The Iconic 2021 Cadillac Escalade Arrives in the Middle East Setting New Benchmarks for Luxury SUVs

he much anticipated 2021 Escalade has been revealed in the Middle East, setting new benchmarks in the luxury SUV segment with a complete redesign and pioneering new technologies that add a new dimension to the iconic luxury SUV for a refined driving experience unlike any other. 

The luxurious full-size SUV offers several industry-first technologies and features that stamp Cadillac’s authority on the segment, elevating the Escalade to new levels of segment leadership. Escalade features exclusive, first-to-market technology advances including a curved, 4K Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) screen and the industry-first AKG automotive audio system. But that’s just the start of the Escalade experience, the all-new 2021 model has also been completely revamped from the ground-up to deliver improved driving dynamics, more luxury and significantly greater passenger and cargo capacities than ever before. 

“We are delighted to launch the iconic 2021 Cadillac Escalade in our market of automotive connoisseurs,” said Omar Elkhishin, Head of Sales, Cadillac Middle East. “Now in its fifth generation, the 2021 Escalade is the culmination of over two decades of innovation and leadership in the segment. With a stunning new design, impeccable refinement and thoughtful industry-leading technology, every journey in the new Escalade is a special occasion. The model also offers a variety of customization options, giving customers in the Middle East the opportunity to truly make their Escalade as unique as they are. The all-new Escalade truly sets the standard for luxury SUVs.”

Be seen: Dynamic presence   

Escalade maintains Cadillac’s signature vertical lighting element, but the new interpretation adds a sleek, horizontal headlamp to reinforce a broad, confident stance. The tall, vertical, rear light signature continues but adds deep three-dimensional layers and finishes with detailed etching. Twenty-two-inch wheels are standard and strengthen Escalade’s bold appearance. 

The added layers of detail extend to unique trim elements and grille textures. Escalade will offer Cadillac’s Sport trim for the first time, featuring a black mesh grille and black trim across the exterior. Luxury and Premium Luxury models showcase a bright Galvano finish, while Platinum models top the range, with unique interior and exterior details. 

 

Inside story: Stunning cabin design

Escalade’s new interior design is heavily influenced by Cadillac’s Escala concept vehicle and breaks new ground with the first-ever Gideon Whisper Beige trim combination. This high-performance, high-fashion available interior is centered on a custom-woven fabric that adds a new level of style and ambience to the Escalade’s cabin. 

The first-ever curved OLED display in the industry is the centerpiece of the interior, enabling designers to integrate and customize the entire environment, rather than simply inserting a standard rectangular screen into a conventional instrument panel. The result is a completely fresh, integrated cabin look that seamlessly blends the technology with handcrafted details. 

A mix of electronic controls and physical switches offer intuitive operation of vehicle features. The display includes touch-screen control for the center display, while the interior also includes a full-feature rotary dial controller and steering wheel controls. Additional touches include stainless-steel speaker grilles, intricate piping on the door panels and ambient lighting with a wide range of color choices. The interior is further distinguished by no less than eight color and trim choices, which include unique seat designs, with custom perforation and quilting patterns. 

The 2021 Escalade is also the biggest Escalade ever. It offers more room for passengers and their cargo. A new architecture and new chassis technologies have significantly expanded interior space, offering 40 percent more third-row legroom (34.9 inches / 886 mm) and a 68 percent increase in maximum cargo space behind the third row (25.5 cubic feet / 722 liters) in the standard-length model. The Escalade ESV, on the other hand, is now the best in class for cargo space behind the first, second and third rows. 

 

Tech galore: industry-first cutting-edge features

Armed with industry-first features, the 2021 Escalade delivers a driving experience to remember. The standard and available features enhance driver vision, while its signature design evolves and strengthens. 

Escalade’s industry-first curved OLED display offers more than 38 inches of total diagonal display area, with twice the pixel density of a 4K television. The technology delivers bold imagery, perfect blacks and the largest color range of any automotive display in production today. The system includes three screens: a 7.2-inch-diagonal touch control panel driver information center to the driver’s left, a 14.2-inch-diagonal cluster display behind the steering wheel and a 16.9-inch-diagonal Infotainment screen to the driver’s right. The 4K OLED is paper-thin, and its curvature positions the displays for optimal visibility. 

All-new, available Augmented Reality-enabled navigation, which uses live street views with directional overlays and more to enhance driving directions, coupled with Surround Vision, a standard feature that employs four exterior cameras to provide a 2-megapixel bird’s eye view of the scene around the vehicle, makes parking a cinch. 

Furthermore, an available Trailering Integration Package, which offers up to nine camera views (including rear camera guidelines) to support easier hitching. The package also includes an integrated trailer brake controller and a trailering app that offers trailer profiles, tire pressure and temperature monitoring, and an Extended Side Blind Zone Alert.

A new rear-seat entertainment, meanwhile, features a pair of 12.6-inch-diagonal independent touch displays with navigation as well as streaming capability to play games, music and videos through HDMI and USB inputs. The screens can also mirror Android smartphones. Additionally, destination “suggestions” can be “sent” by rear passengers to the front navigation screen, for the driver to accept or decline.

For music lovers, the 2021 Escalade offers the Industry-first AKG audio technology, led by a 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference system, along with Conversation Enhancement using microphones and AKG speakers for front- and rear-passenger communication. This is coupled with Intuitive audio navigation prompts indicating distance and direction instructions.
 

