Power & Prestige – the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V

As we saw last week looking at the Jeep Grand Wagoneer L, bigger is better. But while being bigger may be better, being big and fast may be best – and that is exactly what Cadillac is trying to prove with their 2023 Escalade-V.

Today’s Escalade is quite big. Larger than its predecessor, this fifth generation Escalade boasts more passenger room in its second and third row seats than ever before. Its exterior design continues at what the Escalade has done so well at – provide a brash, in-your-face excess statement. There is no subtlety here, just a huge grille with plenty of sheet metal behind it. Like Escalades before it, the current one is clean, simple, enormous and easily recognizable for what it is.

As a V, the Escalade gets slightly different bumpers, special wheels, unique badges, and red-painted brake calipers. Still, the overall look is hardly different from other Escalade models, making the Escalade-V somewhat of a sleeper.

Under the hood, though, things are somewhat different. The Escalades huge 6.2-liter V-8 engine remains, but for the V it receives a Roots-type supercharger that brings up horsepower from an already impressive 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque to a monstrous 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is standard on the Escalade-V and it continues to use a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Inside the V, the Escalade has all the luxury features found in the Premium Luxury Platinum trim level which includes massaging front seats, a leather wrapped instrument panel and soft-closing doors. The only addition that the V provides are special V emblems and a V specific driving button. With this current generation, the Escalade now has one of the best interiors in the business as well as some of the latest gadgets around. Supple leather, lacquered wood and aluminum brightwork cover every surface. The dash now uses the latest in screen technology: OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) which provides for a sharper and more colorful image over the popular LCD screens. Super Cruise, Cadillac’s hands-free driving system and Night Vision, a system that uses an infrared system to help drivers see beyond their headlamps and detect pedestrians and animals are both available on the Escalade-V.

Obviously, what stands the Escalade-V apart from other Escalades is its performance, and it doesn’t disappoint. Hitting the V mode button puts the Escalade in its most powerful mode by engaging its launch-control feature, which holds the engine’s revs at around 1500 rpm when the driver has both the gas and brake pedals mashed to the floor. Release the brake and the Escalade V rockets to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds, which is absurdly quick for a vehicle of this size.

Having reviewed a few very quick electric vehicles (EVs) recently, the quickness of the Escalade feels very familiar. But there is one big difference. As an EV accelerates quickly in near silence, the Escalade-V does it in an uproar. The initial whine of the Escalade-V’s supercharger is quickly overtaken by the loud exhaust note of the massive American V8 motor and provides us with the thrill and excitement that only an internal combustion engine can make. EVs may be the future but there is no denying that good ole fashion gas engines are way more fun.

Of course, anything associated with a lot of power, usually means there is a lot of money involved, and the Escalade-V is no exception. While the base Escalade starts at $81,090, the Escalade-V is much pricer, carrying a price tag of $148,195. The tester has an MSRP of $150,565.

The V-Series was first introduced as a high-performance division of Cadillac in 2003 when the luxury automaker revealed the CTS-V. Now 20 years later, Cadillac unleashes its first V-Series for the Escalade. Yes – amazing all this time there has never been an Escalade-V until now. Well, that’s all changed – as the 2023 Escalade-V is here and is on a mission full of power and prestige.

— Christopher A. Randazzo
By The Numbers:

2023 Cadillac Escalade 4WD V-Series

Base Price: $148,195.00
Price as Tested: $150,565.00
Layout: front-engine / all-wheel drive
Engine: 6.2-liter Supercharged V8
Transmission: 10 – speed automatic
Horsepower: 682 hp
Torque: 653 ft-lbs
EPA Fuel Economy: 11 city / 16 highway mpg

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