2021 Cadillac Escalade vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade showcased design cues inspired by Cadillac's recent concept vehicles, particularly the Escala. The front end of the redesigned Escalade reflected this influence, while the rest of the vehicle maintained a familiar look. It featured standard 22-inch wheels, crisp creases along its sides, and tall, vertical OLED taillights that extended into the roof. The base model started at $76,195, with higher trims like the Premium Luxury and Sport offering more features and luxury, reaching up to $99,995 for the Platinum trim. The test vehicle, a Premium Luxury trim with four-wheel drive, came with numerous upgrades, including a 36-speaker AKG sound system and a Performance Package, totaling $102,310.

Inside, the Escalade's cabin was a significant improvement over its predecessors, offering various leather and wood trim options. The Premium Luxury test vehicle featured Parchment leather with Tamo Ash wood, though the light-colored carpets showed signs of wear even with low mileage. Despite the high price tag, some plastic elements in the interior were hard to overlook. However, the overall design and quality of materials were impressive, making the Escalade a step above its platform-sharing siblings, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a more traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and upright rear hatch, fitting well with the rest of the Volvo lineup. It featured "Thor’s Hammer" LED headlights and a simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro look, while the electric XC40 Recharge had a blanked-off grille, unique badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. The Recharge also had a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a different rear bumper, and a Sage Green Metallic color option. The charging port was located where the fuel filler would be on gasoline models.

The XC40's interior was minimalist yet premium, with high-quality materials like real metal trim and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery. The design was coherent, with elements like the portrait-oriented touchscreen and air vents blending seamlessly. Unlike many competitors, Volvo did not compromise on interior design to meet a price point, resulting in a luxurious and well-thought-out cabin.

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade offered two engine options: a standard 6.2-liter V8 and a no-cost 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline six-cylinder. The V8, producing 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, was paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and available in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. It featured direct fuel injection, an automatic stop/start system, and Dynamic Fuel Management technology, allowing it to operate on as few as two cylinders to improve fuel economy. The test vehicle averaged 15.9 mpg on a 140-mile loop, close to the EPA's estimate of 16 mpg combined.

The turbo-diesel engine, with 277 horsepower and the same torque as the V8, offered better fuel efficiency and earlier torque delivery. The Escalade's ride and handling were significantly improved, thanks to a new independent rear suspension, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 adaptive dampers, and 4-Corner Air Ride suspension. These features provided a smoother, more controlled ride, especially in Sport mode. The Escalade excelled on freeways, offering a quiet and comfortable ride, though the brake pedal could use better modulation.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge at the top. The gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 produced 187 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge, sharing its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featured dual electric motors for AWD, delivering 402 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque. It had a 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack, providing a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds.

The Recharge emphasized luxury and comfort over performance, with excellent ride quality even on rough roads. It offered one-pedal driving using regenerative braking and had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. The gasoline models were also competitive, with the T5 reaching 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds and the T4 in 8.1 seconds. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph to enhance safety.

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade's new independent rear suspension and longer wheelbase resulted in a more spacious and comfortable cabin. Front-seat occupants enjoyed standard heated seats, with ventilated and massaging seats available in higher trims. The second-row captain’s chairs were heated and offered better leg support, while the third-row seat was now comfortable for adults, thanks to the lower floor and increased legroom.

Cargo capacity was also improved, with 25.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 63 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 109.1 cubic feet with both the second and third rows down. The extended-length Escalade ESV offered even more space, with 42.9, 81.5, and 126.6 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the third, second, and first rows, respectively.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had the same passenger and cargo space as the gasoline models, though it was less spacious than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Recharge's frunk was small, with much of the space occupied by powertrain hardware. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive in interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1.

Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, such as a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was well-shaped to hold a phone, with a wireless charging pad available as an option. However, second-row occupants did not have any phone-charging options.

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade featured a 38-inch curved-glass display with OLED instrumentation and infotainment screens, offering greater pixel density than a 4K television. The 14.2-inch instrumentation screen provided Gauge, Augmented Reality (AR) Camera, and Map displays, though switching between them required navigating through the center 16.9-inch touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, though some issues with Apple CarPlay were noted.

The Escalade's voice recognition technology had some limitations, and drivers could not change climate settings using voice commands. Physical controls on the center console were often preferable to the touchscreen or voice controls. The AR navigation system was impressive, with directional turn arrows superimposed onto the camera view and a Google Street View image of the destination.

A 19-speaker AKG premium sound system was standard, with a 36-speaker AKG Reference system available. The test vehicle's AKG Reference system offered separate volume control for front and rear passengers. A full-color head-up display was standard for all but the Luxury trim level.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, with Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps built-in. The system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity, with a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability, allowing for updates to any vehicle function controlled by software.

Recharge models lacked a start button, with the car starting automatically when the driver shifted out of park. The Polestar 2's Digital Key feature, allowing the use of a smartphone in place of the key fob, was expected to be available via an OTA update, though Volvo had not confirmed it for the XC40.

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade's safety started with its sheer size, weighing at least 5,635 pounds. Standard safety features included forward collision warning, automatic forward emergency braking, front and rear pedestrian detection, and a Safety Alert Seat. Teen Driver technology, front and rear parking assist sensors, a surround-view camera system, and a rear-seat reminder were also standard.

Premium Luxury and Sport trims added blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. An optional Driver Assist Tech Package included higher-speed forward emergency braking, rear emergency braking, automatic seatbelt tightening, and adaptive cruise control. The test vehicle experienced a couple of false alarms with the forward-collision warning and adaptive cruise control systems.

Later in the model year, Cadillac planned to offer its next-generation Super Cruise technology, providing hands-free, autonomous driving on limited-access highways. Improvements included smoother operation and an automated lane-change function.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. The electric XC40 Recharge had not been tested, but Volvo expected it to perform well, thanks to a safety cage around the battery and a redesigned front crash structure.

Standard safety features included lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, a driver-alertness monitor, run-off road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, and Volvo's Pilot Assist driver-assistance system. The Recharge model also had Volvo's latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.