Photo: Cadillac
Even though the Cadillac Escalade has been completely redesigned for the 2015 model year, there are plenty of changes still in store for Cadillac’s high-profit luxury SUV. One of the key updates planned for the fourth-generation Escalade is a broader lineup of powertrains to add better efficiency and performance, which is currently limited to just the 420-hp, 6.2-liter V-8.
According to Automotive News, celebrities and soccer moms alike could soon have opt for new engine options that will help boost the Escalade’s fuel economy. Don’t worry, there is no Escalade Hybrid in the works, but the report quotes David Schiavone, global product manager for the Escalade, as saying that Cadillac is considering equipping its flagship SUV with a twin-turbo gasoline V-6 (likely from the CTS Vsport) and a new turbo diesel V-6. Both engines should dramatically improve fuel economy (currently rated at up to 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway) without giving up too much on the performance end.
Adding a diesel would likely help improve fuel economy up into the neighborhood of what the Mercedes GL350 BlueTec offers (19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway), while the twin-turbo V-6 could allow the Escalade to better compete with the Range Rover, which is the another status-symbol SUV in this segment. The article points out that both engines would be good for global sales, but even domestically, if Cadillac could get exclusive access to these new powerplants, GM could create even more brand separation between its variation of full-size SUVs.
On the performance side of things, Cadillac is also said to be considering a new performance variant, which may or may not wear the Vsport moniker. Depending on the output, a high-power Escalade Vsport could be an answer to vehicles like the Range Rover Supercharged with its 510-hp supercharged V-8 that helps the big SUV accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds or the 550-hp Mercedes GL63 that can blast from 0-60 in less than five seconds.
Of course, these new engines could come on the heels of other possible updates planned for the Escalade (and other GM full-size SUVs) for the 2015.5 model year including the all-new eight-speed automatic transmission and an advanced, 360-degree backup camera.
Adding a diesel would likely help improve fuel economy up into the neighborhood of what the Mercedes GL350 BlueTec offers (19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway), while the twin-turbo V-6 could allow the Escalade to better compete with the Range Rover, which is the another status-symbol SUV in this segment. The article points out that both engines would be good for global sales, but even domestically, if Cadillac could get exclusive access to these new powerplants, GM could create even more brand separation between its variation of full-size SUVs.
On the performance side of things, Cadillac is also said to be considering a new performance variant, which may or may not wear the Vsport moniker. Depending on the output, a high-power Escalade Vsport could be an answer to vehicles like the Range Rover Supercharged with its 510-hp supercharged V-8 that helps the big SUV accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds or the 550-hp Mercedes GL63 that can blast from 0-60 in less than five seconds.
Of course, these new engines could come on the heels of other possible updates planned for the Escalade (and other GM full-size SUVs) for the 2015.5 model year including the all-new eight-speed automatic transmission and an advanced, 360-degree backup camera.
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