Cadillac is finally throwing their hat into the high-performance SUV ring with the 2023 Escalade-V. Full details will be released this spring, but the luxury brand said the “V-Series designation is reserved for vehicles that encompass the peak of Cadillac performance, bold, distinguished design, and innovative technology.” That isn’t much to go on, but the model follows in the footsteps of the Escalade Sport and Sport Platinum by adopting a mesh grille and blacked out accents. However, the Escalade-V goes even further as it adopts a sportier front bumper with a prominent air intake. It’s flanked by triangular intakes that are reminiscent of those found on the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings.
Continuing further back, there’s V-Series
badging on the doors and lightweight wheels that are backed up by a
high-performance braking system with red calipers. The model has also been
equipped with a four-tailpipe sports exhaust system and a modified rear bumper
with a discreet diffuser.
The cabin remains more mysterious as
Cadillac only released one picture showing a leather-wrapped steering wheel
with V-Series badging. However, we can expect to see some special touches as
well as a familiar curved OLED display that consists of a 7.2-inch driver
information center, a 14.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 16.9-inch
infotainment system.
Cadillac is keeping specifications under
wraps, but the model is expected to use the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 as
the CT5-V Blackwing. It produces 668 hp and 893
Nm of torque in the sedan and, assuming that number carries over to the SUV,
it would be a 248 hp and 270 Nm improvement over
the Escalade’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8.