The Cadillac Escala is a looker, there’s no denying that. It’s a good thing, then, that the Escala also previews the future of Cadillac’s design language.
We don’t know if the first all-new Cadillac in a few years will take on Escala design traits—that being the Cadillac XT4 crossover—but the CT6 sedan is ready for its makeover.
The 2019 Cadillac CT6 has been spied testing in Europe and it’s wearing a very Escala-looking front face. The grille looks instantly Escala and the headlight design looks like it will be moving to a horizontal layout, something the Escala debuted as well. Nevertheless, vertical LED accent lights are still present below the headlights.
At the rear, it’s incredibly hard to decipher what’s going on. Kudos to the camouflage crew. The taillights look similar to the current CT6, but we bet they’ll take some Escala cues as well and not keep their straight, vertical design. The 2018 Cadillac XTS‘ rear end may offer some clues.

The revised rear fascia of the 2018/2019 Cadillac XTS
We’ll definitely have some time before we see the CT6’s updates in person. Meanwhile, Cadillac is concurrently hard at work on the aforementioned XT4 crossover, which should debut early next year.
Spy shots: AutoGuide
Comments
The next few years are going to be crucial for GM’s luxury division . Starting with the all new XT4 we will start to see JDN’s influence on the marque . We will probably see Escala design cues for this crossover in some manner whether it is the grill or tailights similar to the upcoming XTS . Seeing a XTS on the road now looks dated now that we know what is coming . The designers did a great job with the rear clip , those tailights are awesome .
Giving the CT6 an Escala like front end will push the car into a very sexy looking automobile , with clean lines and a much more modern appeal .
Finally we will start to see just what 12 Billion dollars looks like with JDN at the helm .
I am 58 years old and has only owned 7 cars in my lifetime. The first cars i owned were Pontiac Grand Prix’s; both preowned. However, starting with my first new car, a 1982 Nissan 280 ZX, The next four were all foreign made. I had never , ever considered purchasing an American built car again until i saw the Cadilla ELMIRAJ concept and knew immediately that if Cadillac ever were to bring this car into production, it would be the first American car that i would buy , based on the look of it’s exterior alone.And when i saw the Coupe version of the third Cadillac concept, the ” Escala” in a coupe version, i was sold and immediately started salivating while i attempted to find any additional information that i could about what the interior would look like as well as when it would be produced for purchase.
However, when i told a friend of mine about it, (he’s a car enthusiasts) he quickly revealed to me that Cadillac never follows through with a production model from it’s concepts. Well, i was hoping that he was wrong this time. After doing some research on his comment, HE IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. And ever since Cadillac showed us the ”ESCALA”, last year, all Cadillac has done is put out confusing and contradicting statements about whether they will produce the CT8 and/ or the Eldorado which presumably would be the production names for the last two concepts.
Cadillac on the one hand knows that the need credibility when it comes to producing a flagship vehicle to compete with the Germans but on the other hand they also know that the SUV’S own the market rigt now and they currently only have two SUV’S TO compete in that market and need more. While it’s understandable that decisions have to be carefully considered when you are talking billions of dollars, Cadillac only needs to take a look at the appeal and status that the Mercedes has held for several years now as the best luxury vehicle in the world and how well it sells even though it’s an SUV market.
Listen up , Cadillac. You know that you have the technology to compete with the Germans. If that’s the case, then all you need is a flagship vehicle that is very appealing to the eyes and i am sure that just like millions of other people who have seen both the Elmiraj and the escala concepts, know that these two concept vehicles would be two of the most beautiful vehicles to look at on the road. But despite the overwhelming approval by the potential customers that would by either of theses concepts if the were produced (especially a coupe version) you are still wavering.
I PREDICT THAT AT SOME POINT YOU WILL SEE THE NEED TO BUILD ONE OR BOTH CONCEPTS BUT IN THE MEANTIME YOU ARE LOSING MONEY BIG TIME TO S550 customers of which a great deal would probably have switched to your concepts, but by the time you have realized that it’s the right decision, you will already have lost even more of the market share which you cannot afford to do.
AT SOME POINT, EVERY CAR MAKER IN THE WORLD WILL HAVE TO TAKE A CHANCE. YOU WILL NEVER GET YOUR PRESTIGE BACK BY BEING TOO CONSERVATIVE. IN THE MEANTIME, SINCE I CAN’T WAIT AROUND ANYMORE IN ANTICIPATION OF YOU MAKING THE 2018 EDORADO COUPE OR THE 2019 CT8, MY FOCUS AND PLAN NOW IS TO BY A LATE MODEL MERCEDES BENZ AMG S63 NEXT YEAR.
