Last month, Cadillac launched a round of advertisements promoting the 2019 XT4 — including television spots. While the commercial is still set in New York City, it avoids the other trappings of the brand’s previous “Dare Greatly” campaign. There is very little screen time without the crossover blitzing through the streets, backed by a high-energy soundtrack, and at no point does the brand try to encourage the viewer to assume its corporate philosophy. It’s just a straightforward car commercial — or so we thought.
Apparently, there was a hidden element we all missed.
Smack dab in the middle of the ad there is a moment where the XT4 drives by a theater named “Escala.” Noticed first by GM Authority, the outlet claimed that no such theater exists in New York City and we’re inclined to agree. Based on the traffic markers and signage, this author isn’t sure if the street shown even exists within the Big Apple.
It would appear that General Motors digitally inserted the building specifically to hint that the ultra-sexy Cadillac Escala concept would be entering production. There’s even text on the storefront that reads “new arrivals.”
While entirely speculative, it seems unlikely that Cadillac would go to such great lengths to include this in the ad for no reason. The Escala sedan (which is technically a hatchback) appeared in 2016, via video, one day before making a sizable splash at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was later said by former Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen that the model served as a “potential addition” to the brand’s product lineup — serving as halo vehicle.
Larger than the CT6, at least in concept form, Cadillac has previously confirmed the model’s role but never said anything definitive on production. There were longstanding rumors that it would begin assembly before 2022 and others that it would simply serve as a concept model highlighting the brand’s future design strategy and tech implementation. However, current Cadillac President Steve Carlisle said he’d like to see a new flagship model as well.
Earlier, we’d have suggested that the Escala would have been a poor fit. Carlisle wanted something electrified but the concept version of the car implemented a 4.2-liter V8 and 10-speed automatic. But we also suppose there is no reason GM couldn’t make the Escala a battery-electric vehicle, especially considering General Motors wants to add over a dozen to its portfolio over the next few years.
As for the name itself, you probably noticed it wasn’t a jumble of letters and numbers. But neither is the Escalade and the brass at GM has already said that new flagship models probably wouldn’t need to adhere to the typical nomenclature of the brand. It definitely sounds like the Escala is coming but we’ve got no clue what it will be packing under the hood right now.
[Images: General Motors]
This is going to be a landmark car for Cadillac and GM. The Escala is everything Cadillac should be.
There are so few people actually buying or leasing Cadillac and Lincoln products these days. What makes you think that this will change?
Did you see the commercial of that young girl driving an XT4? How realistic is that?
Maybe if she is a sugarbaby and her sugardaddy leased it for her.
Actually people are buying Cadillacs. 156,000 last year in the U.S. alone.
In 2017 Cadillac had it second best sales year ever internationally. I think they sold 320,000 cars last year. Lincoln sales are limited to just North America.
The fact that it won’t sell more than a few thousand units is exactly why it is a perfect halo car. It needs to be rare, good and one of the cars that gain prestige in hindsight.
Sure, Jan
I’ll believe it when I see it
Like all concepts by the time it gets to production it will look totally different. For now it checks all the boxes: impossiblely tiny mirrors, massive wheels with rubber band tires, tiny lights with no side markers, pillarless design that never passes side impact testing, crazy low roof that would lead to zero head room. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Exactly what happened with Continental.
Yes, the Continental was such a disappointment in it’s final form
It’s funny because the last time GM had a production car that looked like the concept car (Camaro) it was universally decried by the GM haters as too cartoonish, too-concepty, too Transformers.
Oh I forgot, this is TTAC. Cadillac will be hated here no matter what they come up with.
Why do people like that concept? Cadillac already makes the CT6 and it’s selling about as well as the K900.
Complete list of viable Cadillac concept cars:
1. Sixteen
2. Ciel
3. Cien
Elmiraj
That car just does nothing for me, it’s much too small to be a halo car and the lack of a sizable trunk is unforgivable.
Its TOO SMALL (even though its longer and wider than the longest version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series)!!!!!!!
How dare they make such a tiny car! What, is it a rebadged Chevy Spark? Despicable!
John, never let details get in the way of a good rant.
Indeed. :)
They dare John, they dare greatly. The first Lexus model was the flagship and same with Tesla. It took Cadillac and Lincoln decade to come with flagship. Why so?
Look at the greenhouse not how far they pushed the sheet metal out. The interior is decidedly midsize at best.
Hummer, how big do you want it? It is bigger than every large luxury sedan out there today, with the exception of Rolls Phantom and the Bentley Mulsanne. It’s bigger than the S Class, 7 Series, A8, Genesis G90, and the CT6. How big do you need it to be??
He’s compensating so perhaps the size of a 747?
BMW-747?