Known worldwide for microphones and headphones used by leading musicians in recording studios and live venues, AKG has brought its audio technology to the auto industry for the first time, exclusively for Cadillac. 

The available AKG Studio Reference system is part of Cadillac’s exclusive partnership with AKG, which brings professional studio sounds to the Escalade. In addition to its crisp sound output, AKG technology enables additional advanced features in the Escalade, including: Studio 3D Surround creating a professional-level sound through the multichannel audio system, with strategically placed speakers finely tuned to deliver sound like being with the artist in the recording studio. Additional speakers in the headliner help create a 360-degree immersive listening experience and Conversation Enhancement for front and rear passengers as their voices are captured by embedded microphones and reproduced in the designated zone using the 36-speaker system. 

Safety first, always 

Unsurprisingly, the 2021 Escalade is loaded with a plethora of standard and available active safety features to ensure safe progress for all occupants. These include Front and Rear Park Assist, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Detection and Braking, Rear Pedestrian Detection, Safety Alert Seat, Forward Collision Alert, Adaptive Park Assist, Head-Up Display, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Night Vision, Adaptive Cruise Control – Advanced, Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, Reverse Automatic Braking and Automatic Safety Belt Tightening. 

These are just some of the technologies that constantly monitor the road conditions and traffic around the vehicle and alert the driver of an impending collision, and in certain cases, even avoid them, if the driver fails to react in time.

Leading the way with enhanced safety and connectivity, the 2021 Escalade will soon also be available in select countries within the GCC with OnStar - General Motor’s pioneering in-vehicle safety and security technology. Backed by the human touch, OnStar is a first-of-its-kind subscription service and will provide Escalade owners with a more protected and connected ride, taking peace of mind and the ownership experience to a whole new level. 

With OnStar, customers can rely on features including Automatic Crash Response - whereby in the event of a sever accident, built in sensors in the Escalade will automatically send an alert to OnStar and a live advisor is immediately connected ensuring the right help is on the way. Another feature is the Stolen Vehicle Assistance – working closely with authorities, an OnStar Advisor can help customers retrieve their Escalade, bringing the vehicle to an idle speed and with a remote ignition block signal, the engine can be prevented from turning back on again once it has been switched off.

But that’s not all, customers can also benefit from the OnStar ‘Connect’ subscription plan and take advantage of the innovation that makes their busy lives just that little bit easier. With services like the Remote Key Fob customers can control their Escalade from anywhere, and On-Demand Diagnostics gives them the option to run real-time check on their vehicle's engine, transmission, antilock brakes etc. Also, keeping the driver and passengers connected and entertained at all times, the 2021 Escalade comes equipped with a Wi-Fi data plan which can support up to 7 devices.

All-new Escalade: Poised performance

The all-new Escalade delivers confident performance with advanced chassis technologies intended to deliver a responsive, precise driving experience that offers exceptional isolation from the road. Contributing elements include:

• An all-new independent rear suspension fundamentally transforms the driving dynamics of the Escalade, allowing each rear wheel to handle road conditions separately to dramatically enhance ride quality, steering responsiveness and overall driver control.
• Cadillac’s signature Magnetic Ride Control, the world’s fastest reacting suspension technology, continues for Escalade. It uses sensors to continually “read” the road and alter the damping rate of the shocks almost instantly to reduce vertical body motion, body roll and vibrations that can often resonate in a large SUV.
• New Air Ride Adaptive Suspension is available as a new system that combines with Magnetic Ride Control. The Air Suspension delivers automatic load-leveling and ride-height adjustments continuously at all four wheels. In highway driving, the system automatically lowers the ride height to improve aerodynamics; and a driver-selectable setting lowers the suspension 2 inches (51 mm) to aid passenger entry and exit when the vehicle is parked. Drivers can also raise the body for additional ground clearance when driving off-road. 
• An electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) is available, offering more precise traction and power engagement for the rear wheels. Its infinitely variable clutch engagement delivers torque to the wheel with the most traction, including cornering and wet weather conditions.  

Escalade’s available and unique combination of Magnetic Ride Control, Air Ride Adaptive Suspension and eLSD offers exceptional body control and remarkable agility for a vehicle of its scale. Four-wheel drive is available on all models. 

Confidence-inspiring performance remains a hallmark of the 2021 Escalade, with a new 6.2L V-8 engine offered as standard. With variable valve timing, stop/start and Dynamic Fuel Management technologies, it balances performance — 420 hp (313 kW) — with comparative efficiency. 

The engine is matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission with electronic shift control; and a trailering package is standard on all models. 

Peace of mind

To ensure that customers have a ruffle-free ownership experience, the 2021 Escalade comes as standard with 5 years warranty, 4 years roadside assistance and service and maintenance. Additionally, customers have the option to upgrade to 5 years warranty, roadside assistance and service and maintenance. This means that buyers do not have to worry about maintenance costs of their vehicles for the initial years of ownership, which coupled with Cadillac’s unrivalled aftersales support, makes the Escalade a practical proposition. 

Furthermore, the brand is offering its new Cadillac LIVE feature until November 27th and customers can now pre-book the all-new Escalade by visiting Cadillac Dealer site and take a virtual tour of the vehicle with a Sales Consultant, from the comfort and safety of their home.

The fifth-generation 2021 Cadillac Escalade armed with the best in technology, design, practicality and performance has once again shook up the segment it has spearheaded for over two decades.