TEASING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WITH CONCEPTS YOU WILL NEVER PRODUCE DOES NOTHING AT ALL TO HELP YOUR REPUTATION AND SIMPLY TELLING CONSUMERS THAT THESE CONCEPTS ARE DESIGNED TO SHOW
US WHAT FUTURE CADILLAC VEHICLES WILL LOOK LIKE DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR YOUR BOTTOM LINE RIGHT NOW. EITHER GET OFF THE FENCE AND DECIDE TO GO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER OR DON’T GET ON IT AT ALL.
I CAN’T IMAGINE HOW BAD YOUR OWN DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS MUST BE FEELING RIGHT NOW WHEN
THEY HAVE PUT HARD WORK INTO SOMETHING THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY WILL SEE ON THE ROAD SOMEDAY
ONLY TO BE TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN, ” THANKS BUT NO.”
Gerald,
It’s really pretty simple: Although Cadillac says they are a brand for those who dare, they don’t actually dare themselves. Not at all, not even a little bit. They are a copy-cat company that steadfastly refuses to take a chance on anything. All they do is provide lip service about being daring. If one wants a beautiful large coupe, BMW has a new 8-Series coupe on the way (that they will actually build) or Mercedes offers their elegant S-Class coupe.
In 2013, Mercedes showed their S-Class Coupe concept whilst Cadillac was concurrently displaying the Elmiraj. I personally thought the Elmiraj was a stunning 21st Century interpretation of classic Cadillac style and attributes and easily outclassed the big Benz coupe. However, one went into production and the other didn’t. I’d say Mercedes is the one who dared and actually builds cars for entrepreneurs the world over who risk it all to drive the world forward. Cadillac does B-rated copies of BMWs for those seeking a bargain imitation of a Bimmer.
I would challenge JdN or anyone else at Cadillac to explain to me how I am wrong or what I am missing. The ‘Dare Greatly’ tagline is a horrible choice for Cadillac today because they most assuredly don’t live up to it.
nice to see a bolder face but the overall profiles are dated as Cadillac keep watering down the same A&S design theme…it isn’t a 100% win.
What about the interior? Are they going to keep that horrible plastic seat controls? I do hope, we won’t see any plastic inside. Also ct6’s back looks boring, just like the profile. Meh
So this must the “comprehensive” treatment JDN stated the CT6 will get. So far everything he stated is coming true. Now only to figure out what the flagship will be since he said its not a 4 door sedan.
I believe we will see a 2 door coupe that would compeat with the S-Class coupe and BMW 8……and a sedan to compeat with the Maybach 600 and BMW 9.
One has to wonder whether Cadillac’s stance about the Escala will ‘never’ be built is cracking caused by showroom visitors who are saying it’s Escala or nothing and while trying to bring the Escala to production will take time, the cost of refreshing the new CT6 with Escala design cues is faster and much cheaper; although one has to wonder whether Cadillac’s CT6 will be the only car to receive some Escala design cues as it’s almost time for the ATS and CTS to get a mid-life refreshing.
The ATS and CTS will get next generation models in few years. The CTS already had an exterior refresh for ’17 with updated engines (mainly 3.6 NA in ’16). The ATS had an exterior refresh in ’15.
Personally I think the exterior of CT6 is beautiful and doesn’t need a refresh yet and probably never. It’s the interior and engine bay that need a major overhaul.
Design-wise Cadillac is competitive but the uninspired cheapo interior and parts-bin engines make this car a non-starter. I’d spend my money there instead of worrying about new Escala-like headlights.
Frankie,
I Agree. A Cadillac interior should have its own switchgear, materials, and an internal design as unique as the interior. It should not feel like an upgraded Cruz designed by the same folks.
One of my criticisms of GM interiors, though much improved, is that they all look alike. The shapes, materials, and components are the same. The interior of a BMW, Rolls Royce, and MINI seemingly have little in common though they all share the same parent company and I’m certain some elements are shared. GM should develop a unique design and feel for the interior or each brand they build but especially for Cadillac. Sitting in a CT6 should not feel like an upgraded Cruz.
not really I think the exterior of CT6 just OK…but not beautiful…the Elmeraj is what I call beautiful….the CT6 just looks like any other Cadillac but bigger as rather boring.
I’m in the minority, it seems, in my dislike of Escala’s front end.
Insignia comes off as similar yet more handsome in comparison not to mention earlier Cadillac efforts like Ciel.
