2021 Cadillac Escalade: This Is It, Straight From The Factory

Even though Cadillac are clearly not ready to unveil their all-new fifth gen Escalade, images from the factory have made their way online, which means we can start comparing its looks to those of the 2020 Navigator and of course, its less premium siblings, the new Tahoe and Suburban.

First impressions? The profile is nearly identical to that of the all-new Tahoe, aside from that chrome insert underneath the doors, and a few other minor touches.

The shoulder line however seems a bit lower than that of the current model, where this design trait kicked off from the edge of the headlights, which had a vertical design. Now, the headlights are perfectly horizontal, like on the 2020 XT6 crossover, although unlike with the XT6, the grille is larger and more imposing.

Also read: Cadillac Could Be Working On A Supercharged Escalade With 650 HP

So while the entire front fascia is arguably more modern-looking than before, the overall design might split opinions, given how angular everything is.

Underneath everything lies GM’s T1 truck platform, also used on the 2021 Tahoe and Suburban duo, as well as the next-gen GMC Yukon. This means that we should expect an electrified version of the new Escalade, but not at the moment of launch. Like the 2021 Tahoe, the next-gen Escalade should also rock a new multi-link independent rear suspension, and some variation of the former’s Air Ride Adaptive Suspension system, if not the exact same setup – allowing drivers to adjust ride height for various reasons such as to aid passenger entry and exit or when going off-road.

We can also expect the Escalade to be bigger than before, both in length as well as in wheelbase, given the new Tahoe’s growth spurt.

Look inside, this ain’t no Chevy

One of the main reasons why somebody buys an Escalade over a Tahoe or Yukon is the more luxurious interior, and the 2021 big Caddy aims to please. While the new Tahoe does boast a wide range of safety and driver convenience gizmos on-board, not to mention the 15-inch Head-Up Display, the overall aesthetic of the cabin is still utilitarian.

The new Escalade, on the other hand, as these images provided today by an anonymous Carscoops’ tipster show, has a far more upscale and stylish, almost Mercedes-like dual-screen setup on top of the dashboard, and a raised center console that slopes downwards, making the environment more driver-focused too, in a sense.

Oh and in an interesting twist, Cadillac is dropping the steering wheel column gear selector in favor of a more traditional one – we’re pretty sure they did this because otherwise, that massive stalk would have covered part of the dual-screen layout.

What about performance?

We’ll have to wait for Cadillac to reveal specs (not to mention the car, officially), but a supercharged high-performance variant could happen, powered by a 6.2-liter LT4 V8, as as the Camaro ZL1 and Corvette Z06.

Otherwise, the current 6.2-liter V8 should remain in use, mated to a 10-speed gearbox and producing 420 HP and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque.

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade is expected to arrive at dealerships sometime next year.