2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE
12/16/2010
Cadillac
The Cadillac Escalade continues to offer the most complete model lineup in its segment, with three distinct body styles and the Escalade Platinum models. The standard Escalade is complemented by the extended length ESV model and the innovative EXT model that features a reconfigurable cargo bed with a segment-exclusive midgate enabling the rear compartment to flex between passenger and cargo space.
Escalade Platinum is the highest expression of the brand's dramatic design, luxury and technology. With features including segment-first LED headlamps and the world's fastest-acting suspension, Magnetic Ride Control, it's one of the most technically advanced vehicles in the segment.
Also available is the Escalade Hybrid, which delivers up to a 33-percent city fuel economy improvement without sacrificing the luxury features that define all Escalade models. A separate release outlining the Escalade Hybrid's features is part of Cadillac's 2011 product information.
Escalade features
The Escalade lineup features integrated powertrain, chassis, safety and interior systems that deliver some of the most powerful, efficient luxury SUVs in the segment, led by a 6.2L all-aluminum V-8 engine with variable valve timing technology delivering 403 horsepower (301 kW)* and 417 lb.-ft. of torque (565 Nm).* The 6.2L engine is also a flexfuel engine and can run on renewable E85 ethanol.
The Escalade and Escalade ESV are available in AWD and RWD configurations. The Escalade EXT sport-utility truck features standard, full-time AWD. A strong frame and chassis support the Escalade's robust powertrain and enable exceptional responsiveness and smoothness.
Four-wheel disc brakes and an ABS system help ensure braking performance. ABS works with the StabiliTrak stability control system's rollover mitigation technology. This software algorithm technology uses sensors to proactively predict vehicle "tip-up" and apply appropriate brake force to help prevent such events.
A roster of advanced features reinforces Escalade's position as technology leader, designed to bolster comfort, convenience and safety. They include:
Side blind zone alert
Power retractable assist steps
Automatic headlamps with IntelliBeam automatic high/low beams
Ultrasonic rear parking assist
Rear vision camera system
Bose AudioPilot active noise cancellation technology, which continuously adjusts the music in response to background noise
Fully functioning LED headlamps (exclusive to Escalade Platinum)
Heated and cooled cupholders (exclusive to Escalade Platinum)
Magnetic Ride Control
Power-titling and heated steering wheel
Eight-inch navigation radio with new CompactFlash memory and auxiliary jack
Rear-seat, DVD entertainment system
Heated and cooled front seats
Adaptive remote start
Power liftgate
Also available is an advanced navigation system with real-time traffic, expanded voice prompts and 3D imaging of major landmarks.
Escalade also has a full array of safety features: Front row-dual stage airbags, head curtain side airbags for all passenger rows, front row thorax airbags, and front row seat pretensioners.
Escalade Platinum
Offered on Escalade and the extended-length Escalade ESV, the Platinum edition includes a blend of technical innovations and aesthetic enhancements, including unique 22-inch wheels and exclusive Platinum exterior badges. Segment-first applications of Magnetic Ride Control technology (available on all Escalade models with 22-inch wheels) and full-function light-emitting diode (LED) headlamps highlight the Platinum's technology.
Magnetic Ride Control gives the Escalade Platinum more precise body motion control. It is a real-time damping system - "reading" the road in millisecond intervals and changes damping in 5 milliseconds. It replaces conventional mechanical-valve shocks with electronically controlled shocks filled with a magneto-rheological fluid containing minute iron particles. Under the presence of magnetic charge, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance almost instantly.
The LED headlamps emulate the characteristics of natural daylight much more closely than traditional auto lighting. LEDs are environmentally friendly lasting 10 times longer than traditional halogen bulbs.
Inside the Escalade Platinum is the latest example of Cadillac's 21st century return to handcrafted luxury details. The instrument panel, center storage console and door trim are leather wrapped. They feature decorative French seams that convey an elegantly tailored look and feel. Materials include rich leather on the instrument panel, with unique wood inlays and aluminum trim.
