With sales of the 2015 Cadillac Escalade in full swing, General Motors’ luxury brand is highlighting the vehicle’s vastly overhauled exterior design. Part of the reasoning behind the success of the full-size SUV is its stand-out appearance, and this generation features styling cues which “combine sculpted surfaces with high technology embellishments” to set it apart from competition, Cadillac says.
Even though the exterior design is all-new, the 2015 Escalade features many signature Cadillac design elements, such as a shield-shaped grille and vertical LED light signatures in both the front and rear. Cadillac says the SUV’s iconic character has been preserved over its lifetime, which began in 1999.
“The 2015 Escalade continues the theme set by the first Escalade – a vehicle differentiated from other SUVs through its artistic integration of bright work, grille textures and wheels,” Bob Boniface, Global Cadillac director of design, said in a statement. “The Escalade design has a more sophisticated and integrated exterior appearance when compared to the rough-and-rugged aesthetic of standard SUVs.”
One of the big changes in the Escalade’s design for the 2015 model year was the body sculpting on the sides of the car. The lines are more dramatic and defined, and are meant to “reflect the vehicle’s surroundings like a mirror,” which produces “beautiful, liquid-like reflections,” on the body.
Cadillac also ditched the relatively chintzy chrome of models past in favor of a more classy-looking Galvano chrome. This trim is more subtle with less shine and looks more like metal with a brushed finish. It’s also much harder to apply, but Cadillac believes it helps to set the vehicle apart from the competition even further.
Comments
So far I have 4500 miles on my 2015 Escalade. It’s a great vehicle – smooth, comfortable, super quiet. CUE is slow. If GM can optimize CUE for it to work faster, it would be great. Wish the Escalade had more interior storage compartments. I am very pleased with the fuel economy. In average I am getting 19 MPG, with a lot of highway driving. I think the Escalade is great and look forward to even more enhancements to the line in the future.
One more thing: I do know that the Escalade is essentially a Tahoe/Suburban underneath. But I don’t care. I prefer the service at Cadillac dealerships, I like the extra sound insulation. I like the branding. I am happy with it. Some people are put off by “badge reengineering.” But to me there is an entire brand experience in the escalade that still distinguishes it from the Tahoe/suburban. Of course, folks who are bothered by paying extra can opt for a Tahoe or suburban.