Cadillac Escalade-V: The 682 Horsepower, $150K, Full-Size SUV Is the Range Topping Super Slade
Escalade-V becomes the most powerful full-size SUV by adding a larger supercharger to the hand-built V8 from the CT5-V Blackwing.
The news of the V8 engines demise has been greatly exaggerated. It is true that all-electric vehicles are coming fast to dominate the industry. And GM will be a major player by electrifying everything from the Silverado to the Corvette. But for fans of the traditional V8, GM is throwing you one hell of a going away party. That party comes in the form of the Cadillac Escalade-V. It will use the hand-built 6.2L V8 that is found in the CT5-V Blackwing. But in the Escalade-V it is mated to a larger 2.65L R2650 TVS supercharger. The result is 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque routed through a 10-speed automatic transmission. That is enough to propel this over 3-ton full-size SUV to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Do we have your attention yet?
This super SUV will be available in both Escalade-V and Escalade-V ESV trims. Performance figures for both are expected to be the same. Of course, the ESV offers even more passenger and cargo room. They are expected to go on sale late this summer and they will start at $149,990. That is nearly double the price of a 2-wheel-drive base Escalade. And over $40K more than a 4-wheel-drive Platinum. Is it worth it? Well, let’s take a closer look at what the Escalade-V delivers.
Menacing Looks
The Escalade has long been about making a bold statement. You don’t show up in an Escalade, you arrive. The Escalade-V keeps the boldness but turns up the anger a bit. Anything that would otherwise be chrome or shiny has been painted black. There is a set of quad exhaust pipes out back and massive 22-inch wheels at the corners painted in either black or gray. Behind those wheels are a set of red-painted Brembo brake calipers, which are 6-piston units up front. If the Escalade-V could talk, we imagine it would say “F around and find out.”
A Teddy Bear on the Inside
The Escalade-V is like that tough looking biker that is a big softy on the inside. For as powerful and menacing as this super SUV might be, the inside is all about pampering. There is the curved OLED with 38 inches of total diagonal display with twice the pixel density of a 4K television. A 36-speaker audio system is standard. There are 16-way power front seats with heat, ventilation, and massage. Overhead is a panoramic sunroof. The Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology is an available option. And there are more safety features than you can shake a stick at.
Limited Availability
With the ongoing chip shortage, you could argue that every vehicle is limited nowadays. But the Escalade-V is not likely to be built in large numbers. And even with the high asking price we are sure that Cadillac will have no trouble selling them. And it is pretty much guaranteed that no one will be making vehicles like this much longer. These are future classics that people will look back on in both horror and admiration. The EPA-estimated mpg figures are not yet available but expect them to be the types of numbers that environmentalists have nightmares about. The fact that something like this can be built and sold today is amazing. If you are interested, you will want to get your order in ASAP.
The Sound
Need still more convincing that you should grab an Escalade-V? Checkout the video below posted on the Cadillac YouTube channel. Just listen to this thing. Let the sound of that V8 just wash over you. The curtain is coming down on rides like this. Now is your chance to grab a true V8 superhero.
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