Test drive Cadillac Escalade 2000 - 2006 SUV

In full

The 2006 Detroitsky car dealership has gathered a rich harvest of new products, including Cadillac Eskeleid.
The luxurious alternate of the 2007 model year will go to American dealers this spring, and to Europe and Russia at the end of summer. Like the previous versions of Eskeleid, the current one is unified in technology with more folk Chevrolet Tahoe and Saberben, but takes a privileged place in the model gamut General Motors. Style, decoration and equipment correspond to price and image. Of the numerous overseas brands, Cadillac most confidently plays on his field sales on the American continent growing, albeit not a record pace, but steadily for the past four years. Renaissance?
This is America!
There is such a concept of political correctness. The accuracy of definitions usually suffers from her, but nothing can be done. Not a black man, but an African American, not fat, but fat, not huge, but a full -size last one just about our hero.
So, the full-size SUV of the luxury segment, Eskeleid in the United States will compete with the battleship-navigator, Mercedes-GL, Lexus-LX 470, Infinity-Q56. To feel confident in such a company, there is little faceted design. We need volume, comfort and outstanding dynamics. With a two -meter width and more than a five -meter length of a short (!) Version of Eskeleid, moreover, it has an almost three -meter base and a very spacious interior. The width at a shoulder level of 1658 mm is about 200 mm more than that of fairly spacious cars of class D. Even the third row (in the trunk) like that of a large representative sedan, and with two rows of seats Cadillac will argue with the most spacious station wagons in a two -seater version. If you leave only a couple of seats, a little more than 3 cubic meters of luggage will fit in Eskeleid! The elongated ESV version is 0.8 mz more spacious.
He is really new. The body, chassis, frame, engine and transmission were not used by any of the elements in the former Escelle. Frame from closed profiles by 35% tougher for bending and 49% for twisting than the previous model. This made it possible to significantly improve the road manners of the car, without being comfortable. Suspension with adjustable shock absorbers automatically adapted to the character of the road. The body with an increase to 57 degrees by inclination of the windshield has a very low coefficient of the frontal resistance of SC \u003d 0.363. In combination with a new motor and transmission, this promises not only an improvement in dynamics, but also efficiency. True, data about it has not yet been made public: in the USA it is a prerogative of not a manufacturer, but an agency for environmental protection. The six-speed hydromechanical automatic machine hydra-Matic 6L80 is a very modern box. It may not only block the hydrotransformer, but also switch without resorting to its help. The gear number 6.04, the top two steps are increasing.
A special article engine. Of course, this is a V-shaped eight. What Cadillac without her? The working volume is 6.2 liters, power is more than 400 hp. Accurate data will appear later. General Motors concern among pioneers in mastering the new SAE J2723 power measurement methodology, which is recommended to all car manufacturers in the USA. Do not look for four distribution shafts in the motor, it is still one, and the drive of all 16 valves is successfully carried out by pushers with rods. However, this design does not exclude the modern approach: the engine with the aluminum cylinder block is equipped with a phase change mechanism.
Who is in a tailcoat?
Remember, about 30 years ago, the Rang Rover was called a farmer in a tailcoat? Cadillac is unlikely to call it with common traditions so decisively. Judge for yourself: a navigation system with a huge sensory screen, audiovide production, sound in 5.1 format, a popular satellite radio with hundreds of musical, news and information channels, heated steering wheel, especially soft leather decoration and also the famous six -generation Onstar system, which is capable of quickly Call the help of an accident or other misfortune or track a stolen car using GPS technology. The latter is not a whim: the former Eskeleid was one of the most stolen models in the United States. The car has a complete set of airbags and automatically pulled out when hit not only in front, but also from any other side of the belts. Active safety is ensured by a stabilita system with an additional function of preventing overstating.
Cadillac Escelle will be released in three versions: with a standard, elongated base (ESV) and pickup (EXT). The last two versions on 14 inches (356 mm) base
Translating the name of the car is not easy. The Word of Escalada in the Russian language did not take root, or rather, outdated, not having time to take root. In terms of meaning, this is the assault on the fortress wall using bailiff stairs. Will Cadillac successfully capture the solid piece of the European market?
Made in Russia
The main place of production of the new Eskeleid will be the plant in Erlington, Texas. EXT EXTA PICAP will be assembled in Mexico. And passenger versions will, apparently, will receive Russian residence permit in the Kaliningrad region will collect them for our market. Large (sorry, full -sized) all -frusters, as you know, are not so much a vehicle as the business card of the owner, and therefore the demand is stable. Possessing an attractive price (the Russian assembly allows this), Eskeleid may well become the hit of this year, moving the fashionable Hummer H2. However, the latter will not make up his fans quite strongly diverge with the adherents of Cadillac in the views of the car.
A hundred percent American Cadillac Escelle will become a Russian model.
 


Anatoly Fomin

Source: The magazine "Driving"