Wheels. Audacious, chromed, crazy-large wheels. You walk up to Cadillac's new Escalade and tap the remote to unlock it, and your eyes are immediately drawn to the optional twenty-two-inch wheels.
Those suckers are big.
Big, however, is apparently what people wanted. Since the Escalade's success initially surprised almost everyone at General Motors (including Cadillac), the General's marketing gurus wisely decided to canvass their existing customer base for the 2007 model. Countless focus groups and a few hush-hush, names-not-released celebrity previews all revealed the same thing: the people who buy Escalades like them, but wish they were more . . . Escalade-y. A larger, more aggressive face. More chrome. More aftermarket-type items available from the factory (such as the twenty-two-inch rollers), better build quality, and more power for the already hefty 345-hp, 6.0-liter V-8. Give us these, said the privileged masses, and we won't let you down.
GM listened, and then it delivered. A new, Escalade-specific, 6.2-liter, aluminum-block V-8 with variable valve timing wallops out a healthy 403 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque-58 hp and 37 lb-ft more than last year-and it's mated to a new six-speed automatic with two relatively tall overdrive gears that help fuel economy. As for chrome, Cadillac laid it on thick. The bigger front grille, the fender portholes, the door handles, and the monstrous wheels practically swim in the stuff. What's more, trim quality finally befits a Cadillac rather than a warmed-over Chevrolet Tahoe.
Happily, the rest of the Escalade echoes that theme. Exterior panel gaps are up to 25 percent tighter, bumpers are integrated with the surrounding sheetmetal for a more cohesive look, and overall fit and finish are finally consistent with other Cadillacs.... Read full article