Tehama aniline leather is unique to the Escalade Platinum and is used to fully trim the first- and second-row seats. Contrasting-color stitching is used on the French seams for a distinctive, luxurious appearance and the seatbacks feature embroidered Cadillac wreath and crest insignias. The leather-covered seats are comfortable and convenient, with the industry-exclusive power fold-and-tumble second-row seat feature that eases access to the third-row seat.
Additional standard interior features include Platinum-specific door sills and floor mats; a heated steering wheel; and heated and cooled cupholders and a power liftgate that opens and closes with the touch of a button. Also, the DVD entertainment system adds screens integrated into each front-seat headrest, in addition to the existing roof-mounted screen.
Each front-row headrest screen has its own driver and input controls. The headrest units can be operated independently or in tandem. This system enables passengers in different seats to watch or listen to different entertainment choices. Escalade Platinum models will include the acclaimed Bose 5.1 Digital Surround system, as well as the eight-inch touch screen for Navigation, DVD, CD, MP3 and XM Satellite Radio entertainment.
Escalade interior
A unique instrument panel is a defining attribute of the Escalade's interior, and includes gauges with white needles and blue light inlays with continuously lit, white-LED backlighting. The well-appointed cabin also includes heated and cooled 14-way powered Nuance leather seats; leather door upper trim and center console; fabric-covered interior pillars; olive ash and walnut burl wood inlays; aluminum trim; and an available heated steering wheel.
Escalade delivers convenience with an industry-exclusive power fold-and-tumble second-row seat feature that eases access to the third-row seat, and a power-assisted rear liftgate that opens and closes with the touch of a button. A power-assisted rear liftgate that opens and closes with the touch of a button also is standard.
Escalade also includes an eight-inch touch-screen navigation system (standard), as well as an optional DVD system with a large, eight-inch flip-down screen. A segment-first Bose 5.1 digital surround sound system is integrated into a family of radios that play DVD audio/video, CD audio/video, MP3s and XM Satellite Radio.
Escalade ESV
The Cadillac Escalade ESV is the largest member of the Escalade family, offering maximum passenger accommodations and cargo capacity. Combining power, size and strength with trademark Cadillac styling and technology, the full-size Escalade ESV has strongly positioned Cadillac in the large luxury SUV market.
The vehicle is 21 inches (53.4 cm) longer than Escalade, translating into more premium seating and cargo-carrying capability - up to 137.4 cubic feet (3,891 L) behind the first row, with the second folded and third row removed. It features all the same elements and features as the standard Escalade, but adds an additional eight-inch flip-down screen for third-row passengers.
Escalade EXT
Escalade EXT brings unmatched versatility to the Escalade family of luxury SUVs, blending pickup truck-style functionality into a thoroughly luxurious Escalade.
The EXT model is a unique Sport Utility Truck (SUT) body style, giving it a part-SUV, part-pickup profile. With the industry-exclusive Midgate panel, owners can easily convert the EXT from a five-passenger SUV into a two-passenger pickup with eight feet of protected and secured storage. The midgate, located behind the rear seat, can be folded into the cabin, enabling the cargo area to expand from five feet to eight feet, for a total of 101 cubic feet in secured volume. A lockable, standard tonneau cover protects items in the cargo bed, or can be removed entirely for added space.
All 2011 Cadillac Escalade models are now equipped with ninth-generation OnStar technology. The flexible speech recognition system is now smart enough to interpret different sentences/phrases without actually hearing the exact 2-3 word commands from the user. For example, if a subscriber wants to place a call using the Hands Free Calling System, if they simply say, "I would like to make a phone call" or "Need to make a phone call," instead of saying the exact "dial" or "call" command, the system will understand that the user wants to place a call and process that command accordingly. The system is capable of recognizing thousands of sentences that users may say.
Additionally, significant improvements have been made to the flexible speech recognition system to allow it to better understand the many regional dialects that subscribers may have. This means that a subscriber in Southern Louisiana will be just as easily understood by the OnStar system as a subscriber in Long Island or Minnesota, no matter how thick his or her accent may be. OnStar engineers in North America and China perform extensive validation testing across four languages (English, French, Spanish and Mandarin), more than thirty different dialects and vehicles models in a wide range of driving and noise conditions.
About Cadillac
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered an historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion.