Cadillac is continuing its roll out of the 2021 Escalade. The General Motors luxury brand revealed the long-wheelbase Escalade ESV model, and opened order books for all Escalade variants on Thursday. Deliveries are scheduled to begin this fall.
As with previous generations, the ESV is a stretched version of the short-wheelbase Escalade. Where that model is based on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, the ESV borrows underpinnings from the Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon XL. Cadillac said the ESV has more than 142 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row—an increase of 18.1% over the previous generation and best in the class.
The styling difference between the ESV and standard Escalade is found in the rear doors and rear side glass. While the rear wheel cutouts cut into the rear doors of the base Escalade, the ESV has full-size rear doors. The ESV's rear side glass is also longer.
Like the short-wheelbase Escalade, which was revealed in February, the ESV gets a 38-inch curved OLED display comprised of three individual elements: a 7.2-inch touchscreen, 14.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 16.9-inch touchscreen that controls most infotainment functions. The full setup is standard.
Both the ESV and short-wheelbase Escalade get the latest version of Super Cruise as an option. A new sensor array enables automatic lane changes.
2021 Cadillac Escalade online configurator
The ESV is expected to get the same engines as the short-wheelbase Escalade. That means a standard 6.2-liter gasoline V-8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, and an optional 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 with 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, both with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Cadillac also launched online shopping tools for the Escalade on Thursday. An online configurator offers 360-degree views of your Escalade-to-be, and the Cadillac Live virtual showroom lets customers take a virtual tour of the SUV, as well as talk to Cadillac representatives.
Pricing for the 2021 Escalade starts at $77,490 for the short-wheelbase model, and $80,490 for the Escalade ESV (both prices include a mandatory $1,295 destination charge). That represents a $1,000 price increase over the 2020 model for both body styles.
