If you’re a long-time Cadillac fan, then you might already know everything the incredible 2021 Cadillac Escalade has to offer. For everyone else, however, it’s easy to simply focus on its robust size and gorgeous design, along with its reputation for luxury, and not actually look at the kinds of tech features it actually has. Sure, it’s beautiful inside and out, with plenty of seating and two different sizes available so you can get as big an SUV as you need. But the luxury tech that Cadillac’s designers have loaded into this thing includes some truly next-generation features.
Today, I’m going to take you through some of the most impressive bits of tech, inside and out, that the 2021 Escalade has to offer. Some of these things are pretty impressive but not entirely surprising for this kind of luxury vehicle, but by the end of this, you’ll probably need to sit down. If possible, I’d recommend sitting down inside of the Escalade and enjoying everything it has to offer because it has A LOT to offer. Or just read about it and imagine what it must be like to soak up this kind of extravagance… that’s definitely not what I’m doing.
Adaptive Air Ride Suspension
Let’s start on the outside of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade – we often think about “luxury” as only being an interior consideration, but a holistic view really showcases what this SUV has to offer. The Adaptive Air Ride suspension, for example, includes electronically-controlled air springs to elevate and lower the vehicle depending on the situation. This provides you with a ride that is equally aerodynamic and luxuriously comfortable – perfect for any environment.
Automatic Vehicle Hold
Sometimes luxury is big and showy, but other times it’s something simple that hits you as that perfect little feature to take your driving experience to the next level. The Automatic Vehicle Hold function on the Cadillac Escalade allows it to stay in place once you come to a stop, even without your foot on the brake. So when you reach a red light or you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic, you can keep your foot more comfortable, reducing fatigue while you’re on the road.
Automatic Everything Else
I had to point out the Vehicle Hold function because I find it particularly innovative, but there are tons of automatic features for the 2021 Escalade that makes driving so much easier. Automatic headlamps come on in dark conditions with automatic headlamp leveling to keep the road in front of you well illuminated, plus Rainsense automatic windshield wipers that detect varying amounts of rain and come on with the right speed to keep your windshield clear. Inside the Escalade, you’ll find an automatic heated steering wheel that comes on with the automatic heated seats to keep you comfortable.
GM’s Super Cruise Tech
It seems like every major car company out there is working on semi-autonomous driving solutions, and Super Cruise is GM’s answer to this. The Cadillac Escalade has been one of the first vehicles in GM’s fleet to offer Super Cruise for hands-free driving on compatible highways. This technology has been available for the Escalade for a while now, and the most recent version of the 2021 model includes new features like a Lane-Change-on-Demand function.
Curved OLED Front Display
Inside the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, you’ll find some of the most impressive luxury tech that I’ve ever seen, and it all starts with the stunning curved OLED front display. Rather than giving you separate screens across the front dashboard, the curved OLED front display features 38 inches of total diagonal display screen. This is divided into a 7-inch control panel on the far left side, a 14-inch cluster display for the driver, and a 16-inch infotainment display on the right side. It’s a gorgeous way to provide you with information when you’re driving and puts a lot of other luxury vehicles to shame.
Exclusive AKG Sound System
AKG has been a leader in the audio industry for more than 70 years, and for the first time, their unparalleled sound systems are now available to the auto industry. The 2021 Cadillac Escalade is the first to feature an AKG sound system, with a 19-speaker system standard on many Escalade trims. Of course, if you want something even more impressive, the available 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference sound system creates 360 degrees of rich, unbelievable audio that you really have to hear for yourself to fully appreciate.
Augmented Reality-Enabled Navigation
Navigation systems aren’t exactly novel at this point in an SUV, but the augmented reality-enabled navigation system for the Cadillac Escalade is definitely the next step in this type of functionality. It uses the Escalade’s front cameras to show you an image of the road ahead of you on the large cluster display, with directional information overlaid on the image. This lets you glance down to see exactly where you’re supposed to turn in a real-world image, plus audio prompts come from either the left or right speakers to further indicate which way to go.
Night Vision System
In case the augmented reality-enabled navigation system wasn’t enough, you can also activate a night vision feature. This uses the same system to show you what’s ahead of you on the cluster display, but it provides thermal heat imaging and highlights pedestrians or animals detected by the system. So you get a better view of the area up ahead in the dark, and it’s easier to see who or what might be on or alongside the road.
Full-Color Head-Up Display
With all of the great features available on the cluster display, you might be tempted to take your eyes off the road a bit too much. Fortunately, an available full-color head-up display projects information onto your windshield, including your speed, navigation directions, and entertainment info. This way, you can keep your eyes on the road while still staying informed about what’s going on inside your vehicle.
Rear-Seat Entertainment System
If you tend to have a lot of passengers along for the ride with you, then they’ll definitely appreciate the available rear-seat entertainment system for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade. This includes a pair of 12-inch HD touchscreen displays mounted onto the rear of the front seats, which can easily connect wirelessly to your preferred devices. So while you and your front-seat passenger enjoy the drive, others behind you can stay entertained in their own way.
Conversation Enhancement System
Considering how spacious the interior of the Escalade is, it can be difficult for everyone inside to be able to talk to each other. The conversation enhancement system includes interior microphones that can capture your voice in the front seats and blend it in with the audio coming from speakers in the second and third row so that your passengers can more easily hear you. There are even available rear microphones to allow you to be able to hear what your passengers in the very back are saying to you.
Front Center Console Refrigerator
This isn’t the most advanced piece of tech ever, but it’s something that definitely takes interior luxury to the next level. You can get a refrigerator in the front console with enough space to cool up to six water bottles from 95 degrees down to 59 degrees in just two hours and keep them cool for you. It can even be set to freeze if that’s what you need, plus you still get dual cup holders on top of it, with additional storage, plus power outlets and a USB port, so you don’t lose functionality.
The Cadillac Escalade might be a bit extravagant, but that’s what great luxury tech is all about!
