2025 Cadillac Escalade Debuts As Updated Lincoln Navigator Rival

The Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade have long been chief rivals in the full-size luxury SUV segment, though in recent years, GM’s big luxury barge has held the edge in terms of sales. Both the 2025 Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator are slated to receive a mid-cycle refresh, which should help continue to fuel this rivalry for years to come. However, while the 2025 Navigator hasn’t yet been revealed, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade has now made its official debut.

On the outside – as is typical with refreshes in the automotive world – the 2025 Cadillac Escalade gets some evolutionary updates that include a bolder front end design, along with lighting borrowed from the all-electric Escalade IQ. Its overall styling language also takes some inspiration from the Celestiq and Lyriq, with elements such as an illuminated front crest and, while the V-Series and Premium Luxury Platinum trims get an illuminated grille surround. Updated rear lighting rounds out these changes, coupled with optional 24-inch wheels that are available on the Escalade for the first time.

Inside the cabin, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade gets a new, curved pillar-to-pillar 55-inch screen that dominates the cockpit. Other updates include new color themes – Renaissance Red or Jet Black and Sheer Gray – along with the optional Executive Second Row package that adds stowable tray tables, dual wireless phone charging pads, massaging seats, headrest-mounted speakers, a command center, and 12.6-inch personal screens. The 2025 Escalade-V continues with a carbon-fiber theme mated with Jet Black leather quilted and perforated seating.

The two V8 gasoline powertrains carry over from the prior model years, while the turbodiesel straight six is discontinued.

The standard engine continues to be the 6.2L V8 L87, which makes 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. The Escalade-V continues to be powered by the supercharged 6.2L V8 churning out 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque.

Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Air Ride Adaptive Suspension are standard in Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury Platinum, Sport Platinum, and V-Series trims, however. The 2025 Cadillac Escalade will be available in six trims – Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury Platinum, Sport Platinum and V-Series – and is slated to enter production late this year. GM plans to share more information, including pricing, when we get closer to that date.

As for its foe – the 2025 Lincoln Navigator – that model is also slated to get a coast-to-coast display inside the cabin, along with a revamped front end design, a relocated rear wiper, possibly a split liftgate, and a full-width front light bar, among various other changes as part of its own mid-cycle refresh.

We’ll have more on everything Lincoln’s competition is up to soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Lincoln news and continuous Ford news coverage.