Think of American luxury SUVs, and the Cadillac Escalade is likely near the top of the list. The world is full of expensive utility vehicles today, but the Escalade was one of the first, and helped create the vehicle class we know today. Cadillac overhauled the SUV in 2021 with sharper styling and incredible tech, and now, we’re getting a high-performance version. The Escalade-V is a massively expensive, massively powerful luxury people-hauler with a price tag to match.

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The Escalade-V’s unique front fascias include Cadillac’s signature Sport mesh grille.

The Escalade-V also gets a 6.2-liter V8, but Cadillac slapped a 2.65-liter supercharger on top to boost output to 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque. It shares a basic structure with the V8 from the CT5-V Blackwing, but Cadillac gave the hulking SUV a bigger supercharger. The ten-speed gearbox has been specially calibrated to work with that beast of an engine, and there’s a full-time all-wheel-drive system to help get that power to the pavement. Cadillac says the V can make the run to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and blast the quarter-mile in 12.74 seconds.

The standard Escalade is no slouch. It comes standard with a 6.2-liter V8 making 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. A 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six is available that produces 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Both come with a ten-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or four-wheel drive.

The Caddy rides on standard adaptive air suspension and magnetic ride control. A selectable V-Mode driving mode tightens the suspension and opens the exhaust for better handling and thundering sound. Other modes allow the driver to customize steering and braking feel, engine performance, and all-wheel drive settings.

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With the materials built upon the Platinum trim and Escalade’s signature curved OLED with 38 inches of total diagonal display, the Escalade-V cements itself within the V-Series.

Tech and safety features are shared with the standard Escalade, including Cadillac’s awe-inspiring 38-inch curved display panel. Though it’s built into one massive unit, the display is actually three individual screens. The infotainment touchscreen measures 16.9 inches, the digital gauge cluster spans 14.2 inches, and there’s a third touchscreen to the left of the steering wheel with settings for navigation and other vehicle functions.

Cadillac says the Escalade-V will go on sale this summer with a starting price of $149,990. A long-wheelbase ESV version will be available as well, but Cadillac has not yet detailed pricing for that model.

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The Escalade-V expands the V-Series lineup, now in its fourth generation.