A few days after identifying Cadillac as the brand that will spearhead its EV initiative, General Motors doubled down on that announcement by revealing a sketch design of an EV crossover concept that could point to its plans for Cadillac in the not-so-distant future. The design was unveiled at the Cadillac XT6’s launch party ahead of the 2019 North American International Auto Show. The General didn’t dive into the details behind its first electric vehicle, opting only to say that it will use an all-new skateboard electric platform and will come in either two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It’s also going to be a crossover, adding weight to the company’s renewed focus on crossovers and SUVs to drive the brand moving forward. That said, is it possible that this electric concept is actually a preview of the next-generation Cadillac Escalade?
So, this is it. Cadillac is going to be General Motors’ lead electric brand. The decision isn’t surprising because Cadillac’s status as a luxury brand offers plenty of growth and potential in the EV segment. It will compete against the likes of Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. It just so happens, too, that all three German brands have upcoming electric crossovers.
That segment would be a good place to start for Cadillac. It’s a healthy segment in it of itself as consumers have turned it into one of the most popular segments in the auto industry. Automakers far and wide know that trend, which is why you see so many automakers have made electric crossovers and SUVs their top priorities over sedans, coupes, and the like. The three aforementioned German titans are in on it already. Audi’s already working on the e-tron quattro and BMW’s doing the same with the iNext. Mercedes is further along in the game with the EQC crossover. Production for that bad boy starts this year. Let’s not forget Porsche, too. It’s currently working on the production version of the Mission E Cross Turismo Concept to supplement the Taycan electric sedan.
Caddy’s not too late to enter the EV crossover fold, though GM should’ve probably entered it sooner.
By the looks of it, General Motors isn’t lollygagging its EV plans anymore. It’s going all-in on the segment through Cadillac. This, then, begs the question? What is Cadillac’s model lineup going to look like in the future? GM needs to answer that question quickly because Cadillac is largely a luxury sedan-driven brand, and those models aren’t doing well anymore. The arrival of the three-row XT6 SUV signals a more aggressive push towards the crossover and SUV segments, but it’s hard to imagine Cadillac just stopping there, not with all the momentum these segments have generated in recent years. The automaker has already said that a crossover will its first EV model. It’d be interesting, though, if it sticks to that proclamation or it goes all-out on a large electric SUV that could, in theory, at least, succeed the current-generation Escalade.
Remember, the current-generation Escalade is five years into its life cycle. If it lasts as long as the last-generation model — that one lasted seven years in the market — we could be looking at the next-generation model to arrive sometime in 2022. Depending on how far along GM is in the development of all the technologies it needs in the EV segment, the stars could align for Cadillac to roll out an electric version of the Escalade by the time the current-generation model is put to pasture.
Most of what Cadillac has done in recent years focused on establishing a crossover and SUV lineup that can compete in the segment. It’s done that to varying levels of success, but if it wants to make a statement in the EV segment, rolling out an EV crossover probably isn’t the way to do it. By the time it does that, the market’s going to be filled with them.
But if it goes against the grain and decides to turn the next-gen Escalade into an electrified and future-driven version of its current self, that could turn into the kind of statement that would put Cadillac in the EV map. The balls in your court, General, sir.
Further reading
The Cadillac XT6 is a Ground-Rule Double That Should've Been a Home Run
Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Cadillac Escalade.
Read our full review on the 2018 Cadillac Escalade.