Dubai: Trust the Cadillac Escalade to never change on one key aspect — its form factor. The 2015 version — incidentally the fourth generation of what has been an enduring prestige SUV in the Middle East — is still as substantial as it gets.
It’s long, broad and carries a presence that is uniquely Escalade.
When it comes to this model, it’s maker certainly does not consider being lighter — using composite materials or aluminium — as offering a competitive advantage. Price-wise too, it’s designed to dent a wallet — the starting price for the version that is available in the UAE since early August is Dh340,000. It packs in 420-hp and 620-Nm of torque, and that comes by way of a 6.2-litre V8, which is new. It is aligned to a six-speed transmission. (A top-of-the-line variant is due to arrive later this year or early next.)
But open the doors and that’s where you start seeing what cutting-edge is about. There is quite a lot of it too.
The ‘Cue’ navigation feature — which offers a full-colour display on an 8-inch screen and can do gesture recognition and fingertip control — is standard on the Escalade. It also creates the wireless connectivity across a multitude of wireless devices. With a 16-speaker Bose surround, driving and being driven in the Escalade does offer a lot of creature comforts.
“The first shipments landed in early August and we have already built up a sizeable waiting list,” said Gilbert Nassar, General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Liberty Automobiles, the dealership. “The earlier generation of the Escalade was skewing towards a user profile in their 40s. We are hoping, and there has been interest, that the new Escalade can win over a younger generation of buyers as well.
“The performance parameter has been scaled up quite appreciably in this version, and that’s sure to find favour with those who are thinking of owning an Escalade for the first time.“
