2026 CADILLAC ESCALADE

ESCALADE THE LONG-TIME KING 

OF THE LARGE LUXURY SUV SEGMENT

Now in its fifth generation, the Cadillac Escalade has ruled as the king among large luxury SUVs for nearly a quarter of a century.

Launched as a 1999 model, the Escalade took over the No. 1 U.S sales spot in the segment in 2022 and never looked back. In fact, last year Cadillac sold nearly 18,000 more Escalades than its closest  competitor (BMW X7) among the top sellers in the category. No others come close.

After getting a refresh for 2025 that included among other things a new front fascia, near taillights, and a new 55-inch curved display that serves both the driver and passenger, the 2026 Cadillac Escalade  is mostly a carryover from 2025 when it comes to updates, but Cadillac did take time to rename its trims.

My test 2026 Cadillac Escalade was the Platinum Sport trim which was formerly Sport Platinum. Not much in the way of heavy lifting there. The trim previously dubbed Premium Luxury is just Luxury (not to be confused with the Luxury trim that served as the base model in prior years) and Premium Luxury Platinum becomes just Platinum. The base model is now tagged 1SA.

Yes, there is a V-Series version if you want more power. If you want more room, the Cadillac ESV that increases in length from 211.9 inches to 227 and rear cargo space from 25.5 cubic feet with all seats in place to 41.5.

A 6.2-liter V8 engine that puts out 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque is is standard on all Escalades but the V-Series, which gets a supercharged version that boosts horsepower to 682 and torque to 653. A  10-speed automatic transmission is standard.

The V-Series also gets a specialized all-wheel-drive system. Rear-wheel is standard on the other trims with 4-wheel drive available.

Cadillac packs the Escalade with lots of luxury. 

Standard features in my test 2026 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Sport included the company’s hands-free drive Super Cruise system, heated and ventilated front seats, power foldable and heated second row bucket seats (bench seating available), a rear-seat entertainment system, wireless, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate control, sueded microfiber headliner, selectable interior lighting, power open/close doors, semi-Aniline seater seats, an interior camera, and power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and  an AKG Studio Reference 38-speaker sound system.

Safety features included HD surround vision, night vision, enhanced emergency braking, rear emergency braking, auto-parking assist, forward collision alert, rear pedestrian alert, and adaptive cruise control.

With 4-wheel drive, the starting MSRP for the 2026 d is $123,400. Add optional 24-inch wheels with pearl nickel and high-gloss black inserts, the total on my test 2026 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Sport 4WD comes to $128,820 including the $2,525 destination charge.

The base 1SA trim starts at $93,995 with rear-wheel drive That and the AWD version at $95,995 are the only Escalade trims under $100,000. The V-Series starts at $170,895.

What I liked about the 2026 Cadillac Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD: The V8 engine packs plenty of punch to get its considerable heft moving. There is lots of room for both passengers and cargo. Standard power retractable running boards ease getting in and out.

What I didn’t like about the 2026 Cadillac Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD: As you might expect it’s a pretty thirsty beast. Its size makes maneuvering in typical mall parking lots and even some city streets a chore. It’s at the high end of pricing in the segment.

Would I buy the 2026 Cadillac Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD? Like its rival in the segment, it’s just too big for me. Pricing for other trims are on the high level especially when take into consideration every vehicle in the segment lives up to the luxury status.