The current CT6 lighting is unique and fantastic.
if they put the Escala face on the CT6 it would look stunning. I hope they give the interior a solid update too. This needs to be Caddys flagship at least for another few years and it should look and feel like one. its Time Cadillac gets its own interior components and none which are shared with a chevy cruze. 10 speed across the board is a must along with a V sport option and the new twin turbo v8 they have coming with at least 480-500 hp
Much of what you see and touch in a Cadillac is in the process of being replaced. In time even the engines will become their own again with more than a change in engine covers.
GM will still share what is under the skin like HVAC and transmissions.
But even now they now have their own dedicated designers and engineers were pre JDN they had staff doing a Cobalt on Monday and a CTS on Friday.
The changes are going to be pretty far reaching in a day were there is so much consolidation.
The other thing is the Escala will hold heavy influence on all new product as it has presented the ne face of Cadillac but we still need to accept the reality it is a show car and show cars as shown often lead to major issues in the real world.
Case in point. The 5th gen Camaro had poor sight lines and major interior issues. The SSR had major ergonomic issues. You could not move the seat with out opening the door. The frame lacked so much support as it had to use a trailblazer frame with not roof to tie it together. Great fun cars but a cluster of issues that Cadillac can not afford to repeat.
Cadillac needs to remove all compromise for style while retaining still compelling style. A ergonomics failure in this segment is a death wish.
We all just need to let them work and serve the product and judge it for what they deliver as so many i thing under estimate what they are doing or over estimate what progress can be made in this amount of time.
I feel I may even be shocked at the progress they make in this very short piece of time.
Well said Scott. I think JDN will bring some good changes in regards to materials and interior work. Barra seems to be on board otherwise GM wouldn’t be handing Cadillac $12 billion to get the job done. A new model every 6 months is agressive, and I like that this is the plan. It shows GM is ready to bring Cadillac back to glory. As long as R&D and quality aren’t sacrificed this should be a win for GM and Caddy.
Yes GM bought in and has provided full support. They stopped doing as Lincoln still does just trying to carve a niche in a lower segment.
Now the key here is Cadillac is not going to rocket to number one. It takes time and continued refinement tonwpearm the trust and money of the consumer here.
But even with that said if GM can just grow sales steadily and continue high ATP they will make a ton of money as volume is not the main key. This is added profits as these cars return around as much proft per vehicle as a full size truck. You do not sell Cadillacs like Chevys.
This is much lik Le Mans that I am watching, you do not go out and pass everyone out there on the first lap. You keep in the race and work to improve the car and move up one car at a time.
The rate of change at Cadillsc is nearly un heard of and GM is one of the few who can pull it off.
But even with all the change some things will have to come in time as $12 billion is still not enough to do all they would like.
In the end most will be happy and a few of the last customers will be disappointed. That is a sign they are doing the right things.
The segment has changed and so too must Cadillac. Many say that they are chasing the Germans but the rptruth is the German are where the market is and Cadillac just wants to be in the same room and then they can add their own take to guide the segment to where the public wants it.
Keep in mind most Benz and BMW are not AMG OR M series so Cadillac will not be all V series either. This is why the core car needs to be competitive.
Lincoln might be in a slightly lower nitch then Cadillac but they sure are getting quite a bit of attention with the new Continental from both the public and auto media. While lincoln has a ways to go, they are starting to get somewhere with the new Continental and then the upcoming Navigator.
Lincoln has done what Cadillac has not done so far and thats Dare Greatly.. They brought a grand old name from the past made the car its own identity and actually know how to advertise luxury… As of now lincoln is ahead of the game, maybe not so much with product but with their grove and momentum.
Lincoln has gotten som attention but not much in elevated image as they should be getting. Ford needs your commit to them as GM has committed to Cadillac to make them a little more than a Ford and not just a modified Ford.
This is where Cadillac struggled as while the Chevy stuff was good it was still not a Cadillac.
You can dumb down a Cadillsc to be a Camaro but you can’t dumb up a Caprice to be a Cadillac.
It will be interesting to see what Fords new CEO does. He either needs to move them up or kill them as the return on investment is not good. Buick gets away with it because of China when Lincoln has no advantage with much volume. The cheaper the luxury the greater the need for volume.
Scott3,
How do you know any of this? GM has been making promises for 30 years and the hype always exceeds reality. Remember the promises from Reuss and others about the Bentley-like interior that CT6 was supposed to have? The hype was great early on only to begin to be dialed-back as production neared. Suddenly it was Bentley-like no more; it wasn’t even an S-Class competitor anymore. Have no worries though they told us; CT8 is coming and it will be all those things. Except then it died. Instead of CT8 we’re getting a re-hash of the awkward low-rent FWD XTS that’ll soldier on.