Mulsanne or Phantom size sounds good. If they are going to copy a Euro brand I’d rather them choose Bentley/Rolls over BMW and Alfa.
Although in this market they might be better off just dumping all the Escala money into making the Escalade amazing.
Look at the greenhouse, not the other dimensions of the car, the physical section you sit in is midsize at best. I’m tired of manufacturers building cars with exterior dimensions that sound large, but interior dimensions that rival much smaller cars.
Compare a 59 Cadillac to a 59 4 door IH pickup, now compare this to the ’19 Ram below this article.
I want a Cadillac that dwarfs a modern pickup the same way they did in 59.
Give me a 4 door convertible.
If you think it is too small I suggest you get an eye exam.
Nice tampon ad.
Marketing your “”””luxury”””” CUV using an overplayed song from four years ago and opening it with “she got a booty like a Cadillac” seems like just another winning idea from General Motors.
Lol, I’ve always thought Cadillac should use that song in it’s commercials
Really creative naming. I wonder how long it took their think tank to drop the “de” off the end of “Escalade”?
Cadillac missing the point, again. The names are meant to be distinctive .. if they all look and sound the same, you have the same problem that you had with the alphanumeric soup!
Or maybe they are just doing this out of spite because their alphanumeric plan got shot down!
And at around 12 seconds, there is the back of a Mustang. The Canadian version of this ad that I’ve seen on TV has a Barracuda in it.
Weird.
Looks just like an elongated Impala, minus pillars – that will NEVER happen, after all, we’ve been teased too often with pillarless designs before. Challenger, Camaro and now this.
Good idea, though. Cadillac needs a flagship CAR, not a truck.
Very Hot! Make it all electric, so I can pick it up for dirt when the 3 year lease is over……..LOL
When I saw the ad on TV, it’s been playing quite frequently I picked up on the Escala name on the theater marquee.
I thought, future product based on the concept. From the picture above even though the rear trunk is short that it might be a Audi A7 like hatch/trunk.
Unfortunately the Escala is another false start for Cadillac. Word is, the car was green lit for production early this year then cancelled around a month ago. So most likely, when this commercial was shot, it was intended to signal what was upcoming but now will just have meaningless references jammed in that will be forgotten in no time at all. The Escala now officially joins the sixteen, cien, elmiraj, etc among all of the other caddies that got scrapped. Too bad, likely the Escalade will continue to be the halo vehicle which is not a long term solution IMO.
At least the upcoming CT5 carries a lot of the Escala design cures so it wasn’t a totally wasted effort on GM’s part.
Tail lamp area is reminiscent of the 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado’s. I like that. Hope the production model doesn’t change that area much.
Both Cadillac and Tesla give me hope for the US auto industry. Cadillac is actually going to produce a world class V8!
What the hell do you call the LT1?
But, pushrods!
Well that Northstar knocked it out of the Park. Oh Wait, I meant the HT4100. No wait it was the V 4-6-8…Know what, forget it
But there was the 1923 L head, so they’ve got that.
“Cadillac and Tesla give me hope for the US auto industry”
I think this comment alone tells you all you need to know about this particular contributor to the comment section.
I think he’s kidding, isn’t he?
It is a valid opinion that many would agree with.
What was the last World Class Cadillac V8? I was joking but looking back I submit that it actually was the 1923 L head.
They haven’t built anything worth a tooth in my lifetime for sure.
Front – squared off Mazda?
It is more dramatic looking than the Mazda.
The subtle Escala Easter egg in this commercial was designed to get car communities talking, and to remind folks that there ever was an Escala concept. The Cadillac brand is still clawing for relevance and finding its place in the world. If Cadillac products/ads generate discussion or curiosity, it’s a good thing.
One doesn’t have to squint too hard to see the Avenir concept in the LaCrosse, particularly from the B-pillar forward. I suspect the swooped rear on the Avenir died for practical reasons – trunk capacity and rear seat headroom.
If the Escala sees the light of day as derivative as the LaCrosse was to the Avenir concept – I’d call it a win (depending on what aspects die). GM has a long sad history of building amazing concept cars that get hopelessly diluted by the time they get to production. The LaCrosse is definitely diluted, but you don’t have to squint to see the alignment.
Just build it. If they can resist the temptation to fill the interior with tacky, cheap plastic chrome like every current Cadillac, people shopping BMW or Audi might actually look at it.
That commercial was shot in Los Angeles, NOT New York. That theater is on broadway and 8th street and is NOT named Escala. It’s an Urban Outfitters, hence the signage in the window.
The XT4 was not filmed in New York. That’s L.A., mostly on South Broadway but with some quick cuts of Bunker Hill and the financial district. The “Escala” theater has been digitally altered. It’s actually the Rialto Theater at 812 S. Broadway.
Make of that what you will.