The Cadillac Escalade-V is a high-performance version of the brand’s full-size luxury SUV. Competitors include top trims of the Audi Q7, the BMW X7, and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

What’s New for the 2024 Cadillac Escalade-V

Cadillac introduced the Escalade-V for the 2023 model year, so updates for 2024 are minimal, yet significant. The Escalade-V now comes standard with the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, plus adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, reverse automatic braking, and automatic seatbelt tightening. A new 20th Anniversary V-Series Package adds an updated grille, a new splash screen for the instrument display, and a unique puddle lamp design. Finally, the Escalade-V is now available in Black Diamond Tricoat paint. These updates all add up to a luxury SUV that’s unlike any other, with surprisingly potent power and handling.

Design

Maybe Cadillac thinks the Escalade is distinctive enough. The Escalade-V and Escalade-V ESV have only relatively subtle styling differences, concentrated on the front and rear ends’ lower fasciae, to set them apart from the rest of the model lineup. The V models also get unique badging and a distinctive dark-finished 22-inch wheel design that complements the massive Brembo performance brakes.

Powertrain

The Escalade-V comes powered by a hand-built intercooled and supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine bearing the name of the Bowling Green Performance Build Center employee who constructed it. The powertrain is rated for 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque and drives all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. Unlike other Escalade models, it’s an all-wheel drive (AWD) system rather than four-wheel drive (4WD). Other standard performance features include magnetic ride control, an air ride adaptive suspension system, and Brembo front brakes. GM cites a 4.4-second zero-to-60-mph run, not bad for a vehicle this size.

Interior

The Escalade-V is available in both regular and long-wheelbase ESV versions, both of which feature three rows of seating with room for adults in all rows. The second-row captain’s chairs fold for easy rear-row access. Quilted semi-Aniline leather upholstery comes standard along with heated, cooled, and massaging 16-way power-adjustable front seats. The rear two rows are a little less posh, but that makes for easier folding. Zebra-patterned wood trim dresses up the cabin. The regular-wheelbase Escalade-V offers up 25.5 cubic feet of storage space behind the third-row seats and a maximum of 121 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. The Escalade-V ESV checks in at 41.5 and 142.8 cubic feet, respectively.

Technology

The centerpiece of the 2024 Escalade-V is the 38-inch curved OLED instrument panel and infotainment display with dual touch zones. The infotainment system comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other standard features include a rear-seat entertainment system with a pair of 12.6-inch displays and an AKG stereo system with 36 speakers throughout the vehicle, mounted in the headliner, headrests, and other locations for a truly immersive audio experience.

Safety

The Cadillac Escalade lineup hasn’t been tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), though the 2024 Escalade earned a four-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Escalade-V isn’t tested separately. For 2024, the Escalade-V comes standard with GM’s Super Cruise system, which enables limited stretches of hands-free driving on mapped highways. Other standard safety features include a surround-view parking camera, adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, reverse automatic braking, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, night vision, and automatic seatbelt tightening.

Pricing

The 2024 Cadillac Escalade-V is available now. As of this writing, Cadillac lists pricing for the Escalade-V starting at $152,295 and the long-wheelbase Escalade-V ESV starts at $157,290. There are numerous options for the Escalade-V, including gloss black or monochrome exterior badges, roof rack cross rails ($575), a front center console refrigerator ($700), a heavy duty trailering package ($600), and an Onyx package with upgraded badging and 22-inch forged wheels finished in satin graphite ($4,895).