Can you believe it's been over three years since the new fifth-gen Cadillac Escalade entered production? The brand's flagship high-rider is fresh all around and still instantly recognizable as a Caddy due to that traditional front-end design and the boxy overall look.
Looking to sway buyers away from stuff like the Range Rover, the latest Cadillac Escalade comes to life at the Arlington factory in Texas. It's offered with two wheelbase lengths, a pair of V8 engines, and a Duramax diesel with six cylinders, and no matter which mill one opts for, it's a dream ride with a very spacious interior that gives it a family-friendly attitude. It's also very fast in the range-topping form, which brings a few extras to the party.
The Escalade V-Series tops the family, featuring bespoke 22-inch alloys, sportier design at both ends, exhaust tips with a black look, Brembo brakes, an electronic limited-slip differential, magnetic ride control, and a V driving mode. The icing on the cake is the supercharged 6.2-liter V8, which develops 682 horsepower. That translates to 692 metric horses or 509 kilowatts. The torque stands at 653 pound-feet or 885 Nm, and from 0-60 mph (0-97 kph), it needs only 4.4 seconds. It may not be the first choice for a drag ride, but it won't disappoint you either, with a little over 12 seconds required to complete the quarter mile.
And with some of the technical specs out of the way, it's time to concentrate on the pictured Escalade, which is simply stunning. It features a two-tone look, with satin gray for the lower parts of the body and satin black for the upper sections, roof crossbars that are ready to hug a large roof box for increased hauling, and a set of big alloys. RDB LA signed the aftermarket work, and that includes the alloys that are part of their Zero series. Available from 20 to 26 inches in diameter, they can be finished in a variety of hues, and while we may not know the exact size of the set equipping this premium SUV, we suspect it is the largest one. Mind you, not many vehicles can wear 26s and still look good, but the Escalade is not your average high-riding machine, as it is a very big boy.
The tuner hasn't said anything else about this project, and we suspect it was commissioned by one of their wealthy clients. For what it's worth, we absolutely adore it and think it looks better than that murdered-out copy that we wrote about a few days before New Year's Eve. That one came from the Platinum Group, had 26-inch alloys, a retuned suspension, and a few other bits and bobs that truly help it stand out next to unmolested copies. So, if you had to choose between the two, which one would get your vote?
The Escalade V-Series tops the family, featuring bespoke 22-inch alloys, sportier design at both ends, exhaust tips with a black look, Brembo brakes, an electronic limited-slip differential, magnetic ride control, and a V driving mode. The icing on the cake is the supercharged 6.2-liter V8, which develops 682 horsepower. That translates to 692 metric horses or 509 kilowatts. The torque stands at 653 pound-feet or 885 Nm, and from 0-60 mph (0-97 kph), it needs only 4.4 seconds. It may not be the first choice for a drag ride, but it won't disappoint you either, with a little over 12 seconds required to complete the quarter mile.
And with some of the technical specs out of the way, it's time to concentrate on the pictured Escalade, which is simply stunning. It features a two-tone look, with satin gray for the lower parts of the body and satin black for the upper sections, roof crossbars that are ready to hug a large roof box for increased hauling, and a set of big alloys. RDB LA signed the aftermarket work, and that includes the alloys that are part of their Zero series. Available from 20 to 26 inches in diameter, they can be finished in a variety of hues, and while we may not know the exact size of the set equipping this premium SUV, we suspect it is the largest one. Mind you, not many vehicles can wear 26s and still look good, but the Escalade is not your average high-riding machine, as it is a very big boy.
The tuner hasn't said anything else about this project, and we suspect it was commissioned by one of their wealthy clients. For what it's worth, we absolutely adore it and think it looks better than that murdered-out copy that we wrote about a few days before New Year's Eve. That one came from the Platinum Group, had 26-inch alloys, a retuned suspension, and a few other bits and bobs that truly help it stand out next to unmolested copies. So, if you had to choose between the two, which one would get your vote?