While the recently-introduced Escalade Hybrid targets eco-friendly luxury shoppers, Cadillac isn’t giving up on its King of the Bling status. By adding in more glitz and glamor to its biggest Escalade, the automaker is placating those who proudly cling to the lap of luxury, eco-conscious image be damned. Is it more luxe or too much glut?
The Escalade ESV Platinum’s attempt to cater both to those attempting to project a green image and those who only want the best regardless of the cost isn’t as desperate as it might seem, however. This sort of dual-targeting is a relatively easy way to expand the Escalade’s range. “An Escalade for every home” isn’t the mission here – unless you call places like Kenilworth, Greenwich or Bel Air your home.
General Motors hasn’t traditionally been at the forefront of forward thinking – but its latest products, like the Camaro, Malibu and the upcoming Volt, are clear signs that life will continue in Detroit. The automaker is attempting to reinvent Cadillac with an infusion of new products ranging from wagon and coupe versions of its CTS to a front-wheel-drive XTS top-line sedan – and the Escalade ESV Platinum is part of that strategy.
What is it?
With the demise of the XLR, the Escalade serves as Cadillac’s flagship model – an example, in many ways, of the Cadillac of old. Yet despite possessing every superlative that most modern luxury manufacturers no longer want to be associated with, the Escalade was Cadillac’s second-best selling line in the United States and it has significantly helped the brand grow in emerging markets like Russia, China and the Middle East; markets where the current luxury segment nearly mirrors 1999 in North America.
Now well into its third generation, the Escalade’s future is a little cloudy. Its global brand equity is still tremendous, but its GMT900-based body-on-frame design seems positively at odds with the general consumer sentiment in North America in addition to federal fuel economy and emissions standards. Production could continue at the Russian and Chinese plants that build some Escalades, but GM has already taken massive steps to consolidate North American production to just one plant, the Arlington Assembly in Arlington, Texas.
Last year, GM closed its historic Janesville, Wisconin, making the Arlington factory the only place in America to build what was traditionally GM’s lineup of cash cows, the Escalade and its less-premium Chevrolet and GMC brothers.
So to investigate the Escalade, we took a range-topping $87,630 Escalade ESV Platinum back to the factory for a photo shoot and a tour. Thanks to the plant’s generoius security team, we were granted access to the new vehicle delivery area, an otherwise strictly off-limits zone where it briefly mingled with the youngest Escalades on the planet, including a line of freshly-minted Mary Kay-edition ‘Slades. You’ll have to wait for a feature on the facility; for now, let’s take a look at the Escalade ESV Platinum.
Any breakthroughs?
Like the all-new Cowboys Stadium that stands nearly spitting distance from the Arlington Assembly plant, the Escalade ESV Platinum is reserved only for the fortunate few. For 2010, Cadillac added the Platinum treatment to its Suburban-sized Escalade ESV – think sumptuous aniline leather, real inlaid wood trim, unique LED headlamps, five LCD screens, a CTS-inspired front fascia and a $10,000 premium.
Cadillac says that it wants either a sporty V version or a Platinum edition for each of its models. Clearly, the luxe-lined Platinum makes more sense here than a lowered ‘Slade with a supercharger and a six-speed stick, although our demented automotive enthusiast minds sort of want to see that bizarre Escalade-V come to fruition just for the absurdity.
What’s it up against?
With its ability to seat seven full-size adults, the Escalade ESV really only butts up against the Lincoln Navigator. While the Navigator might have invented the three-row luxo-ute segment, its sales are laughably tepid as Ford has redirected its efforts elsewhere.
If you don’t need to haul a gaggle of humans, the European offerings add more refinement but less grunt and hauling ability. See the Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GL and the Range Rover.
For bling buyers with a conscience, there’s always the Escalade Hybrid, even if it isn’t offered in the extended-length ESV configuration.
How does it look?
The Platinum debuted for 2009 in the short-wheelbase standard Escalade and it brought with it a fairly extensive styling upgrade for the front fascia. We like the larger, more complex upper and lower grilles and even the trick LED headlamps, though we wish the Platinum’s rear fascia had something to differentiate it from the poor man’s standard Escalade besides mere badging. Dub deuces – that’s 22-inch wheels to you and me – thoroughly fill the wheel wells with unique Platinum-only styling.
Given its girth, the Escalade ESV manages to look surprisingly proportional. In fact, some of us think the boxy shape is more harmonious with the longer 130-inch wheelbase than the standard Escalade.
Our tester was outfitted in a Platinum-exclusive Silver Lining paint scheme that was as rich and deep as its premium price would suggest. GM has been producing some amazing work with its paint department recently – and as far as we know, there’s no huffing going on behind the scenes.
And on the inside?
If you’ve been inside of any of GM’s other vehicles based on this platform, you’ll feel mostly right at home. Unfortunately, we mean that as more of a compliment to the likes of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
Certainly, the Platinum package brings with it some worthwhile upgrades. Although the price is steep, the extra $10,000-ish probably won’t make a big dent in the target market’s wallets. Those buyers will find gorgeous soft aniline leather wrapping every seating surface, as well as attractive inlaid wood trim, serving as luxury touches. Otherwise, it’s mostly a standard Escalade affair with mostly GM-standard switchgear and an easy-to-use navigation system mounted in a dashboard that doesn’t scream luxury quite like a Range Rover but bests the cheap accommodations of the Navigator. The front seats themselves could use a little less lumbar, but at least they’re both heated and cooled – as are the front cupholders.
Back seat riders will be pleased to find four LCD screens for the DVD player, two on the back of the driver and passenger headrests and two that drop down from the roof, but they won’t enjoy much comfort thanks to small captain’s chairs in the second row and a third class rear bench. Given its exterior proportions, the Escalade ESV’s passenger-hauling comfort is subpar.
As are its materials: Carpet straight out of the GM cheap-o bin that would feel more at home in a Cobalt and the door panels that don’t have a particularly rich or soft feel might make buyers question their expenditure.
Certainly, the Platinum package offers a worthwhile upgrade over the basic Escalade; but the overall look here is one of mid-level luxe not worthy of those seeking only the finest things in life.
But does it go?
Aside from the 22-inch alloy wheels, the Platinum doesn’t include any functional upgrades over the basic Escalade. That means you’ll find GM’s big 6.2-liter V8 hooked up to a silky-smooth six-speed automatic with a column shifter and tow/haul mode.
In this application, the V8 cranks out 403 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 417 lb-ft. of torque at 4,300 rpm. That sounds like a lot of power until you consider that the Escalade ESV Platinum with a driver on board weighs in at over 6,000 lbs. Still, performance proved acceptable in our testing even if highway passing demanded a hefty stab at the throttle.
The Escalade is too bulky to be rated by the EPA for its fuel economy – the feds view its weight class as a commercial vehicle, an important note for soccer moms who think it’s a good alternative to a minivan. We saw as little as 8-9 mpg in city driving but were able to coax a more promising 17 mpg out of our test vehicle on the highway.
You don’t buy an Escalade ESV if you want sports car-style handling; that’s where the Escalade-V we propose would work wonderfully! (Stop the hate mail, we’re kidding.) Still, the steering felt reasonably communicative even if we think the Impala-sourced tiller doesn’t befit the luxury positioning. More adept at twisty road cornering than its weight might imply, the all-wheel-drive-only Escalade ESV Platinum was mostly limited by its huge turning circle and gargantuan proportions. Unlike our recent Escalade Hybrid, which rode on a shorter wheelbase, the Escalade ESV actually had a fairly plush ride undisturbed by rough pavement.
Those 22s aren’t quiet on the highway, though; the Escalade ESV could use a little more sound deadening before it delivers a truly luxurious driving experience.
Leftlane’s bottom line
The anti-Prius Escalade ESV Platinum certainly doesn’t make a logical purchase for anyone. Executives at struggling companies could only justify acquiring one if their last corporate-purchased ride was a Lamborghini LM002. Yet viewed as an extension of the Cadillac brand’s luxury-oriented direction (which fits in with its front-wheel-drive SRX and XTS), the Escalade ESV Platinum makes a case for itself by delivering the most bling-ready, cushy ride for up to seven passengers this side of a Learjet.
Green it ain’t; but if Cadillac is to continue to cater at least a portion of its lineup to those the masses love to hate – and those with gobs of cash willing to influence the rest of us – the Escalade ESV Platinum is still the king of the bling.
2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum AWD base price, $86,680. As tested, $87,630.
Destination, $950.
Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.
Review: 2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum
Reviewed by
Andrew Ganz on
February 15
.
