2007 Cadillac Escalade - Design

ICONIC DISTINCTION

Cadillac Escalade’s distinctive design is the cornerstone of Cadillac’s renaissance and an icon of luxury SUVs . The all-new 2007 model marks the next step in Cadillac’s expressive design language, with sleeker, detailed and more refined styling – an enhanced yet instantly recognizable form that cannot be mistaken for anything but Escalade.

The ’07 Escalade design is influenced by the Sixteen concept vehicle, including a more finely detailed egg crate grille with chrome details and prominent front fender vent ports. Escalade also has bold, tri-element High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and LED taillamps. These traits contribute to a tailored and capable presence that is augmented by a wider track and standard 18-inch wheels. (Segment-largest 22-inch factory-installed wheels are available.) Escalade has a broad-shouldered, tailored appearance. The wheels are pushed to the corners, with the body-to-tire distance carefully tuned for optimized appearance and performance.

Escalade’s design also is cleaner and more refined. New, wraparound front and rear fascias provide a tighter, almost seamless look. The overall effect is a leaner profile that suggests a trimmer vehicle, despite an approximately 3-inch (76.2 mm) increase in overall length. A more steeply raked, 57-degree windshield contributes to a segment-best 0.363 coefficient of drag, proving that Escalade not only looks sleeker, it is sleeker. The more aerodynamic profile helps improve fuel economy and reduce wind noise, as do narrowed gaps between panels and tighter, flusher mounting of the exterior components, such as the grille, headlamps and trim.

Numerous standard and available features complement Escalade’s new design, including new-design flat-blade windshield wipers and styled wiper arms (RainSense automatic windshield wipers and heated windshield washer fluid are standard), standard front tow hooks, an available power-assisted rear liftgate, in-glass AM/FM radio antenna, available factory-installed articulating running boards (available mid-year) and a larger available sunroof.

Escalade is available in seven exterior colors: Blue Chip, Gold Mist, Black Raven, Quicksilver, Radiant Bronze, Red E and White Diamond.

Design details

A proudly sized wreath-and-crest emblem is at the center of Escalade’s signature egg crate grille. The grille surface is predominantly chrome, with painted elements that add texture and visual depth. It is inset with compartmentalized groups of jewel-like vents and a detailed chrome-trim liner that has a textured screen with bright edges and black sides. The overall look is more detailed, enhancing Escalade’s luxury aura.

Escalade’s new, larger tri-element HID headlamps further the vertical-design theme established by the previous-generation models, but are more prominent and feature three distinct elements; IntelliBeam automatic low/high beam control is available. The headlamps’ interior parabolas are highly reflective and contribute to the jeweled look when viewed through the crystal-clear lenses. The Cadillac logo is etched into the bulb shields, which contain new HID lighting elements.

Escalade’s distinct exterior form includes doors that are not shared with any other GM full-size SUV and front fenders with new vent port design cues inspired by the Sixteen concept vehicle. The vents, located at the top-rear corner of the fenders, deliver a detailed appearance, with three sections set off by a chrome top bar and chrome surround trim. The vents add visual distinction to the Escalade lineup and are sure to become signature hallmarks, like the vertical headlamps and prominent wreath-and-crest grille emblem.

New wraparound front and rear fascias create a seamless appearance that flows into Escalade’s fenders and doors. The lower portion of the front fascia incorporates recessed, integrated tow hooks, owing to the Escalade’s primary mission as a capable full-size SUV. In true Escalade fashion, the tow hook openings make a stylish design statement.

As with the front end, Escalade has a new, wraparound rear fascia that blends seamlessly into the vehicle’s profile. The license plate holder is integrated into the liftgate and a prominent wreath-and-crest emblem is mounted above it. The fascia also incorporates sensors for the standard Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist feature, as well as the standard trailer hitch platform. The platform is covered to maintain Escalade’s tailored appearance, but is easily removable.

Escalade’s vertical lighting theme also is carried to the rear of the vehicle, with two arrays of elegant LED-lit taillamps. The lamps feature indirect optics and numerous sources of illumination per unit, which provides a broader, more even lighting display and eliminates the “pinpoints of light” normally associated with LEDs.

As part of its bold, powerful appearance, Escalade offers optional 22-inch wheels and tires – the largest factory-installed wheels in the full-size segment. All Escalade models – including those equipped with the standard 18-inch wheels and tires – feature a unique seven-spoke wheel design.

Stylish craftsmanship

Escalade’s one-piece, body-color front fascia wraps around into the front wheel openings, creating an integrated, more refined appearance. The fascia covers the front bumper beam, eliminating the conventional look of a bumper separated from other body components. This more seamless design is one of the many details that helps improve aerodynamics and reduce wind noise. Hood-to-fender gaps are reduced, as are the headlamp-to-fender gaps.

At the rear of the vehicle, gaps are reduced around the liftgate and fascia top, creating a refined and precise appearance. The liftgate-to-quarter panel and liftgate-to-taillamp tolerances have also been reduced with a new, one-piece door ring, or “D-ring.” The D-ring provides an extremely strong, dimensionally accurate foundation for details like the taillamp mounting holes. The quarter panels, underbody and roof all are welded to the D-ring in the upper body structure, which enables the precise fit and enhances the tight structure of the vehicles.

From the side, all models have a more integrated appearance, with t he increased windshield angle helping to create a smoother transition to the roofline. The streamlined look is accented with smoother, lower-profile roof racks. Doors extend down and wrap over the rockers for a cleaner, “one-piece” appearance and improved bodyside integration. The rearview mirrors are styled for improved aerodynamics and reduced wind noise. New, refined grab-style door handles are designed to stand off from the edge of the vehicle for easier actuation. The door handles have a chrome appearance. Door closing is effortless and quiet, sealing with a reassuring sound that conveys Escalade’s solidity and craftsmanship.

Standard running boards are integrated with the exterior design themes, and optional power articulating running boards (available later in the model year) automatically extend when the doors are opened. When not in use, the boards retract inward, giving the vehicle a sleeker, more refined appearance.

Aerodynamic enablers

Improved aerodynamics complement Escalade’s refined exterior elements and help enhance driving quietness. Contributors to the vehicle’s aerodynamic efficiency include:

Front air dam – Stylish and carefully integrated to wrap into the leading edge of the tires. Compared to previous models, it is lower and wider.
Tighter tolerances – New fascia designs, headlamp and grille mounting, and trim mounting attention to detail improve or eliminate gaps and improve tolerances compared to previous models, reducing drag.
Improved sealing – Airflow into the grille is more efficient with improved front-end sealing, which almost eliminates air leak paths that can create drag.
Streamlined components – Exterior components such as the rearview mirrors, running boards and roof rack are aerodynamically tuned for reduced drag and noise. The high-mounted stop lamp (also known as the CHMSL) also is aerodynamically tuned, located in a housing that extends nearly the entire width of the roof – Escalade’s unique LED-lit CHMSL is the most aerodynamic among all of GM’s full-size SUVs.

Numerous body sealing features also are designed to reduce wind noise – including newly designed door-to-body seals. The primary door seal has a sculpted shape with multiple internal chambers in the material that condense to provide a tighter fit when the door is closed. An auxiliary door seal, which runs from the lower A-pillar to the top of the door frame and around the second-row door opening, has a combination of soft and stiff rubber material to prevent movement during driving. This helps maintain a constant seal, virtually eliminating the sound of wind noise as the vehicle speed increases.