2007 Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade is more than an SUV: It's a pop-culture celebrity, having strutted in hip-hop videos, starred in "The Matrix: Reloaded," whisked professional athletes to and from their games, and in 2004 it was even the top-mentioned brand (41 times) in Billboard's Top 20 singles, according to San Francisco ad agency Agenda. Yet moms and "normals" are just as enamored of the Escalade. So how will Cadillac ensure the continued, pan-demographic appeal of the redesigned GMT900-based model, on sale in the first quarter of 2006? Here's a look at some of the best features of the next-gen 'Slade. n

Right: The elongated Escalade (by 21 inches) receives the plush luxury of the standard model, but benefits from a whopping 9.5 inches more legroom in the third row and additional space for cargo--more than 137 cubic feet behind the first row (with rear seats folded down) and 45.8 behind the seventh and eighth riders. Engine and transmission are the same as the Escalade's, with increases of 58 horsepower, 37 pound-feet of torque, and two gears compared with the outgoing model. In addition, new ESVs offer a DVD entertainment system for third-row passengers. On sale first quarter of 2006.

• Whether cruising Sunset or running late to your kid's baseball game, the all-aluminum, 403-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 with VVT ensures you'll get to the club--and the club house--on time. Six-speed automatic replaces the 2006's four-speed.

• The all-new platform and frame are stiffer and stronger, improving ride and handling. Front and rear tracks are wider, and overall length has increased. The new Escalade initially will be available with AWD, but expect a rear-drive model to follow.

• Think "smooth." Torsion bars are out; coil-over-shock setup is in. That and the standard Road Sensing System, with real-time damping, produce a more comfortable ride.

• New chrome-ringed gauges use white LEDs for backlighting and have easy-to-spot blue needles.

• Exterior styling cues, such as the eggcrate grille with chrome accents and vent ports on the front fenders, were inspired by the Cadillac Sixteen concept vehicle.

• Vertically arranged headlights have a three-element design. The combination of IntelliBeam (automatic low/high-beam control) and new, jeweled HIDs gives the front end a distinctive facelift.