New Cadillac Escalade Unveiled

The Cadillac Escalade has never lacked for attention. Launched as a rush response to the Lincoln Navigator's success in the booming SUV years of the '90s, the Escalade became the definition of automotive bling.

Today, Cadillac unveiled the all-new 2015 edition, based on the bones of General Motors' new full-size SUVs, and if anything, Cadillac has made the Escalade more of a rolling luxury throne than ever, from the tailfin-descended taillamps to its 10-LED headlamps that shine bright like a diamond.

Using the chassis pieces of the new Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon, the new Escalade borrows the 420-hp/4 V-8 shared with the Chevy Corvette Stingray and its six-speed automatic.

There are a few other mechanical trick pieces - the Magnetic Ride Control for better body damping, and cylinder deactivation for some kind of unspecified fuel economy improvement - but the Escalade has never been a vehicle bought by anyone seeing performance or even driving agility.