2022 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury Platinum: Overview
It is not an exaggregation of to call the Escalade the citadel of GM’s SUVs. It is big, powerful, luxurious and a symbol of the American way of driving even at a time of electrification. And of course, even an electrified Cadillac will maintain its character. This is the fifth generation of Escalade and like before, Cadillac’s big SUV shares its platform with its corporate cousins, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, as well as Yukon and Yukon XL.
Early this year, we tested the Escalade with the Duramax diesel engine and we were delighted with the performance and fuel economy.
Please read this article as an addendum to this review. Below is the link to our review article:
https://www.autoandroad.com/2022/01/2021-cadillac-escalade-diesel/
Apart from the difference in powertrain, we were able to test some features like the Super Cruise this time. It was not possible to do so on January’s cold and snowy days.
2022 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury Platinum: Engine and Powertrain
The standard 6.2L V8 engine delivers 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with an intelligent 10-speed automatic transmission and this combination delivers a smooth driving experience. Technologies such as continuously variable valve timing, direct injection and Dynamic Fuel Management all make up a modern powertrain you would expect from an ICE under the hood of a big and luxury vehicle. However, all these features cannot prevent a level of carbon footprint, which is not acceptable in our subjective opinion. We are curious about when we can drive a BEV Escalade. How much sooner than 2035?
2022 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury Platinum: Interior
The interior is big and luxurious in every detail. As we have seen also with the Chevy Suburban, the new independent suspension provides more space and a more refined, car-like ride than the old axle. The new setup also lowers the floor space, making entry and exit to the third row and loading easier.
The seats are superbly comfortable with semi-Aniline leather, 18-way driver and front passenger adjustments with massage function.
The curved, 38″ OLED infotainment screen has crisp, high-resolution pictures and the instrument gauge turns into the front camera screen with or without the Super Cruise system active.
2022 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury Platinum: Driving Impressions
Apart from the fuel economy, the Escalade drives soft and nice. The independent rear suspension of the current generation full-size GM SUVs (as we observed in our previous tests) makes a big difference even if the limitations of a body-on-frame vehicle are still at play.
This big SUV has two different characters in the city and on the highway. And we planned it that way. We drove the Escalade first in the heavy Toronto traffic for three days. While the high and commanding seating position and soft and comfortable ride swallowing easily the big potholes and the perfect sound insulation were rewarding, the average fuel consumption in the very high twenties was punishing for the wallet and much more so for the environment. and on the highway, cruising on the asphalt with effortless showed the power of the big V8 engine. and the average consumption fell to 16 litres or almost half of what we had in the city.
Cadillac’s Super Cruise system, with over 7 million hands-free miles driven by Cadillac customers, claims to be the future of driving. Like all self-driving technologies, it is still a work-in-progress. As long as the system recognizes the highway it allows you to drive hands off the wheels. But you have to keep your eyes on the road. It can even autonomously change lanes. However, even on parts of “compatible highways”, the system can turn off at any time, for example, if it cannot recognize road lanes. Like with any other brand, driver-assistance technology still has a long way to go until you can leave the control of your vehicle to a computer.
Nevertheless, our trip to Algonquin Park gave us the opportunity to experience the future of autonomous driving even if for short periods of time under our close watch.
2022 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury Platinum: Pricing and Equipment
Our tester with the range-topping Premium Luxury Platinum trim has an MSRP of $119,298. Even then, with options such as Galactic-Grey-Metallic ($900) and LPO Radiant Package ($5,850), the price of our tester reaches $131,173, including a $2,200 destination charge.
For more detailed and up-to-date information, including technical specs such as towing capacity, please visit http://www.cadillaccanada.ca
2022 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury Platinum: Conclusion
We are aware of and impressed by General Motors’s ambitions and plans to move towards a clean and electrified future.
However, having a V8 engine with an outdated consumption of nearly 30 litres in heavy city traffic is hard to accept at times of high fuel prices and heavy carbo taxes. It is not only about the price of gas.
In my opinion, the Duramax diesel is the best powertrain option in this transitional period toward BEVs, particularly for big SUVs like the Escalade where torque and towing are important.