While the recently-introduced Escalade Hybrid targets eco-friendly luxury shoppers, Cadillac isn’t giving up on its King of the Bling status. By adding in more glitz and glamor to its biggest Escalade, the automaker is placating those who proudly cling to the lap of luxury, eco-conscious image be damned. Is it more luxe or too much [...]
While the recently-introduced Escalade Hybrid targets eco-friendly luxury shoppers, Cadillac isn’t giving up on its King of the Bling status. By adding in more glitz and glamor to its biggest Escalade, the automaker is placating those who proudly cling to the lap of luxury, eco-conscious image be damned. Is it more luxe or too much glut?
The Escalade ESV Platinum’s attempt to cater both to those attempting to project a green image and those who only want the best regardless of the cost isn’t as desperate as it might seem, however. This sort of dual-targeting is a relatively easy way to expand the Escalade’s range. “An Escalade for every home” isn’t the mission here – unless you call places like Kenilworth, Greenwich or Bel Air your home.
General Motors hasn’t traditionally been at the forefront of forward thinking – but its latest products, like the Camaro, Malibu and the upcoming Volt, are clear signs that life will continue in Detroit. The automaker is attempting to reinvent Cadillac with an infusion of new products ranging from wagon and coupe versions of its CTS to a front-wheel-drive XTS top-line sedan – and the Escalade ESV Platinum is part of that strategy.
What is it?
With the demise of the XLR, the Escalade serves as Cadillac’s flagship model – an example, in many ways, of the Cadillac of old. Yet despite possessing every superlative that most modern luxury manufacturers no longer want to be associated with, the Escalade was Cadillac’s second-best selling line in the United States and it has significantly helped the brand grow in emerging markets like Russia, China and the Middle East; markets where the current luxury segment nearly mirrors 1999 in North America.
Now well into its third generation, the Escalade’s future is a little cloudy. Its global brand equity is still tremendous, but its GMT900-based body-on-frame design seems positively at odds with the general consumer sentiment in North America in addition to federal fuel economy and emissions standards. Production could continue at the Russian and Chinese plants that build some Escalades, but GM has already taken massive steps to consolidate North American production to just one plant, the Arlington Assembly in Arlington, Texas.
Last year, GM closed its historic Janesville, Wisconin, making the Arlington factory the only place in America to build what was traditionally GM’s lineup of cash cows, the Escalade and its less-premium Chevrolet and GMC brothers.
So to investigate the Escalade, we took a range-topping $87,630 Escalade ESV Platinum back to the factory for a photo shoot and a tour. Thanks to the plant’s generoius security team, we were granted access to the new vehicle delivery area, an otherwise strictly off-limits zone where it briefly mingled with the youngest Escalades on the planet, including a line of freshly-minted Mary Kay-edition ‘Slades. You’ll have to wait for a feature on the facility; for now, let’s take a look at the Escalade ESV Platinum.
Any breakthroughs?
Like the all-new Cowboys Stadium that stands nearly spitting distance from the Arlington Assembly plant, the Escalade ESV Platinum is reserved only for the fortunate few. For 2010, Cadillac added the Platinum treatment to its Suburban-sized Escalade ESV – think sumptuous aniline leather, real inlaid wood trim, unique LED headlamps, five LCD screens, a CTS-inspired front fascia and a $10,000 premium.
Cadillac says that it wants either a sporty V version or a Platinum edition for each of its models. Clearly, the luxe-lined Platinum makes more sense here than a lowered ‘Slade with a supercharger and a six-speed stick, although our demented automotive enthusiast minds sort of want to see that bizarre Escalade-V come to fruition just for the absurdity.
What’s it up against?
With its ability to seat seven full-size adults, the Escalade ESV really only butts up against the Lincoln Navigator. While the Navigator might have invented the three-row luxo-ute segment, its sales are laughably tepid as Ford has redirected its efforts elsewhere.
If you don’t need to haul a gaggle of humans, the European offerings add more refinement but less grunt and hauling ability. See the Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GL and the Range Rover.
For bling buyers with a conscience, there’s always the Escalade Hybrid, even if it isn’t offered in the extended-length ESV configuration.
How does it look?
The Platinum debuted for 2009 in the short-wheelbase standard Escalade and it brought with it a fairly extensive styling upgrade for the front fascia. We like the larger, more complex upper and lower grilles and even the trick LED headlamps, though we wish the Platinum’s rear fascia had something to differentiate it from the poor man’s standard Escalade besides mere badging. Dub deuces – that’s 22-inch wheels to you and me – thoroughly fill the wheel wells with unique Platinum-only styling.
