By: Jag Dhatt
After a long night of ridding the streets of bad guys, it’s time for the crime fighter to take off his outfit and mask. Time to set the Batgyro in the cave and assume the other identity. The night may be over, but Wayne Enterprises has a board meeting. The days and nights never end for Bruce.
Suit is on and it’s time to choose what vehicle to take. Bruce could take the Lambo, but the night was rough on his body. It’s time to go easy, in style and still have a dark presence. It’s time to take the new Escalade.
Bruce Wayne has lots of money and let’s face it, lots of toys. Not just for his alter-ego, but for his daily routines. When he needs to relax, ride in comfort, and still have a fully loaded vehicle, this Escalade fits the bill.


Just like the Batsuit, this particular Escalade is painted in Black Raven, with a dark interior and auburn & black accents. From any angle, the Escalade is menacing; the massive dark grille covers most of the front end, with long vertical driving lights adorning the outer sides. The side profile is sharp-looking and grabs attention and rear is equally, visually beautiful. Huge 22” 12-spoke Dark Android wheels complete the look. This particular Escalade is the standard length, at 211.9 inches. There is a longer version, dubbed the ESV, which is 227 inches in length. The standard Escalade should suffice for most.
Since Bruce would need a sporty drive, the Sport Platinum features an adaptive air suspension system, complete with an electronic limited slip-differential for heightened handling. This setup is the perfect balance between luxury and sport, exactly what is needed.
Inside the Escalade is just as good as the exterior. Three roomy rows, with captain chairs in the second row. All seats are perforated, with V-emblems on the backrests. The second-row seats do adjust forward and back and have a recline feature for those longer rides. The third row is surprisingly roomy as well. And if you need to pile up the Escalade with just cargo, the 2nd and 3rd rows fold easily with a touch of a button.


The cockpit of the Escalade is full of tech and gadgets, one fitting for the man of the hour. Some of the highlights include the Augment Reality display, an AKG sound system, a curved 38” OLED display, rear-entertainment system, and an Ultraview sunroof. And what luxury SUV is complete without a console refrigerator with freezer.
Another feature that needs to be highlighted is Night Vision. For the city, the feature is not practical but if travelling at night on dark roads, it can be quite valuable. Beyond the headlamps, the system provides a thermal image that highlights detected people or large animals directly ahead of the vehicle. For our Canadian terrain, it can provide to be a valuable asset.

Unlike Bruce who usually travels alone, day or night, I was able to take the Escalade on a road trip to Kelowna with my family. After the girls settled in, it was time for more tech. They connected to the Wi-Fi hotspot and were able to stay connected during the drive. Two of my girls used the rear-entertainment system and although it worked fine at the beginning, it had some glitches and kept disconnecting. We tried to connect a different device to the system and still, the system kept disconnecting time after time. Not to be dismayed, the AGK Studio Reference audio system, which has 36 speakers, provided some great listening experience. Imagine, 36 speakers! I remember during my younger times, having 6 speakers was pretty baller.


The Escalade drives as one would expect it to, smooth. This is thanks to two different systems: the air ride adaptive system utilizes electronically controlled air springs to enhance ride smoothness; and the magnetic ride control is a feature that reads the road about 1,000 times per second to make the ride even smoother. We were travelling an average of 120 km/h and it was smooth. Road noise was there but was negligible.
Cadillac’s Super Cruise system is a hands-free driver assistance system that works using cameras and GPS, capable of automatic lane change. The system works great and for the most part, it worked flawlessly. The system does remind you to have hands on the steering wheel; however, I was hands-free for miles at a time. According to Cadillac, over 34 million miles have been mapped for Super Cruise.
While some automakers are moving away from the V8, Cadillac still feels there is a market for the bigger motors, and for that, we are thankful. The 2024 Sport Platinum is powered by a 6.2L naturally aspirated V8 that produces 420 horsepower and is matched to a 10-speed automatic four-wheel drive system. It’s plenty powerful, even with a full load. The engine may not be as potent as some competitors, it still masks the size of the vehicle well, pushing the Escalade to 100 km/h in just 6.8 seconds. If you want more power, there is a supercharged V8 available as well; and who doesn’t want more power, right!

The Cadillac Escalade has been historically linked to class and luxury, with buyers being those who are established. The large V8, spacious interior, cutting-edge technology, and proud heritage make this an enticing option for those in the market for a full-size SUV. And the Sport Platinum trim provides the best of both worlds: luxury matched with a sporty look that is fitting for the Dark Knight.
Pricing:
Starts At: $110K
As Tested: $146K
Escalade-V: $220K


