For a long time you do not have to study the Escalade price list to know that the dewy one Cadillac in Germany will not become a mass model. There's only one engine, and that's neither a diesel nor a downsized four-cylinder. Instead, General Motors indulges his noble SUV full charge - of course, it is a potent direct injection V8, which has as a fuel-saving measure alone cylinder deactivation. After all, the 2,9-Tonner in the averaged NEDC only 13 liters consume, which is perfectly fine for such a car. Premium offers à la Mercedes GL 500 or Range Rover with eight-cylinder gasoline are not really economical.
For the sumptuous price of 96.500 Euro Cadillac supplies a full equipment. Among other things are always on board: Navi, Bose sound system, autonomous braking, damper with adaptive control, entertainment system with monitor in the rear, head-up display, LED headlights, steering wheel heating, ventilated and heated memory seats, level control, rear view camera with 360 grade sight, keyless entry system, electrically retractable third seat, active cruise control (decelerating to a standstill).
If you love the American Way of Drive, you will not miss the 5,18 Meter battleship. So the steering is still as gloriously indirect as its predecessor, the suspension celestially soft and the leather armchairs as cuddly as a cuddly toy. But something has improved dramatically compared to the expired third generation: Material appearance and quality workmanship must not hide from German Nobel offers by no means. If the interior of the last Escalade still consisted mainly of plastic desert, spoiled the current issue with finely crafted cowhide and noble root wood, which also deserves the name. Fans of technical gimmicks will also get their money's worth - so there is not only TFT surface in the form of a self-evident screen in the center console, it also replaces the usual speedometer scales including mechanical hands. The instrumentation can be anything from on-board computer to road map, and before the average consumption confidently emblazoned a "V8", so you know what's working under the bulky bonnet.
But the inmates also get that on their ears. after pressing the start button, the 6,2-liter turns up a bit discreetly. Then please push the powerful steering wheel selector lever on "D", and the 313 kW / 426 PS strong giant Cadillac raises the futuristic nose when accelerating. Design manager Chip Thole gets his eyes sparkling as he talks about the Escalade's sheet metal dress, notably highlighting the strikingly drawn LED headlights, whose expressive segments are indeed burning in the memory of their watchers.
A fire of a completely different kind arises in the area of the rear tires, because if the mega SUV is driven as rear-wheel drive, it paints black lines on the asphalt. In the 4WD position, the large-displacement piston engine puts its 610 Nm torque on the road slip-free and tears it in less than seven seconds on highway speed. With 180 things the cock is turned off however, which is also good in the sense of the passive security. Firstly, the chunks are sensitive to crosswinds and secondly, it tilts in fast corners quite well to the side - the Escalade is just a genuine Ami.
There is a little more of this with the long version: the ESV version (from 5,70 Euro), which has grown on 98.700 Meter, offers more leg room, especially in the third row of seats. The approach succeeds perfectly, because the open space between armchairs in the second row formally forms a corridor through which even tall people can stroll through. And the boarding of the living room is easy, at least with the electrically extendable running boards, which require additional 1.680 Euro in the basic version. Truly impressive in the long version is the rear compartment, which even with full seating still holds over 1.000 liters of volume.
With the trailer load, the Euro version weakens a bit and can take a maximum of 3,1 tons on the hook, while 3.500 kg are actually standard in this class. But it is still enough for a high-quality trailer.
Only a few fans will convince the Escalade in Germany. This is not least due to the manageable dealer network of just eleven points of contact - and here in Germany Mercedes, BMW, Audi or Porsche are simply more.
Author: Patrick Broich / SP-X