. We certainly won't call the Escalade-V tame, as it packs a 682-hp wallop from a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8-a hand-built mill that's closely related to the 668-hp supercharged V-8 found in the CT5-V Blackwing, though the engine in the SUV trades the sedan's 1.7-liter Roots-type blower for a larger 2.7-liter unit. Its mission is one of power and prestige. But there's nothing confusing about the new 2023 Escalade-V. Admittedly, the ethos of the American luxury brand's performance arm has become somewhat muddled in recent years, what with the V lineup now split between tamer V-badged models and full-on V Blackwing high-performance variants, such as the 10Best-winning CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. UPDATE 8/11/22: This review has been updated with test results.įrom the September issue of Car and Driver.Ĭadillac has done to the Escalade something it should have done nearly two decades ago: give its full-size SUV the V treatment. ![]()
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