So forgive for being skeptical but I’ve seen it all before. Something great is always right-around-the-corner that never seems to get turned. Do I think JdN wants to do good things? Yes, I even think he half-way knows how but the Titanic is mightily hard to turn around and so far all I’m seeing is more hype and none of the outstanding products that are needed.
Being in my early 20s and only started following this site ~2 years ago I did not witness the empty promises from GM in the past, however can totally understand your skepticism.
I’m hoping the company is finally going full force with Cadillac because if they don’t they might as well not try again. The brand would be tarnished even further and GM cannot afford that. There are other areas GM could improve on, but overall I see the company moving forward. Ford might have its F-Series sales #s but a high percentage is fleet sales. GM has been reducing fleet sales to boost resale, the Bolt, autonomous technology, and Full size SUV dominance.
Nothing is a sure thing but if you have followed this closely more than just product you would see why the optimism this time.
In the past GM had no money to do it right.
First the main issue has been a revolving door of leaders at Cadillac that could not get the support they needed. Then Mark took the lead on the CT6 as a flag ship and was not given the needed support. This demoted the CT 6 to a car he did not want but the car he got.
At this point a Mark recruited JDN as the bull dog to come in and not bow to intimidation. He was given the money no one else got. He was given a move to remove Cadillac from under the GM thumb. It is hard for board members to drop in the studio if the are in NYC.
JDN was given the upindependent staff Cadillac has lacked for decades in Design and Engineering. He was given the chance to go a proper V8 for Cadillac and not be fund limited like the Nstar.
Then there is the realistic expectations some lack too. Everyone has a vision and time line for Cadillac that is not possible. No Cadillac is not going to be a Bently in the near term. That is a good goal down the road but you have to walk before you run.
The fact is they are doing all the right things to advance the brand. Now like I stated it will still take time and investment but their profit permit this.
If you note the reviews most state chassis wise Cadillac is best in class. What hurts them are details like the NHV on the engines. The Low quality of interior bits, the lack off attention to things like the Cue interphase. These are the things being corrected.
If you look back at history BMW and Audi both took years to earn their place here. The return of Cadillac will be the same as even if they build the best car they still need to earn their mpimage and the buyers trust.
The devil in all my f this is in the details in how they are doing it and how it is funded under direction of the same person for more than one year. Then the new autonomy from GM they are enjoying right now. That is something they have lacked for a long time.
The next big thing will probably be the autonomous Cadillac Maven. This is where GMs money is going. Of course, you’ll hear the announcement first from some Chinese publication and you’ll be forced to publish the photo with massive Chinese text covering the whole bottom corner and the car won’t look anything like an Elmiraj which is exactly the magnum opus GM should’ve put its money into. Of course, the globalists don’t want anything like that; their aim is for the common swine in the US to rideshare while their designers are being paid to satisfy the tastes and wants of the burgeoning elites outside of the US – it’s sound business sense to take good care of the folks who inherited American’s jobs after all.
And if that XTS restyle in the picture is any indication, I’d say GM better woo Ed Welburn back from retirement or hire a boatload of Shaman to resurrect the Great Bill Mitchell stat. Proportions like these won’t save Cadillac, folks. Sorry.
Well you must first consider one the XTS refresh is a job where they have limit to what they can do. Second under the Camo it is difficult to really see much of any of the product. The public will decide as a whole not a few detractors.
Scott, upon every design is placed a limit on what they can do. This is a management style and this self imposed conservatism has precluded Daring Greatly since long before they tried to get people’s attention with the empty catchphrase. I agree with The original Dan’s comments about Lincoln’s resurrection of the Continental – the car has been well received from the standpoint of style, efficiency and interior appointments and is a good start. Not my cup of tea, but an important step in the right direction for Lincoln and evidence that even Ford will put well received concepts into production and has no fear of resurrecting storied nameplates in favor of the meaningless internationally vogue gibberish adorning Cadillacs today. Resisting that in favor of the beloved Continental badge speaks volumes to Ford’s confidence and commitment to re-establishing Lincoln’s once proud identity.
The Elmiraj would’ve singularly redefined Cadillac and shaken the global pecking order. It was the very definition of Daring Greatly which is the last thing Cadillac has proven interested in actually pursuing. Let’s not allow our loyalty and endless optimism blur the truth before our eyes. There can be no excuses made for lack of product when other manufacturers do not suffer Cadillac’s management imposed handicaps. Those who point out 30 years of Cadillac failing to deliver on its promises have a valid point and GMs shortsighted focus on trendy Cadillac CUVs aimed squarely at China will do nothing to restore Cadillac’s severely tarnished reputation and bring it back to prominence as a coveted luxury brand.
