The all-new 2021 Cadillac Escalade is set to debut next week in Hollywood, California, delivering a complete top-to-bottom overhaul of the popular luxury SUV. In addition to new underpinnings, fresh features, and a restyled cabin and exterior, the new Escalade will also offer a new diesel engine option.
Earlier this week, GM Authority spotted a prototype 2021 Cadillac Escalade on the road emitting the unmistakable engine/exhaust note of a diesel powerplant. To be more specific, the Escalade sounded exactly like a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 or GMC Sierra 1500 equipped with the 3.0L LM2 inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel Duramax engine.
Speaking with sources familiar with the project, GM Authority managed to confirm that the 2021 Cadillac Escalade will indeed offer the LM2 as part of the engine lineup. This will be the first time the Cadillac Escalade nameplate has been offered with diesel power, and it will make the Escalade the only vehicle in its class to offer a diesel powertrain.
In the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, the LM2 Duramax diesel engine produces 277 horsepower at 3,750 rpm and 460 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm. Just as it does in the pickups, the LM2 will mate to the GM 10-speed automatic transmission in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade.
The new Escalade will come standard with the naturally aspirated 6.2L L87 V8 gasoline engine with Dynamic Fuel Management, which will drop in as a replacement for the outgoing model’s 6.2L L86 V8 with Active Fuel Management (AFM). Like the optional diesel, the L87 will also mate to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
We’ll be on the ground at the debut of the all-new 2021 Cadillac Escalade next week on February 4th in Los Angeles, so stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac Escalade news, Cadillac news, and 24/7 GM news coverage.
Comments
Well that is new I Iove the effort gm is putting into the suvs, they will be great hard to beat additions into the competitive industry.
This probably will be the most reliable diesel luxury SUV outside of an Landcruiser..
This tells you one thing.. General Motors CEO Mary Barra thinks that people who can afford a $75K SUV might be worried about mileage; buyers of the Cadillac Escalade have no worries about the price of gas which means Chevrolet’s 650 hp LT4 supercharged 6.2L V8 should be made as an available option.
They can fit in a Diesel engine, but can’t afford to integrate & test the 4.2L … Yeah, okay.
“it will make the Escalade the only vehicle in its class to offer a diesel powertrain.”
Um no. The GLS, X7 & the Range Rover all offer diesel engines, even the Lexus LX have a diesel option.
1. The 3.0L Duramax engine scales from the trucks (Silverado and Sierra) to the rest of the GM SUVs (Tahoe/Suburban, Yukon/XL, Escalade/ESV). As such, it’s a no-brainer. Meanwhile, scaling the Blackwing (one engine) for the Escalade (one model) is a lot more difficult to do.
2. You’re reaching in your definition of the vehicle class. The segment here are body-on-frame, full-size, luxury SUVs (Escalade, Navigator, LX, and QX80), not full-size luxury crossovers (X7, GLS-Class, Ranger Rover).
3. The Lexus LX does not offer a diesel engine in the U.S. market. The only available engine is 5.7L V8 otherwise known as 3UR-FE.
4. The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class does not offer a diesel engine in the U.S.
5. The BMW X7 does not offer a diesel engine in the U.S.
Is it time to reconsider your entire comment?
1. Yep, just the way GM likes it, the easy way. IMO they should’ve bit the bullet and pushed for the Blackwing. The Range Rover is a member of the 500hp club since 2009. The X7 M50i (replaces the xDrive50i) is at 523hp & the GLS580 is at 485hp. Meanwhile, the Escalade will continue with the 420/460 6.2 for 6-7 more years … Just like the Infiniti.
Sure, the Escalade matches the RR in the torque department, but the Germans are in the 500+ range. The X7 is almost a 100 ib-ft more powerful than the upcoming Escalade. Even Lexus dared to cross the 500ib threshold with the supercharged LX (450/521).
The 100k bracket is a different world & the Escalade must be able to go toe to toe with the competition in every aspect, the good enough mentality doesn’t cut it.
