autoevolution
 

2020 Cadillac Escalade Expected To Offer Independent Rear Suspension, New V8

Whereas the CT6 is the range-topping sedan in the Cadillac lineup, the Escalade is king of the sport utility vehicle hill. In its fourth generation since the 2015 model year, the full-size luxobarge is rumored to go all-new from the ground up in model year 2020. Updates should include better rear suspension.
Cadillac Escalade 40 photos
Photo: Cadillac
2015 Cadillac Escalade2015 Cadillac Escalade2015 Cadillac Escalade2015 Cadillac Escalade2015 Cadillac Escalade2015 Cadillac Escalade2015 Cadillac Escalade2015 Cadillac EscaladeCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engineCadillac Escala Concept with 4.2-liter twin-turbo LT5 V8 engine
Riding on the GMT K2XX platform, the Escalade shares many of its underpinnings with General Motors workhorses such as the Chevrolet Silverado. The backbone will be replaced by the GMT T1XX, which should adopt plenty of aluminum-alloy panels for more rigidity and less weight.

As per Automobile Magazine, the change from K2 to T1 also means the 2020 Cadillac Escalade will swap the solid rear axle with an independent suspension setup. The report should become true considering the Lincoln Navigator has IRS since the 2003 model year. To make matters worse, the publication believes that GM had changed its mind to IRS late during development.

“The Escalade has been delayed from an early or mid-2019 calendar year launch by about six months,” and chances are the all-new model will borrow fresh styling from the Escala Concept. In stark contrast to General Motors’ current lineup of full-size SUVs, the publication highlights that “sheet metal between Caddy, GMC, and Chevy variants will be more distinct than ever.”

Moving on to what makes the 2020 Cadillac Escalade tick, Automobile Magazine expects the engine bay to house a 4.0-liter V8 of the double-overhead-cam variety. That might not be the case considering the Escala takes its mojo from a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8. Rumor has it the force-fed motor will find its way into the mid-engined Corvette, but only time will tell what GM plans to do by slowly phasing out the small-block pushrod V8.

Considering the 10-speed automatic transmission offered in the 2018 Lincoln Navigator is a combined effort from Ford and GM, the fifth-generation Escalade should make use of the slushbox. In other words, the eight-speed 8L90 will be phased out for the 10-speeder in a bid to help with fuel economy. On an ending note, an Escalade with a plug-in hybrid powertrain could be added to the lineup “as early as the second model year.”
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories