2019 Cadillac Escalade Goes Stealth With Sport Edition

Now you don’t have to go aftermarket to get an all-black Escalade. The 2019 Cadillac Escalade will offer a Sport Edition with black exterior trim starting early next year.

The Sport Edition receives a black grille, black window moldings, and black body side moldings. It also features dark-finished 22-inch wheels as standard equipment. Buyers can opt for the Sport Edition treatment on all trims except the base model. That means it’s available on the Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum models.

“Two decades after its introduction, the Escalade remains the segment’s benchmark and sales leader,” said Cadillac President Steve Carlisle in a recent statement. “The Sport Edition extends that momentum in response to customer and dealer demand for a dark and aggressive look.”

Cadillac introduced the current-generation Escalade in 2015, but this is the first time it’s offering a special edition version. The special edition comes at an opportune time to boost interest in an older model as Lincoln tries to steal the spotlight with its new Navigator. All Escalades come with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine good for 420 hp and paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The introduction of a special Escalade model comes less than a week after General Motors announced it would discontinue six cars, including the Cadillac CT6 and XTS, and lay off 15 percent of its salaried workers. The move is intended to pivot the company’s focus away from cars toward SUVs and crossovers. The Escalade has historically been a high-profit-margin vehicle for GM, so offering a new special edition seems to align with Cadillac’s strategy to increase profitability by $1 billion by 2020.

Prices for the 2019 Cadillac Escalade Sport Edition start at $84,790. The order books will open in the first quarter of 2019.

Source: Cadillac

The post 2019 Cadillac Escalade Goes Stealth With Sport Edition appeared first on Motor Trend.

from Motor Trend https://ift.tt/2KOlpcJ