2018 Cadillac Escalade Big Deal

GM’s premium flagship SUV has been one of the best value offerings in its segment. Now into its fourth year, is the fourth-gen Escalade still as attractive?

- Sony Thomas

The current generation Cadillac Escalade, which was introduced in 2014, impressed us so much that it went on to win the best SUV title at our 2015 Car of the Year awards. A few months before that it trumped the Mercedes-Benz GL 500 when we pitted the American behemoth against the ‘S-Class of SUVs.’ Although we reached that verdict mostly on the great value the Escalade offered with a Dh70,000 difference in price, there’s no denying that the Cadillac arguably has more presence and a sense of occasion than most other large SUVs on the market. Unlike the previous generations, the current model is way more than just a rebadged, plusher Chevrolet. Despite it sharing the ladder frame underpinnings with lesser badges like the GMC Yukon and the Chevy Tahoe, Cadillac has made genuine efforts to distinguish it from its cousins with loads of added luxury and technology kit.