The 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V throws a wrench in the idea of what an Escalade can represent, thanks in large part to its distinctive combination of a supercharged V8, superb levels of luxury, and capabilities of a body-on-frame vehicle. Recently, TV personality Jay Leno gave a review on the Escalade-V, and voiced his thoughts on extraordinary Caddy full-size SUV.
Leno is no stranger to the Cadillac lineup of V-Series high-performance vehicles, as the Jay Leno’s Garage host owns a 2012 CTS-V coupe himself. As such, Leno appears to be particularly interested in the supercharged Escalade, and brought Cadillac Chief Executive Engineer Brandon Vivian along with him for all the details.
Some Escalade-V performance highlights from the conversation between the two car enthusiasts include the 2.6L supercharger setup (the CT5-V Blackwing, which features a similar engine, has a 1.8L supercharger), the full-time AWD drivetrain, the massive Brembo brakes, and the Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 suspension layout.
After talking over the details, the two men jump in the Escalade-V to take it for a rip. Leno appears to be thoroughly impressed with the performance of the Caddy SUV, while Vivian is sure to reiterate that the Escalade-V was designed to allow customers to have their cake and eat it too, with luxury features like GM Super Cruise and massaging front seats.
As a reminder, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V is the top dog in the Escalade horsepower department, and features the supercharged 6.2L V8 LT4 gasoline engine, rated at 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque. Output is routed to all four wheels via the GM 10-speed automatic transmission.
Under the skin, the Escalade rides on the GM T1 platform. Production of the 2023 model kicked off on July 18th, 2022 at the GM Arlington plant in Texas.