Close-up: 2021 Cadillac Escalade Teased, Short Film to Come

This may come as less than exciting news, given that we’ve already seen properly leaked 2021 Cadillac Escalade images already. “Properly” meaning someone sneaked their phone out and fired off a couple of bad pics in a secure area.

That said, the next-generation Escalade has shown its face in an official image ahead of next week’s big reveal. By all accounts, it will be a star-studded affair. The amount of cosmetic surgery bestowed upon the range-topping SUV will surely put attendees at ease.

Yes, General Motors has really gone Hollywood. First, the automaker secured a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the Chevrolet Suburban; now, it’s roped Spike Lee into filming a 3-minute spot titled “Anthem” to coincide with the Escalade’s February 4th launch. It will be shown ⁠— where else? ⁠— in Hollywood.

The award for most overbearing use of Tinseltown glamor for marketing purposes goes to… GM!

Pictured behind the famous director in a much wider-angle GM photo is the ferociously upright prow of the 2021 Escalade ⁠— the third and last of GM’s body-on-frame full-size SUVs to drop. Its towering front end draws the same cues from the Escala-inspired sedans and crossovers launched over the past year or so. Narrow LED headlamps sit atop towering vertical LED light bars, ensuring instant recognition at night.

Boasting a newly independent rear suspension and updated styling wrapped around a slightly bigger box, the Escalade also dons an obscenely large curved screen spanning much of the dash. The automaker claims it stretches 38 inches on the diagonal and offers resolution twice that of a 4k TV.

Perhaps more interesting to our readers is what lurks beneath the model’s hood. While a 10-speed automatic and a tried-and-true 6.2-liter V8 will undoubtedly be on the menu, the jury’s out on whether the 3.0-liter inline-six diesel offered in the 2021 Suburban/Tahoe and Yukon will wear a Caddy crest.

Any association between Cadillac and diesel propulsion will inevitably spur memories of the dismal 5.7-liter oil burner of the 1980s, one which emitted a Kenworth-worthy cloud from a de Ville tailpipe on a certain episode of MotorWeek. As it seeks to lower fleetwide emissions and offer customers lowered fuel economy, the 3.0L Duramax might be an appealing option for the brand — historical connections notwithstanding.

[Images: General Motors]