Given its girth, the Escalade ESV manages to look surprisingly proportional. In fact, some of us think the boxy shape is more harmonious with the longer 130-inch wheelbase than the standard Escalade.
Our tester was outfitted in a Platinum-exclusive Silver Lining paint scheme that was as rich and deep as its premium price would suggest. GM has been producing some amazing work with its paint department recently – and as far as we know, there’s no huffing going on behind the scenes.
And on the inside?
If you’ve been inside of any of GM’s other vehicles based on this platform, you’ll feel mostly right at home. Unfortunately, we mean that as more of a compliment to the likes of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
Certainly, the Platinum package brings with it some worthwhile upgrades. Although the price is steep, the extra $10,000-ish probably won’t make a big dent in the target market’s wallets. Those buyers will find gorgeous soft aniline leather wrapping every seating surface, as well as attractive inlaid wood trim, serving as luxury touches. Otherwise, it’s mostly a standard Escalade affair with mostly GM-standard switchgear and an easy-to-use navigation system mounted in a dashboard that doesn’t scream luxury quite like a Range Rover but bests the cheap accommodations of the Navigator. The front seats themselves could use a little less lumbar, but at least they’re both heated and cooled – as are the front cupholders.
Back seat riders will be pleased to find four LCD screens for the DVD player, two on the back of the driver and passenger headrests and two that drop down from the roof, but they won’t enjoy much comfort thanks to small captain’s chairs in the second row and a third class rear bench. Given its exterior proportions, the Escalade ESV’s passenger-hauling comfort is subpar.
As are its materials: Carpet straight out of the GM cheap-o bin that would feel more at home in a Cobalt and the door panels that don’t have a particularly rich or soft feel might make buyers question their expenditure.
Certainly, the Platinum package offers a worthwhile upgrade over the basic Escalade; but the overall look here is one of mid-level luxe not worthy of those seeking only the finest things in life.
But does it go?
Aside from the 22-inch alloy wheels, the Platinum doesn’t include any functional upgrades over the basic Escalade. That means you’ll find GM’s big 6.2-liter V8 hooked up to a silky-smooth six-speed automatic with a column shifter and tow/haul mode.
In this application, the V8 cranks out 403 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 417 lb-ft. of torque at 4,300 rpm. That sounds like a lot of power until you consider that the Escalade ESV Platinum with a driver on board weighs in at over 6,000 lbs. Still, performance proved acceptable in our testing even if highway passing demanded a hefty stab at the throttle.
The Escalade is too bulky to be rated by the EPA for its fuel economy – the feds view its weight class as a commercial vehicle, an important note for soccer moms who think it’s a good alternative to a minivan. We saw as little as 8-9 mpg in city driving but were able to coax a more promising 17 mpg out of our test vehicle on the highway.
You don’t buy an Escalade ESV if you want sports car-style handling; that’s where the Escalade-V we propose would work wonderfully! (Stop the hate mail, we’re kidding.) Still, the steering felt reasonably communicative even if we think the Impala-sourced tiller doesn’t befit the luxury positioning. More adept at twisty road cornering than its weight might imply, the all-wheel-drive-only Escalade ESV Platinum was mostly limited by its huge turning circle and gargantuan proportions. Unlike our recent Escalade Hybrid, which rode on a shorter wheelbase, the Escalade ESV actually had a fairly plush ride undisturbed by rough pavement.
Those 22s aren’t quiet on the highway, though; the Escalade ESV could use a little more sound deadening before it delivers a truly luxurious driving experience.
Leftlane’s bottom line
The anti-Prius Escalade ESV Platinum certainly doesn’t make a logical purchase for anyone. Executives at struggling companies could only justify acquiring one if their last corporate-purchased ride was a Lamborghini LM002. Yet viewed as an extension of the Cadillac brand’s luxury-oriented direction (which fits in with its front-wheel-drive SRX and XTS), the Escalade ESV Platinum makes a case for itself by delivering the most bling-ready, cushy ride for up to seven passengers this side of a Learjet.
Green it ain’t; but if Cadillac is to continue to cater at least a portion of its lineup to those the masses love to hate – and those with gobs of cash willing to influence the rest of us – the Escalade ESV Platinum is still the king of the bling.
2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum AWD base price, $86,680. As tested, $87,630.
Destination, $950.
Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.
Rating:
