“Cadillac grills, Cadillac mills, check out the oil on my Cadillac spills”. So goes the profound opening riff on rapper Ludacris’ year-2000 hit “Southern Hospitality”.
The track is all about the Luda’s love affair with his shiny-black ‘Slade with its 20-inch rims and shiny chrome grill. I’ll skip the rest of the lyrics for fear of offending more sensitive ears.
But back in the early 2000s, it was artists like Ludacris and Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Da Brat who shot Caddy’s first luxury SUV to fame, making it a hip-pop culture icon and a staple of early MTV Cribs episodes.
These days, the Escalade has moved onwards and upwards. Cadillac’s flagship SUV is now all about style and sophistication, refined elegance and hedonistic luxury.
Today, you’re more likely to see a new Escalade – black naturally – rolling up at some Oscars after-party with Zoe Soldana or Timothee Chalamet in the back seat. Or gliding up to the front door of some swanky restaurant, high heels and Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress stepping out.
Catch a glimpse inside and you’ll see acres of diamond-quilted leather, a massive digital screen sprawling across the dash, and smooth jazz coming from a 40-speaker AKG sound system.
How far has this new ‘Slade moved into Bentley or even Rolls-Royce territory? Just squeeze the door handle from the outside and watch the door power open. Climb behind the wheel, put a foot on the brake pedal, and it will automatically power close. Just like the coach doors on a $500,000 Rolls Phantom.
I’ve just spent a indulgent week behind the wheel of the newest, top-dog Escalade, the 2026 Escalade Platinum Sport 4WD, a non-trivial $125,995, or $131,970 as tested.
And that’s not the ultimate Escalade. You can get the Platinum Sport in extra long-wheelbase ESV form with 16 inches added to the length. That’s roughly the length of an Amazon tractor-trailer.
But for the ultimate Escalade, look no further than the mighty Escalade-V with a massive 682-horsepower from its supercharged V8. That’ll cost you over $170,000 and change.
The Escalade evolved into the luxe machine it is after a fairly-comprehensive 2025 refresh. The headline news was the addition of that 55-inch curved glass screen spanning almost the entire width of the dash.
Along with it came a real step-up in quality and craftsmanship. Our test car’s rich shiny-wood accents on the dash and center console, the textured metal around the cupholders and rotary dial, and matte-finished trim? Just lovely.
As always, the Escalade feels huge inside and impressively tall, especially rolling on optional 24-inch rims. Behind the wheel, you do feel like you’re driving a semi. Thankfully there are power-deploying running boards to ease the climb up into the cabin.
Inside there are three rows of seats with Barcalounger-like captain’s chairs in the second row, and an adult-sized third row. The load space with the third row folded is as big as a PODS storage unit.
And throughout, the quality, the look and feel of the semi-aniline leather – in wonderfully-sounding Whisper Beige in our tester – is superb. Just being inside this latest Escalade is an occasion.
Driving it too. While rivals, like Lincoln’s new Navigator and Jeep Grand Wagoneer, have switched to turbocharged six-cylinder power, the Cadillac sticks with a good ol’ American V8. But what a V8.
Under that massive hood resides GM’s formidable 6.2-liter V8 packing 420 horseys and a sump-pulling 460 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic, helping it scoot from standstill to 60 mph in around 6.5 seconds.
Despite the Escalade’s considerable bulk, it’s surprisingly nimble on its feet. Adaptive air suspension and Corvette-style Magnetic Ride Control dampers rein-in body roll and deliver a smooth, supple ride. Thankfully, the brakes are well up to the task of slowing roughly 6,000 pounds of Cadillac.
Not a big fan of driving? The standard SuperCruise hands-free driving system lets you cruise over 750,000 miles of compatible roads in North America. Hands free.
No, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a brand new Escalade in Ludacris’ current stable of rides. Though it’s probably the latest, all-electric Escalade IQ with its 465-mile range.
Now that’s worth rapping about.
