2027 Cadillac Escalade Starts Above $100K, Ditches Base Trim and Streamlines Lineup

According to General Motors' official order guide, the 2027 Cadillac Escalade will discontinue the base "1SA" trim as well as the rear-wheel-drive (RWD) variants of the Platinum Luxury and Platinum Sport models. The revised lineup will now include Luxury (available in both 2WD and 4WD), Sport (2WD/4WD), Platinum Luxury (4WD only), Platinum Sport (4WD only), and the top-tier Escalade-V, which comes standard with full-time all-wheel drive (AWD). With the elimination of the entry-level 1SA model—previously priced from $93,995—the starting price for the 2027 Escalade is expected to exceed $100,000 for the first time. By comparison, the 2027 Lincoln Navigator starts at $92,890, the Mercedes-Benz GLS is expected to remain under $100,000, the BMW X7 starts at $89,050, and the Infiniti QX80 begins at $87,835. By removing RWD options and making AWD standard across all trims, Cadillac has effectively implemented a de facto price increase of approximately $3,000 on higher-end Escalade models. The 2027 model year will carry over the exterior design, lighting system, and technology features introduced with the 2025 mid-cycle refresh. It will continue to feature a sweeping 55-inch curved display spanning the instrument panel and offer a maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds. A new exterior color, Sandstone, will be added, while Magnus Metal Frost and Aegean Stone will be discontinued. Interior updates include support for digital key functionality and trailer tire pressure monitoring. Cadillac will also remove torque-figure badging from certain models. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, the Escalade achieves a combined fuel economy rating of 16–17 miles per gallon. CarEdge estimates that five-year ownership costs will include approximately $13,590 in fuel expenses, around $20,000 in insurance premiums, and about $4,803 in maintenance—figures that fall below the average for luxury SUVs in its class. Production-wise, dealer orders are expected to open in late July 2026, with manufacturing scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026, at General Motors’ Arlington Assembly Plant in Texas. This could mark the final year of internal-combustion Escalade production at the Arlington facility, as the gasoline-powered 2028 model year Escalade is slated to shift production to GM’s Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan.