The 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV have added a new key card feature. Expanding on the conventional utility of a car key fob, a key card enables access to a vehicle via a sleek card that can easily be stored in a wallet, making it one less thing to lose track of.
Up to eight cards can be programmed to a single vehicle, which is particularly useful for commercial fleet management.
Naysayers will want to pick apart the addition of this new feature as being redundant, especially when considering the use of a Digital Key feature, which allows users to access their vehicle using their smartphone. However, those with an appreciation for the finer things will understand the value in giving clients the ability to use the product how they see fit. When it comes to luxury, choice and convenience is (no pun intended) key, which is exactly why the Escalade is fitted with opulent standard features like self-opening and self-closing doors – something the $400,000 Rolls Royce Cullinan doesn’t even offer.
Other Escalade highlights include a Super Cruise system, a 21-speaker AKG audio system, and a 55-inch curved display, all of which are standard. A naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8 – which is currently in the midst of a major recall for the 2021 thru the 2024 model years – sits under the hood and churns out 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. In the case of the high-performance Escalade-V, a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 provides 682 horsepower and 653 pounds of twist.
As a reminder, production of the 2026 Cadillac Escalade is set to begin on September 8th, 2025 at the Arlington Assembly plant in Texas, and dealers are already able to place orders. For reference, pricing starts at $93,695, including destination.
Raymond J Ramirez
A key card is smaller and easier to carry than a key fob.