2023 Cadillac Escalade V
2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

Today, Cadillac officially unveiled a high-performance version of its Escalade full-size SUV. Cadillac is in the midst of becoming a pure-EV brand—company executives have announced that Cadillac will not be selling any internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles by the year 2030. Before then, however, the GM luxury division is giving gasoline engines one heck of a send-off by offering some serious high-performance models. The 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing are ensuring that Caddy’s ICE performance sedans are going out with a bang, and now the Escalade-V looks poised to do the same for the brand’s SUVs.

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2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

The 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V marks the first use of Caddy’s high-performance “V” moniker on an SUV, but we don’t know exactly how high-performance it will be at this point—Cadillac hasn’t announced exactly which engine the Escalade-V will have. Since the regular Escalade comes standard with a 420-hp 6.2-liter V8, it’ll almost certainly have to be something special to stand out. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a version of the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that’s currently used in the CT5-V Blackwing (where it makes 668 horsepower) and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (where it makes 650 hp).

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2023 Cadillac Escalade V
2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

From the photos Cadillac has released, it appears the Escalade-V’s performance styling add-ons will be fairly subtle—a slightly more aggressive front fascia, bodyside sills, and a diffuser-style rear fascia with plus-sized exhaust tips are apparent, along with the expected dark-finish trim elements and V badging. We also see two different wheel styles, and we’d wager that Cadillac engineers have tuned the suspension and upgraded the brakes to help this 5600-lb-plus large SUV handle with at least a bit more nimbleness for a vehicle of its size, heft, and center of gravity.

2023 Cadillac Escalade V
2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

Stay tuned—Cadillac says full vehicle specs and more info will be revealed later this spring. Meanwhile, you can check out our discussion of Cadillac’s plans to shift to pure-electric vehicles on the latest episode of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.

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CG Says:

Even though we don’t know any concrete details just yet, the Escalade-V is a vehicle that has “last of a breed” written all over it. It’s sure to be extra pricey, extra luxurious, and extra-extra thirsty for premium-grade gasoline. In terms of its timing and position in Cadillac’s history, the Escalade-V is kind of like binging on a king-size banana split before starting a healthy diet the next day.

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2023 Cadillac Escalade-V Gallery

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