2018 Cadillac Escalade

2018 Cadillac Escalade raises the luxury bar further with new 10-speed automatic transmission and bold new interior and exterior color options

◾Powerful 10-speed automatic transmission
◾New Maple Sugar interior with Jet Black accents for Platinum models

The Escalade has long defined spacious luxury driving, with its modern design, powerful capabilities and sumptuous amenities that keep luxury firmly in the driver's seat.

The 2018 Escalade includes a new standard 10-speed automatic transmission with an even wider 7.39 gear ratio spread. Coupled with the 6.2L engine, the Escalade is powerful enough to enable 0-to-60-mph performance in less than 6 seconds – 5.96 seconds for Escalade 4WD and 5.98 seconds for Escalade ESV 2WD.

The 6.2L engine also delivers an EPA-estimated 22 mpg on the highway in Escalade/ESV 2WD and 20 mpg on the highway for Escalade/ESV 4WD.

New inside the 2018 model is the addition of Shale with Maple Sugar and Jet Black accents, offered with Platinum models.

Performance — Powerful and efficient engine enhanced with new 10-speed transmission

Escalade performance is highlighted by the powerful and efficient 6.2-liter V8 engine, rated at an SAE-certified 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 460 lb-ft of torque (623 Nm). The 10-speed transmission is an all-new design and the first introduced into a luxury SÚV.

The 10-speed has four simple gear sets and six clutches: two brake clutches and four rotating clutches. That's only one more clutch than the previous eight-speed, despite having two more forward gears, contributing further to the compact packaging, while also improving spin losses to enhance fuel efficiency.

Addition highlights include:
◾Precise and smooth shift feel. Shorter steps between gears and proprietary controls provide a quick, seamless shifting experience for the Cadillac customer.
◾Improved efficiency. Because of the wider overall ratio spread of the 10L80, the new 10-speed allows the engine to run at lower rpm on the highway, achieving an EPA-estimated 23 mpg on the highway (2WD) — an approximately 5-percent improvement over the previous 8-speed automatic.
◾Quicker shifts for better performance. The 6.2-liter V8's 420 horsepower and the 10L80's quick shifts help it achieve a more immediate feeling of performance, as the perfect gear is available whenever the driver tips into the engine's power reserve.

Exclusive to the 2018 Escalade is the six-piston Brembo brake system with red Calipers and a special-edition Cadillac logo.

Interior Design — Style enrichments exude luxury and craftsmanship

Inside the 2018 Escalade, the highest level of craftsmanship defines the passenger spaces with technology seamlessly integrated throughout the luxurious interior. Real wood combined with premium cut-and-sewn materials and suede accents, along with ambient lighting, add elegance to the interior design. Precise controls and triple-sealed doors were engineered and designed to reinforce a feeling of quality. The 2018 additions include Shale with Jet Black and Maple Sugar with Jet Black accents.

Exterior Design – A clearly defined luxury SÚV with sleek aesthetics

Dynamic front styling cues are enhanced by a highly detailed Galvano chrome grille that has a unique, almost brushed look and feel. It is accented by full LED lighting in the front and rear that creates razor-like vertical light signatures. LEDs provide even, steady and very bright illumination, while delivering longer life and using significantly less energy than conventional lighting.

Bose® Centerpoint® Audio System — Advanced 16 speaker system provides concert-like sound


The 2018 Escalade features the Bose Centerpoint® surround sound system. Customized exclusively for the Escalade, it features new technologies that help heighten the sophisticated in-vehicle experience.

Proprietary technologies and 16 strategically placed speakers create a concert-like experience throughout the cabin. Five custom-tuned speakers placed across the instrument panel and front doors, combined with Bose Advanced Staging Technology, help reproduce expansive sound with exceptional precision and clarity.

Technology and Connectivity — Enhanced technology for innovative connectivity and convenience


Technology is integral to the Escalade's driving experience. The 2018 model includes the availability of Cadillac's industry-leading Rear-Camera Mirror. Útilizing a wide-angle camera mounted on the rear of the vehicle, the Rear Camera Mirror system improves field of vision by an estimated 300 percent, or roughly four times more than a standard rearview mirror. Úsing streaming video to the function of a traditional rearview mirror, removing obstructions of passengers, headrests, rear seat infotainment screens and the vehicle's roof and rear pillars.

The next-generation Cadillac user experience infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, is standard on all Escalade models. The 8-inch center screen uses capacitive touch technology and gesture recognition, enabling tapping and swiping common to smartphones and tablets. The system also uses proximity sensors to activate common options and controls as the user's hand approaches. An expanded favorites section offers quick access to phone contacts, digital music and navigation destinations in the same one-touch form as traditional radio presets.

Tire Fill Alert is another smart addition, helping drivers know when tires are at max air capacity.

Safety and Security Features – Advanced safety technologies offer peace of mind.

Escalade's technologies include active safety features to help protect occupants before, during and after a collision, such as front and rear automatic braking, which relies on short-range radar technology on Premium Luxury and Platinum models or a camera-based system on Luxury models along with ultrasonic sensors to help the driver avoid front and rear low-speed collisions via a progression of alerts that extend to complete braking, if necessary.

The availability of Automatic Parking Assist can also be found in the 2018 Escalade range, which enables the vehicle to park itself in parallel and perpendicular spaces. It uses ultrasonic sensors to locate a suitable space and maneuver the car into the space, with the driver only required to select the gear and apply the accelerator and brake pedals.

Source - Cadillac