First Impressions

For decades, General Motors has set the standard for the full size SUV segment, creating people movers that are practical for on-the-go families that need a lot of space and the Escalade being the most luxurious one. Well, it’s time for something a little less practical but a lot more fun. Meet the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V. 

It’s the first SUV to have a V-Series badge and we went to Phoenix to see what it’s all about.

The exterior sees a unique front and rear fascia with quad exhaust outlets. Plus 22-inch aluminum wheels and six-piston Brembo brakes.

But it’s all centered around a hand-built 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine that kicks out 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque. Cadillac says that’ll get you a 4.4 second 0-60 and just under 13 seconds in the quarter mile. 

“So this supercharged V8 should seem familiar because it is very similar to the one in the CT5-V Blackwing that we loved so much. But there are some tweaks including a larger supercharger. We also have V mode which allows you to customize the different performance settings including steering, suspension, exhaust noise. You can either go very quiet with Stealth mode or you can go loud and throaty in Sport.”   

For a happy medium, there’s also a Tour setting that allows the V to become a comfortable but still powerful daily driver.

Other goodies include full time active all-wheel-drive, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Adaptive Air Suspension, an electronic limited slip differential, and active exhaust valves to control the V8’s growl. Plus, you still have a 7,000-lb towing capacity.

The V shares the same interior as the Platinum with 38-inches of OLED screen, your choice of Jett Black or Dark Auburn colors, a 36-speaker AKG sound system, and of course all of the passenger and cargo space you expect in an Escalade.

It will also come with the latest version of Super Cruise, which now includes automatic lane changing. 

The 2023 Cadillac Escalade V will start at $149,990 plus an available longer wheelbase ESV model starts at $152,990. You can expect them to go on sale later this summer.

Adding V-Series power and performance to the Escalade is unsurprisingly a boatload of fun. And current gas prices aside, the supercharged V8 lives to see another day! 

We’ll have more on this performance full-size SUV soon so keep it locked on MotorWeek!