Have you ever wondered what an off-road-oriented Cadillac Escalade might look like? Our rendering team set out to answer that very question. The result is a lifted, off-road-ready version of the luxury SUV that are a lot more realistic than this wild one we covered last year.
To start, we gave this imaginary Cadillac Escalade a new high-clearance front fascia with a skid plate to improve the SUV’s approach angle. We also gave it a set of all-terrain tires mounted on a set of 18-inch six-spoke machined aluminum wheels with Carbon Gray Metallic accents. For those keeping track, these are the same wheels used on the Escalade’s corporate cousin, the GMC Yukon AT4.
We also gave our hypothetical off-road Escalades two different sets of running boards. The first, seen in the rear three quarters angle, is a retractable assist step that delivers a sleek appearance at the expense of ground clearance. The second, seen in the front three-quarters angle, is a fixed assist step that delivers higher clearance but a less integrated aesthetic compared to the deployable units.
Additionally, we gave our off-road-focused Escalade a modified rear fascia to accommodate a higher approach and departure angle, improving clearance for tougher off-road scenarios.
The final touch on our Escalade is the Air Ride Suspension that is capable of lifting the body. This system, which is coupled with the world-renowned Magnetic Ride Control, is capable of increasing ride height by up to four inches at low off-road speeds.
As of this writing, the Cadillac Escalade is the only full-size SUV built by parent company General Motors that hasn’t been given an off-road variant. Chevrolet’s Tahoe and Suburban are both available in the Z71 trim, while GMC offers the AT4 trim for its Yukon. All of these vehicles are built on the same T1 platform, leaving the Escalade as the only one of the bunch that hasn’t received an all-terrain variant right from the factory.
This may not come as a surprise, as the Escalade is a luxury SUV that may not typically appeal to buyers in search of something ready to tackle rough terrain. However, there is a market for rugged luxury SUVs, with such models as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class (colloquially known as the G-Wagon), while the Land Rover Defender and Discovery being quite capable off-road right from the factory.
No matter, our hypothetical off-road Cadillac Escalade would be powered by the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 (production code L87), good for 420 horsepower and 460 foot-pounds of torque. Unfortunately, the turbo diesel 3.0L I6 (production code LM2) will not fit into the high-clearance front fascia.
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