2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV

It’s a fact that Cadillac’s Escalade full-size SUV is an ostentatious piece of work, but if it’s not showy enough, may we suggest the Escalade ESV?

Where the standard Escalade is based on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, the ESV shares shares its stretch wheelbase and body with the Suburban and Yukon XL to create GM’s ultimate expression of SUV luxury and super-sized practicality.

The 2018 Escalade ESV returns for 2018 with one significant change in its adoption of a 10-speed automatic transmission in place of last year’s eight speed. It teams up with a 6.2L V8 (420 hp/460 lb-ft of torque) to move this big utility from 0-100 km/h in about six seconds and promises a nearly seven per cent reduction in highway fuel consumption.

Cadillac says the 10-speed boasts a wider ratio spread than its eight-speed predecessor and a compact design the automaker says helps to minimize the weight increase compared to the old transmission.

Also new are maple sugar and jet black interior accents to go with the carry-over shale interior theme.

The Escalade ESV builds on its smaller sibling’s roomy and comfortable interior to create a vehicle that we like in spite of ourselves. Cadillac's current design language translates surprisingly well from sleek sedans like the CT6 to this truck’s boxy flanks.

Cadillac fits GM's magnetic ride control to all Escalade models as standard, along with two selectable performance modes, and does a good job quelling body motions in this 2,600-kg SUV.

The ESV gives Cadillac one of the largest SUVs on the market and one that competitors like Land Rover can’t match for interior space. Four-wheel drive with low-range gearing and a locking rear differential are all standard, though the Escalade’s bodywork doesn’t lend itself to serious off-roading.

Performance-oriented options include a Brembo brake system that brings red calipers adorned with the Cadillac wreath-and-crest logo.

New tech options include Cadillac's rear camera mirror, which uses a rear-mounted camera to broadcast an image to the rearview mirror that's free of visibility obstructions like headrests, pillars and passengers' heads.

For all the Escalade is loaded with technology like passive keyless entry and wireless smartphone charging, it still uses a column-mounted transmission shift lever that gives away this truck's relationship to the lower-rent Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. And despite a base price north of $80,000, the Escalade does not come standard with advanced safety features like blind spot monitoring and forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking.