Story | William Ha Photography | Cadillac, William Ha
Let’s think big as we behold the 2022 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury Platinum.
There’s the big 6.2L V8 engine pumping out 420 horsepower, the big dashboard screens totalling 38 inches and the big interior space to chauffeur the family in supreme comfort.
Currently in its fifth generation, the Escalade has become iconic as a result of its strong pop culture cred and its large, upscale excesses that align with the lifestyles and wants of the economically elite. It has also been a perennial sales success for Cadillac and is its undisputed flagship vehicle.
Size and comfort have always been hallmarks of successful American luxury vehicles, and it’s hard not to notice the Escalade when you see it. Cadillac has maxed out its blocky good looks with an imposing grille, 22-inch optional chrome-finish wheels and clean vertical front and rear LED lighting.
Subtle touches inside and out let you know it’s a Cadillac—from lighted emblem projectors, to ‘Cadillac’ scripts and small emblems found throughout. The rear tailgate even features a ‘600’ badge, evoking V12 supremacy. There are nine exterior colours to choose from, but black will always be the classic go-to colour for the Escalade.
ROLLING HOTEL SUITE
The interior is vast and upscale. In the driver’s seat, you are nicely cocooned beside a tall centre console, and all controls are within easy reach. You also feel a great sense of control with its industry-first curved Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) dash facing you. This screen spans an incredible 38 inches, divided into three sections displaying crisp graphics that are twice the pixel density of a 4K television.
The OLED display in the 2022 Escalade includes a 16.9” diagonal infotainment screen that displays and controls navigation, music, and many other functions of the vehicle, including the available AKG Studio Reference System, featuring 36-speakers, the most available in its class.
The screen can broadcast augmented-reality views of the road ahead, and the touchscreen infotainment system is intuitive and easy to use, especially with the versatility of knobs and buttons.
During the day, the large panoramic Ultraview sunroof brightens the interior, while beautifully-designed, customizable interior mood lighting enhances nighttime driving.
The 2022 Escalade has the bold presence and exclusive technology to elevate the extraordinary and make every drive feel like an occasion.
Semi-aniline leather seating is included on the Platinum trim, along with massaging front seats. Each second-row captain’s chair gets a 12.6-inch screen and headphone. The third row offers good legroom, but for maximum hip and shoulder space, it’s really limited to two North American-sized adults.
The new 2022 Escalade has second row sliding seats that allow for increased distance between the first and second row seats.
There are buttons in the cargo area to electronically fold down the second- and third-row seats, providing up to 3,427 litres of cargo space. And with all that open space, a whopping 36-speaker AKG premium sound system delivers output so clean and strong that while driving, you can feel the gas pedal vibrating.
THE DRIVE
The big Escalade accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in an impressive 6.6 seconds. Power is never lacking, and the V8 sounds strong and masculine. The ride is smooth and well-cushioned, thanks to height-adjustable independent air suspension and Cadillac’s adaptive magnetic dampers.
Interior accents in the 2022 Cadillac Escalade.
The turning radius is excellent for such a large vehicle, inspiring confidence when you need to do U-turns. However, drivers will have to adapt to the uneasy feel of the brakes, which lack initial bite and are hard to modulate.
Our test vehicle was equipped with a full suite of electronic safety features and driving aids expected of a vehicle in this class, including Cadillac’s well-regarded SuperCruise™ semi-autonomous driving feature. It’s easy to activate, keeps you effectively in your lane and helps you change lanes handsfree.
Super Cruise enables hands-free driving on more than 200,000 miles of compatible highways in the United States and Canada.
Super Cruise enables hands-free driving on more than 200,000 miles of compatible highways in the United States and Canada.In one week of driving (70 per cent spent on highways), fuel consumption averaged 14.2L/100km—not bad for a vehicle this large. Even though fuel economy shouldn’t be a concern in this class of vehicle, a 10-speed transmission, auto start/stop system and a cylinder deactivation feature that shuts down four of the eight cylinders on the highway all help minimize gas consumption.
REAL-WORLD CONVENIENCES
The Escalade offers many more helpful features worth highlighting:
• Percentage life indicators for engine oil, air filter and brakes.
• Ability to set seat heating/cooling, steering wheel heating and window defogging to automatically operate upon start-up.
• A voice amplifier so rear passengers can hear the driver speaking.
• A “Teen Driver” feature enabling a variety of settings like speed limits, audio volume limits and early low-fuel warning to ensure safe newdriver operation.
• A “Valet Mode” to lock out the Infotainment system when leaving the vehicle with strangers.
• A vertical slot for wireless charging of your phone that takes up minimal console space.
• Large front-door panel storage pockets that can hold two bottles of water.
Today’s North American flagship luxury vehicle is no longer the vast, long-wheelbase sedan from two generations ago. It has been replaced by the large SUV. The Escalade is Cadillac’s modern-day land yacht in a tailored suit, a technological marvel for those who need American-sized space and the big SUV energy to match their lifestyles.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 6.2L V8
Horsepower: 420 hp
Torque: 460 lb-ft
Recommended Fuel: Unleaded Premium
Transmission: 10 Speed Automatic
Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 16.8, 12.4 and 14.8 (city, highway and city/highway combined)
Max Towing: 6,000 lbs
0-100km/h Acceleration: 6.6 seconds
Key Competitors: Lincoln Navigator, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Lexus LX600, Infiniti QX80, Mercedes-Benz GLS Class, BMW X7
Dimensions
Length: 211.9″
Width: 81.1″
Height: 76.7″
Wheelbase: 120.9″
Fuel Tank Capacity: 91L
Cargo Capacity: 722–3,427 litres (2nd and 3rd row seats folded down)
From $90,498 ($127,623 as tested with selected options)
The Good…
1. All-world technology and comfort.
2. Lots of thoughtful, family-friendly features.
3. High style and street cred.
Be Careful…
1. Limited visibility when driving.
2. Uneasy-feeling brakes.
3. Likelihood of expensive electronic repairs with age.
