So, the most popular luxury SUV among car thieves in America has paid us an official visit. They say basketball players involved in the design are absolutely thrilled and ready to tear off their chains. And no wonder: under the hood there are 400 "horses," paired with a six-speed automatic. The price tag exceeds $100,000 (in the States, though, it's more modest — $60,000, but even there it's serious money). I was psyching myself up: come on, charge yourself with positivity. It's not for nothing that rap stars and basketball idols adore this car...
However, no delight arises. Plenty of flattery has already been poured on me. Colleagues from other publications have done their part — they've licked the chrome King Kong from head to toe, forgetting that everything has its place. In America, in that vast one-story province that confidently taps its baton at the rest of the world, the Escalade looks perfect. There, its rustic pomp is appropriate. Here — it's not. In our parts, even gold lovers choose European brands for executive needs. And gold chains, by the way, are hardly worn by anyone anymore...
GYPSY SPRAWL
We arranged the photo shoot on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. It's ten in the morning. My train arrived at five. My eyes were sticking together, and I tried with all my might to get into a good-natured mood. I walked around the Cadillac, trying to evoke sympathy in myself, but I only saw a stupidly arrogant face and a gypsy revelry of chrome all over the body. I decided not to torment myself and immediately get behind the wheel. What if it takes off like a hurricane? Can you get pleasure from the wheelspin of a three-ton monster? Under the hood — a new aluminum V8 with a displacement of 6.2 liters with variable valve timing, producing 403 hp and 565 Nm of torque. It works in conjunction with a new sequential six-speed automatic. The engine is formidable, but on one side it's choked by the electronic gas pedal, and on the other — by environmental standards. However, dynamics aren't needed here, nor are other youthful amusements! Excess power only gets in the way. This is a massive, stately car that should be driven with a sense of self-worth, unhurriedly, with a personal chauffeur. And here — four hundred marketing horses just provoke you to squeeze all the juice out of it...
On asphalt, the "American" feels like a fish in water. Fast, obedient, comfortable. But how many people in our country are able to appreciate its American charms?
All impressions of driving the Cadillac fit into one paragraph. Here they are. When the driver, inspired by the power of the new engine, starts actively working the steering wheel, on dirt roads passengers periodically feel the ceiling with their heads, and on a fine frozen washboard, not a trace remains of the "skyscraper" comfort. And only on a smooth highway do you finally get your dose of endorphins...
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The engine compartment and transmission need additional protection |
Lower front suspension arms — made of light alloy |
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The steering rack is hidden behind the cross member of the suspension subframe |
The anti-roll bar hangs below the axle beam |
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The transfer case is compact, without a low range |
And this is not surprising: in the new Escalade, everything is done for maximum comfort, handling, and stability precisely on asphalt. Body rigidity has increased by 49 percent. The suspension has acquired a new 4-channel dynamic stabilization system with rollover protection. The front track is widened by 76 mm, the rear — by 25 mm. Much has been done, but the image of a True American Car, which is good everywhere and always, is no longer visible through all these technologies.
Everything seems fine. But I just can't come to terms with the wooden inserts in the style of grandma's jewelry box and grandpa's clock
More impressions? The Escalade's panel is decorated with wood inserts resembling an antique casket. In the center of the console — analog clocks in a grandpa style (apparently, one of the basketball players in the focus group overdid it with nostalgia). The liquid crystal screen in the ceiling doesn't even have the simplest electric drive, and to pull it out of its slot, you need to remember how the glove box of a "UAZ" opens.
But the sound insulation is excellent. The engineers applied a whole range of modern noise reduction technologies — for example, a special aerosol in "key" zones and barriers made of sound-absorbing foam. Plus, the overall body vibration is reduced by 35%. Sitting inside, you almost don't feel that you're being carried by an internal combustion engine.
This chrome crocodile has something stupidly pompous or even frighteningly aggressive. To pay a hundred grand for it, you need solid arguments
At the same time, there are a number of unpleasant ergonomic blunders. The club-like automatic transmission lever under the steering wheel. The engineers of this thing clearly forgot about the informativeness of shifting. Missing the desired mode is as easy as pie. The rear window switch buttons don't have an automatic mode. Is it more convenient for someone? Not for me. In general, I don't like this provincial superpower attitude. In the basketball frenzy, GM forgot that today among "heavyweights" for over a hundred thousand dollars there's a decent choice: Audi Q7, Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5... What can the Caddy counter them with? Except maybe the atmosphere of grandma's living room.