2. You & I care, but does the average buyer care? BOF, CUV, its all full size luxury SUVs to them.
3, 4 & 5. They do offer them where I live & they overlap with the Escalade in other markets as well.
“Is it time to reconsider your entire comment?”
Nah, I still stand by it.
I suspect there is more to the story. Something about this engine is preventing from GM using it more. The Escalade and Corvette would be perfect applications but neither is getting the engine. It honestly cant be that hard to fit any V8 into the massive engine bay of an Escalade.
@Ma Pa
It’s not about fit. The Blackwing fits in the Escalade without a problem. Instead, it’s about money. See my comment (above?) about having two V8 engine families and how that’s very redundant.
@IceDree
1. You do know that there will be a high-performance variant of the next-gen Escalade with a supercharged OHV engine, right? Or did you conveniently miss/forget that fact?
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/07/next-gen-cadillac-escalade-will-offer-high-performance-model/
The fact that the LT4 can do what the Blackwing does, while doing so at scale, isn’t easy or hard or whatever other way you want to describe things. What it is, is reality… it’s as simple as that.
The other reality is that the Blackwing is redundant when there are GM push-rod V8 engines that do the thing. There is simply no point of having two V8 engine families making similar amounts of output when the future is clearly electric. This is true for GM as it is for any other automaker – no one outside of Ford has two distinct V8 engine families.
Mind you, the engine that you poo-poo in your comment hasn’t prevented the Escalade from remaining the best-selling model in its class, and by a long shot.
2. Absolutely! The buyer might not know or care whether a utility is BOF or unibody… which is why we have included GLS and X7 in our sales comparisons:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/10/cadillac-escalade-sales-numbers-figures-results-third-quarter-2019-q3/
3-4-5. Is this the part where I should ask you where you live? I’m talking about the United States – the market that single-handedly accounts for roughly 90 percent of global Escalade sales volume. But sure, let’s talk about whatever small-volume market you’re referring to!
So yeah, I’d start looking for a new angle if I were you.
1. My comment from the very article you’re referring to:
“Escalade V12, Escalade Sport Concept & Escalade “V”. We’ve been down that road a few times before. Sorry fellas, I’ll believe it when I see it on the showroom floor with a pricetag next to it.”
Excuse me if I sound skeptical, but we’ve heard that before & nothing happened in the end.
While I agree that the 6.2 can do anything the 4.2 & is technically redundant, why go through developing the Blackwing & spending all that money in the first place? Why not just stick the 6.2 in the CT6 from the get go & call it a day?
That money could’ve been spent on much needed interior improvements across the entire range instead of developing an engine they’ll use on what? less than 2000 cars?
” the engine that you poo-poo in your comment hasn’t prevented the Escalade from remaining the best-selling model in its class, and by a long shot.”
When did I poo-poo the 6.2? If what I said above is poo-pooing, you don’t wanna know what I think about the parts-pin special 3.6 & GM’s transmissions.
3, 4 & 5, No, this is the part where we continue arguing about something the original article left open for interpretation while you feel superior and look down on me.
“So yeah, I’d start looking for a new angle if I were you”
Nah, I’m good.
you don’t even need to bring up X7 M50i. The 40i is faster to 60 and more efficient then the current gen Cadillac.
To be fair, the Escalade has been included in comparison tests that included all of the top luxury SUV players. I believe it was a Motor Trend comparison in which the Escalade actually won against the GLS, etc. While it is true that, technically, the Escalade is a more direct competitor to the Navigator and QX80, let’s not pretend it doesn’t also compete with the Germans and others at the same price point. It’s not likely people will shop specifically for body on frame or crossover luxury SUV’s, but rather they’ll just have a price in mind.
I think this is great. Bring back more cars/trucks/suv with diesel.
If the engine as refined as the BMW I6 diesels it will do very well. Maybe it won’t be a big seller at Cadillac, but it could have a 10% take rate at Chevy/GMC. Im sure the additional cost to add it to the Escalade is minimal after it is already in the Tahoe/Yukon