I saw a CT6 2.0T the other day. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t stunning either. All that really stuck with me was why on earth would anyone want their full sized Cadillac to say “2.0T” on the back? It’s the top Cadillac, not an entry level Audi or Volkswagen for crying out loud. Cadillac has a very real identity crisis on its hands which isn’t going to be solved by prioritizing designs to meet the needs of the Chinese market, nor by copying the Germans – and alas not by tasking those with such a mindset to lead another once revered and uniquely American company back to the Promised Land.
Well here is the first problem. It is nieve to think one car today would change an entire company. Exspecially one that would be very expensive and rarely seen.
The reality is the Elmiraj was always a show car. Yes they did look at it for production but the first problem was at the time there was no platform to put it on. Mark made it clear the Alpha and Omega could not support it. To do a single platform for such a low volume model was never an option. Again many need to grasp the reality that it was #2 of 3 show cars.
Then add into this these cars were conceived before JDN had any input. Only #3 got some of his vision. Note we have yet to see his product as it takes 5 years to reach production if you rush it.
The key to the future is with the regular models that people really buy. BMW built their image on the 3 series.
The Cadillac we have now is product of the revolving door management that for decades was micro managed.
Now where we will see and know if the change is good will be with the new products we are about yo see starting this fall and every six months after.
Not all will be home runs but most I expect will be marked improvements over what we have now. It will be the public that decides if it is right or not. But that will take time and continued refinement.
From what I see here you appear to have a retro image of Cadillac and have yet to understand it must reach out to global markets with their products to people who normally do not consider Cadilllac as an option.
There has been a move of late where under 50 people are buying many ATS lease turn in models at a good enough price to take a risk on it. And you know what they like them. I have a good number of them at work that like them enough that they are considering buying a new one next time. This is how brands grow.
BMW also did this with the 3 series years ago.
The CUV models are targeting global marketers not just China or have you not look at a local parking lot lately? It is getting to where the cars are in the minority.
The truth is the right for Cadillac to build a mega flag ship needs to be earned before it is done. Yes the can do the coming car fine as it will slot in just over the CT6 that I suspect may see a merger with the CTS at some point since the are close in size.
The reality is it will take time and refinement over a number of models to complete ”this deal. One year and one model based on a show car will do it.
Note the Elmiraj if it were built it would have had to change to be built. The hard top would have had to go at the price they could charge. The nose and tail needed to change as they would not have passed standards. The interior was all show and would have had you change.
Let’s just let this happen and judge JDN on what he gives us. We owe him that much and keep it real to understand how much work they have had and how little time the had to do it with the understanding that the changes will continue.
CT6 BEV Plug in drivetrain, on dedicated chassis coming soon.
The production of the Cadillac Escala will put Cadillac back on the map and shoot them straight to the top giving Mercedes and BMW competition by far the Cadillac Escala body shape is a Class Act which is very close to the Audi A7 which I plan on purchasing until I seen the Cadillac Escala so I’ll wait two years so the president of Cadillac can make the right decision and bring the Cadillac Escala into production
From the comments, I see a mixed reaction to the CT6. I have the Premium Lux model CT-6 with the 3.0L twin turbos AWD as a daily driver for past 18 months. I will purchase the Escala if it comes with the 4.2L twin turbo v8 engine. I opted for all features minus the 32 speakers sound system. Performance is adequate with the turbos, however, I found the 3.6 or 2.0T underpowered. If you want the looks of the car without the luxury performance to keep away from the TT model. The performance merging into traffic or getting around the obnoxious driver in the fast lane is a mere depressing the fast pedal. I live in the Midwest where there are roads provide an opportunity to see speeds on toll roads that make the car a pleasure to drive.The all-wheel drive has surprised many a hellcat and Camaro ZL1 running past 120mph and they are not fading when you’re on the gas as well. A neighbor has a new BMW 6xx model and came over last weekend and was surprised as I went past him merging onto the freeway a few blocks away and had no idea the 3.0L was as powerful as it was. I took him for a ride that afternoon and he rethought the assessment of the CT6. I mentioned the potential future release of the TT 4.2L in a similar platform. I would hope Hennessey might consider the upgrades for the CT6 with V8 since they have gapped the current models. They do offer upgrades for the CTV models. Time will tell, looking forward to seeing if the platform will have the V8 TT. Fun to drive.