The Cadillac Escala concept showed quite a bit of promise when it was initially unveiled in 2016 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. With its sleek, fastback sedan body style, the Escala looked like a perfect jumping-off point for Caddy’s next-generation luxury vehicles. By 2018, the Escala was approved for production, with an anticipated debut in 2021, as GM Authority covered previously. However, despite the excitement and plans, a production version of the Escala never materialized. Now, GM Authority has the inside scoop on why the Cadillac Escala never reached the finish line.
First, some insight into just how close we got to a production-spec Cadillac Escala model. The new sedan was initially intended to serve as Cadillac’s flagship, riding on the same Omega platform (O1) shared with the Cadillac CT6. The Escala also had a program code – O1LL, with O1 indicating the Omega 1 platform, the first L indicating a Long Sedan body style, and the second L indicating the Cadillac brand. This can be compared to the program code used for the Cadillac CT6, O1SL, wherein O1 stands for the Omega 1 platform, S stands for the Regular Length Sedan body style, and L indicates the Cadillac brand.
As a quick aside, it’s worth noting that GM uses the letter C in its program codes to indicate the Chevrolet brand, and as such, L is used for Cadillac.
Critically, GM completed much of the underpinnings intended for use with the new Cadillac Escala production vehicle, and had plans to equip the new sedan with the twin-turbocharged 4.2L V8 LTA Blackwing engine, the same power plant that powered the now-discontinued Cadillac CT6-V. In fact work was already underway on the vehicle execution, interior, and other components, with production slated to take place alongside the CT6 at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck plant.
Even with all that work and planning, the production-spec Cadillac Escala was still canceled. So what happened? Essentially, GM’s big push into electric vehicles and autonomous vehicle technology.
In fact, it was that very same same push that resulted in the discontinuation of the first-generation Cadillac CT6 in the North American market, while Detroit-Hamtramck was retooled into an EV-only facility and renamed Factory Zero, producing large electric pickups and SUVs based on the GM BT1 platform. What’s more, the 4.2L Blackwing engine was discontinued, as well.
Luckily, Cadillac’s vision for a flagship sedan wasn’t entirely abandoned, and the efforts were eventually folded into the creation of the all-electric Cadillac Celestiq.
Nevertheless, we can’t help but think what could have been. Indeed, the Escala looks good as a fastback, but it’s also quite attractive as a three-box sedan. Unfortunately, the final product never got to the finish line.
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At a time of year when luxury car ATP usually rises.
Sales decreased 5.6 percent to 16,670 units during the first ten months of 2024.
Specifically critical minerals supply chain development.
Scheduled for a Spring 2025 launch.
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one more reason Mary Barra should be retired.
Another missed opportunity
All these great looking concept cars that never get to production.
IMO, the Celiq isn't going to sell well. Too pricey and not good looking.
Mary barra.. wake up before it's too late. She must be a Democrat.. forget the electric car mandate.
agreed Cadillac ain't no Rolls Royce no matter how nice they make it. Just another typical miscue from GM. They can't even get the production from their suppliers right for the Corvette yet and that's been 4yrs.
and I'm a GM car guy !
That's putting it lightly.
...because they produced the CT5.
Except the celestiq is unaffordable to most. The Escala would have likely been right around 100, and I had my checkbook ready. I'm not dropping 300+ on a car, any car. Now would there have been enough takers of the Escala at 100? Probably not unfortunately.
Out of curiosity, did my previous comment inspire the author to dig for answers?
A key missing piece of information, the Escala(CT8) was supposed to not only use the LTA motor as standard(that was also the plan for the current gen Escalade- never confirmed but the Sport trim was supposed to get the LTA as a standard offering over the L87... look at the space in the engine bay with the 6.2 or LT4.. tons) but also have a Hybrid component.. but that ended up turning into the E-Ray's front end propulsion and battery pack.
COVID changed a lot of plans... and from the looks of it, there may not be a Corvette SUV( even though an internal concept exists)
Not sure an LTA makes sense in a slade. To me, the supercharged 6.2L makes more sense. Not sure an LTA would do well in such a heavy vehicle where you really want low end torque. I think the current 6.2L engine in the V is pretty optimal.
I hear management turnover is quite high within Cadillac right now. Not only would they need a reorganized and committed management structure, but they'd also need to invest a lot of money for a brand refresh and considering current economic and market conditions there may not be another opportunity for these types of cars.
There was so much potential for Cadillac, but I think we are in its twilight phase. I don't see how their EV sales, even if more successful than their ICE counterparts, can fund new development projects for the foreseeable future.
The same demise of the 7th gen camaro :/
Bonehead run upper management.
Beautiful car, and no ugly black carpet. All car makers, including GM should forget about what the Government wants and start thinking about what their customers want.
Because Mary spent too much money on the EV Crap which is failing ..
Another Barra blunder...
Another of the large chain of mistakes of GM since last century.