General Motors (GM) is giving its flagship Cadillac Escalade SUV a glow-up for the 2025 model year, complete with new lighting technology, updated exterior and interior styling, and more tech.
Cadillac offers the freshened 2025 Escalade in regular and extended-length (Escalade ESV) configurations and in six trim levels: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury Platinum, Sport Platinum, and V-Series. All 2025 Escalades feature a 6.2-liter V8 engine (V-Series models add a supercharger) and a 10-speed automatic transmission. The full-size SUV is available in either rear-wheel (2WD) or four-wheel drive (4WD); all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard on the Escalade V-Series.
Redesigned for the 2021 model year, the Escalade gets a thorough makeover for 2025. The refreshed SUV incorporates several new styling elements, including advanced front lighting technology, which is also featured on the all-electric 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. Cadillac changed the orientation of the headlights from horizontal to vertical, matching the SUV’s rear arrangement, which has become synonymous with the brand.
The new Escalade also features bolder front styling. GM designers took inspiration from the Celestiq and Lyriq, incorporating an illuminated crest affixed to the grille. Premium Luxury Platinum and V-Series trims also feature an illuminated grille surround. Additionally, designers refined the SUV’s rear lighting for good measure.
Escalade buyers can get 24-inch wheels from the factory for the first time, and power open-and-close doors are also available. Additionally, there are three new exterior paint colors. New hues include Aegean Stone, Deep Sea Metallic, and Latte Metallic.
Cadillac offers two new interior palette options for the 2025 Escalade: Renaissance Red and Jet Black and Sheer Gray. The former features full leather and dark open-pore wood, while the latter has contrasting leather and gray fabric accented by layered, high-gloss wood veneer. Both have quilted and perforated seats. Escalade V-Series models get an exclusive, “performance-focused” carbon-fiber interior with Jet Black leather trim.
As a full-size SUV, the Escalade offers up to eight-passenger seating across three rows. The third row features power-folding seats that fold flat. The available Executive Second Row package treats those in the middle row to first-class amenities such as stowable tray tables, dual 12.6-inch screens in the back of the front-seat headrests, a rear command center, dual wireless charging pads, massaging seats, and headrest speakers.
All 2025 Cadillac Escalade SUVs, excluding the V-Series, come with a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. The performance-oriented Escalade V-Series adds a supercharger, boosting power output to 682 hp at 6,500 rpm and 653 pound-feet at 3,600 rpm.
All Escalades work with a 10-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear or all four wheels. The V-Series has standard AWD. Maximum towing capacity is 8,100 pounds (Escalade 2WD). Despite the extra horsepower from the supercharged engine, the V-Series tops out at 7,200 pounds of maximum towing.
While the Escalade still employs a traditional body-on-frame vehicle architecture, Cadillac has focused on providing the “Isolated Precision” ride and handling characteristics customers in this segment expect. Accordingly, the air suspension is standard, and all but the base Luxury trim feature GM’s Magnetic Ride Control 4.0—a fast-reacting adaptive damping technology designed to deliver a premium ride and precise handling on any road surface.
Despite its traditional big SUV roots, Cadillac has expended much energy modernizing the Escalade in terms of its safety and technology. Indeed, the Escalade is a showcase of modern automotive tech. One such item is Super Cruise, the automaker’s partial hands-free driving-assistance system. It comes standard on every 2025 Escalade. Another helpful technology is Night Vision, which is standard on the Platinum and V-Series trims and available on all other Escalades.
The standard 55-inch curved display spans the entire dashboard width. The OLED display incorporates the SUV’s voice-activated infotainment system that offers navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, HD streaming and internet browsing, and an app store. Above it resides a full-color head-up display, standard on all but the base Luxury trim. There’s also an available 5G Wi-Fi hotspot and a suite of connected services through OnStar.
The standard audio system in every 2025 Escalade is a 19-speaker AKG Studio setup. Buyers can upgrade to a 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference system (40 speakers with the Executive Second Row package).
The Cadillac Escalade is a true icon in the automotive marketplace and carries a high profile among full-size luxury SUVs. While it wasn’t the first big luxury SUV to market (the 1998 Lincoln Navigator holds that distinction), no other model in the segment garners as much fanfare or attention as the Escalade. Still, the Escalade faces some stout competition in the form of the thoroughly updated 2025 Lincoln Navigator and the up-and-coming Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Like the Escalade, the Navigator and Grand Wagoneer are available in two lengths.
Cadillac is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of August 23, 2024, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker’s website or your local dealership.
Jeff Youngs has 30 years of experience in the auto industry, including 19 years with JD Power in marketing and editorial management roles. He also spent nearly six years as a media relations professional with General Motors. More recently, as a freelance automotive journalist, his work has appeared on JDPower.com, CarGurus, Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader, Autolist, and iSeeCars.
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