If you talk with someone who has seen the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, chances are they will tell you that it is perhaps the most technologically advanced iteration of Escalade yet seen. But while the comfort, technology, and the performance on hand is enough to draw stares, the lone uncertainty was the availability of Super Cruise and whether it would indeed make it to the Escalade? While the brand has so far not delivered an answer themselves, the forum Cadillac Society has appeared to not only confirm that it is indeed coming, but also released an alleged pricing ladder for it as well. Â
For those unfamiliar with Super Cruise, it is a Level 2 SAE classified autonomous driving system that allows near seamless autonomous driving on a range of pre-mapped roads using various cameras and sensors. The system originally made its debut on the CT6 luxury sedan several years ago, but since then, Super Cruise has had a very rocky launch with Cadillac not unleashing it onto other Cadillac models. That could indeed be changing with the Escalade which is slated to offer Super Cruise for the first time ever.
The cost of adding the system to the Escalade depends on which two of the sub-trim levels buyers choose. If your adding it to a Premium Luxury or Sport model, you need to make sure it has the $3,650 Driver Assist and Technology package equipped first before Super Cruise can join the party. This is a $6,150 boost to the final sticker, but we suspect that some buyers won’t mind especially since the first package adds a whole suite of driving assists and safety features to the Escalade’s rap sheet of equipment.
Meanwhile, Premium Luxury and Sport Platinum models already come with the Driver Assist and Technology package bundled in as standard equipment, which only requires buyers of these models to only fork over the initial $2,500 needed to equip the Super Cruise system itself. According to Cadillac Society the pricing structure also applies to the stretched ESV variant too. The lone exception is the base Luxury grade Escalade which does not get either Super Cruise or the fore-mentioned Driver Assist and Technology package.
The addition of Super Cruise also coincides with the brand’s recent unveiling of an upgraded version of the system which can now do automated lane changes, provide smoother operation when various aspects of the system are active, as well as more mapped sections of freeways where Super Cruise can work effectively. Â