See the New 2021 Cadillac Escalade from Every Angle
Check out the redesigned full-size luxury SUV's exterior and interior details.
The Cadillac Escalade is redesigned for 2021 with an attractive new exterior design that takes inspiration from the Escala sedan concept. Its interior also takes a step up thanks to more luxurious materials and a large OLED infotainment screen. The full-size luxury SUV continues to share its underpinnings with its Chevy and GMC siblings, the Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon, which means it also adopts a new independent rear suspension setup that promises improved ride and handling and more interior space. Read the full story here.
Elements of the Escalade's design, including the crest-shaped grille and horizontal headlights, are recognizable from the 2016 Escala concept.
The new Escalade retains the previous generation's vertically oriented taillights. Design manager Therese Pinazzo says that the tall taillamps are an "iconic" piece of the Escalade's design: "When you're behind [the Escalade] you know exactly what it is, there's no doubt in your mind what you're driving behind, and we did not want to lose that."
The Escalade's blocky profile is familiar, but changes to the molding of the side panels and the angle of the C-pillars give the new car a slightly sleeker look than the outgoing model.
Design manager Therese Pinazzo says the Escalade team wanted to use layering of materials and motifs to make the Escalade's design look more complex and expensive. Both the shape of the grille and the shape of the bright metal elements within the grille evoke the Cadillac crest. A careful eye will notice the same basic shape popping up in various places throughout the cabin.
A Cadillac crest mounted on the back of the infotainment screen will illuminate as the driver approaches the parked Escalade.
Cadillac crest motifs abound in the 2021 Escalade, including on the metal-trimmed C-pillar.
The Escalade's interior is dominated by the three-piece OLED infotainment screen, which was inspired directly by the similarly massive screen in the Escala concept car.
The small screen to the left of the steering wheel is touch-sensitive and can be used to display trip information and adjust the settings of the Escalade's head-up display.
OLED screens, such as the one used in the new Escalade, display blacker blacks and allow for higher-resolution graphics than the LCD screens we see in many new cars.
The Escalade's shifter has moved from the steering column to the center console, a move that separates its luxury interior from those of the trucks with which it shares its platform.
Color and trim manager Michelle Killen says the design team wanted to provide more interior color and material choices to Escalade buyers than had been available in previous generations. There are eight different interior trim profiles, and buyers who shell out for the Platinum trim will now have three interior colors to choose from instead of two.
Both the standard and optional sound systems are sourced from AKG and include speakers in the front headrests. The uplevel system has 36 speakers, including two subwoofers.
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade
Annie White has been writing and editing for Car and Driver since 2016. She has owned two Chevrolet HHRs. It was a mistake both times.
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