Cadillac was caught by surprise. Surprise that the Lincoln Navigator (basically a gussied-up Ford Expedition) would be successful enough to knock Cadillac out of first place in domestic luxury vehicle sales for the first time in history. The battlefield response of the "Standard of the World"? We need an SUV of our own-fast! Thus, it'll be no surprise to learn that, when the first production Escalade is built in a few weeks, it will roll out of the same Arlington, Texas, assembly plant as the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon.
Like the upscale Denali version of the Yukon, the Escalade features smooth-ride suspension tuning with Bilstein shocks, body-color door handles and running boards, a leather-lined and wood-garnished interior, six-spoke chromed alloy wheels, special Firestone Firehawk quiet-ride tires, a better grade of carpeting, and powertrain tweaks to ensure that the 5.7-liter/255-horsepower V-8, four-speed automatic, and standard AutoTrac all-wheel-drive system are on their very best shifting and going behavior.
The Escalade uses the same instrumentation and dash layout, rugged chassis and suspension, and proven body structure and powertrain as the Chevrolet Tahoe (MT's '96 Truck of the Year) and the GMC Yukon. The standard 5.7-liter V-8 engine pumps out strong, quiet performance with barely perceptible upshifts from the standard 4L60-E four-speed automatic. Indeed, about the only trucky edge is a tendency for the doors, seating, instrument panel, and steering wheel to quiver over expansion joints taken at highway speeds. But overall, we're talking about highly polished truck engineering. If you stop in at a GMC store and drive the premium Denali, you can get an early taste of the Escalade. In fact, in our January issue, we tested the GMC Denali against the 5.9-liter V-8-powered Grand Cherokee and called it, "the full-blown Cadillac of luxo/utes." We just didn't know how close that was to the truth.
So what's different about the official Cadillac of trucks? For starters, the Escalade will offer a Cadillac-style warranty of four years/50,000 miles versus the three years/36,000 on the other divisions' variations. Also there's the excellent 24-hour Cadillac Roadside assistance.
The standard OnStar driver communication and GPS-based navigation emergency-notification system is located in the overhead console and accessed with just three buttons. This sophisticated communications link can provide peace of mind when idiot lights glow in the middle of an important business trip or vacation. Drivers can upload trouble codes and diagnostic data to a Cadillac rep while the vehicle is rolling, which allows instant service triage to determine whether an immediate stop or merely an appointment for service is required. A fixed cell phone system for the center console is optional.
The Denali's Firestone tires do an excellent smoothness and quietness job according to Cadillac and GM Truck engineering. But Caddy insiders say their customers more closely associate the Michelin and Goodyear brands with premium rolling rubber. So at press time, these more upscale brands were in contention for Escalade fitment against the P265/70SR16 Firehawk LS Touring tire we sampled. The handsome 16-inch chrome wheels are the same style as those on the Denali. But the center caps that read "GMC" on the Denali have been swapped for ones with the Cadillac wreath.
Although the seat frames are the same as those in the Denali, Cadillac will go with a softer, better grade of leather with its own sew pattern, Cadillac wreaths embroidered on the headrests, perforated cushions, and unique foam density in the cushions. Still, for all the special stitching, leather softness, and careful foam tuning, you're still restricted to just five seating positions. Unlike such other premium models as the Lexus LX 470 and the Lincoln Navigator, there will be no third-row bench offered.