Cadillac previewed the future design direction for the brand as it unveiled the Escala Concept this weekend at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Cadillac describes this new concept flagship sedan as a more expressive, expansive companion to the recently launched CT6.
The design is impressive, and it certainly looks like a Cadillac, but it’s still a rather pronounced departure from recent Cadillac design with the shape of the front facia and the front headlights. Take a look back at the Elmiraj Concept from three years ago and you’ll see the difference. The Elmiraj design was reflected in Cadillacs we’ve seen over the past several year, so we can expect to see the Escala front end reflected in upcoming Caddies as well.
Cadillac points out that the new design offers “a new expression of Cadillac’s vertical lighting, a brand signature since 1948.” But there’s no mistaking the horizontal lighting that now dominates the front end.
“Escala is a concept with two clear objectives,” said Johan de Nysschen, president of Global Cadillac. “First, Escala is a statement of intent for the next iteration of the Cadillac design language, and also technical concepts in development for future Cadillac models. Secondly, Escala builds Cadillac’s aspirational character, signaling the brand’s return to the pinnacle of premium.”
I like the new look, and Cadillac probably needed to push their designs in a newer direction to refresh the brand. Let’s see how this new design expression gets treated in upcoming production models.