The Escalade might be Cadillac’s most widely known nameplate in its current lineup, but that doesn’t mean it’s coming to Australia.
So, what do customers buy if they’re after a V8-powered, right-hand drive Escalade?
“The [GMC] Yukon is the choice that they will get,” said Lauren Indiveri-Clarke, communications director for GM International, to CarExpert.
“[Cadillac is] going to be an EV-only business in Australia.”
Not only is Cadillac launching here this year as an electric-only brand, it has previously announced plans to be EV-only by 2030… though it has subsequently said it’s being “led” by its consumers.
2025 Cadillac Escalade
“Would we bring [internal combustion-powered vehicles to Australia]? I think as soon as we talk about ‘would we bring ICE?’, now we’re back to converting,” said Ms Indiveri-Clarke.
“We are going to keep Cadillac as an EV-only brand, because if we didn’t, then we’re back to converting.”
GM has poured cold water on the idea of offering petrol-powered or locally converted Cadillacs in Australia, though local managing director Jess Bala has previously appeared to leave the door at least slightly ajar for the V8 Escalade.
“I can tell you that we’ve already shared that we’re an EV-only brand, but that doesn’t mean that we are stopping assessing everything that’s in GM’s portfolio and constantly looking at what might be the best fit for us as our market evolves because there are just so many options,” Ms Bala said in July.
2025 GMC Yukon
The GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade are both part of a family of GM full-sized SUVs, which also includes extended-length XL and ESV versions of each, respectively, as well as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban.
The Escalade, after offering a turbo-diesel inline six for several years, is now being offered exclusively with naturally aspirated and supercharged 6.2-litre petrol V8s with its 2025 facelift.
The Yukon is coming here in 2025 in luxe Denali guise, which bridges the gap between mass-market Yukons and Tahoes and the Escalade.
It’s available with the same naturally aspirated 6.2-litre petrol V8, which produces 313kW of power and 624Nm of torque. This is understood to be the engine coming for the local-spec Yukon.
2025 Cadillac Escalade iQ
When asked about the Escalade iQ, an unrelated but similarly large SUV – albeit with an electric powertrain – Ms Indiveri-Clarke said there were no announcements being made on this model at this stage.
The Escalade iQ is wider than the Escalade, and is almost as long as the Escalade ESV. It features a dual-motor all-wheel drive electric powertrain and a 200kWh battery.
GM has teased more announcements on future products for the new year. The Escalade iQ nameplate, as well as the Optiq and Vistiq nameplates, have already been trademarked – if not yet officially confirmed – by the company in Australia.
“There will be a broader-range portfolio [but] we’re only announcing Lyriq at this time,” said Shilpan Amin, senior vice president and president of GM International.
“There’s a lot of things that we’d have to look at for [Escalade iQ]. Conversion is the biggest,” said Ms Indiveri-Clarke.
GM has confirmed a lot of vehicles with Ultium underpinnings have been designed with both left- and right-hand drive in mind.
The Ultium branding refers not to one specific platform, but rather to the batteries; electric motors; the DC-AC inverters that run the motors; the drive units, including the gears and differential; high-voltage components; and software that GM’s latest dedicated electric vehicles use.
“The architectures are all capable of right-hand drive, it’s then the finishes of the vehicle,” said Mr Amin.
“It’s whether the [instrument panel] can be moved or not. The IP is one of the key points,” explained Ms Indiveri-Clarke.
“So it’s not actually linked to the battery itself.”
GM has said instrument panels with large screens can prove an impediment to conversion, something the Lyriq avoids by having a symmetrical screen that can be flipped from left- to right-hand drive with some software changes.
The company is offering a mixture of vehicles in Australia, all targeting lower-volume segments.
The Chevrolet Silverado and Silverado HD and upcoming GMC Yukon are remanufactured locally to right-hand drive in conjunction with Walkinshaw, while the Chevrolet Corvette and upcoming Cadillac Lyriq are built in factory right-hand drive.
