When General Motors decided to shove a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 into its three-row SUV to create the Escalade-V back in 2023, the resulting creation was so loud that anybody who bought one seemed likely to receive noise complaints from their neighbors… in the adjacent county. But for 2025, the monster has been tamed slightly. The Drive spoke with Cadillac spokesperson Michael Albano, who confirmed that the latest iteration of the V-Series SUV has received new exhaust tuning. “We just turned it down to 11,” said Albano. So if you like causing a ruckus, don’t worry – the Escalade-V is still extremely loud, just not quite as much as before.
Still The Same Exhaust As Before
Cadillac/Dave Burnett, Puppyknuckles
Albano confirmed to The Drive that the hardware was not modified in any way, though he did not explain how the exhaust tuning software was changed to induce a little more refinement. Nonetheless, the Escalade-V is still loud enough to be heard before it’s seen. In addition, it’s not just those outside the vehicle who benefit; the Escalade-V’s noise cancellation system was retuned to make the angry SUV a little more palatable for passengers. This might explain why the price for the Escalade-V in 2025 has breached the $170,000 mark, now starting at $170,595 before options. Despite the slightly more socially acceptable exhaust, the supercharged engine produces the same 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque as before, enabling a 0-60 mph sprint time of 4.4 seconds. Because of its heft (the Escalade-V has a curb weight of 6,361 pounds), top speed is electronically limited to 125 mph, but those wanting even more insanity could opt for Hennessey’s H1000 package, with 1,005 hp and a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds (the top speed has not been revealed but is said to be higher than stock).
There’s (Almost) Nothing Like The Escalade-V
Cadillac
Only the Germans offer anything remotely similar to the Escalade-V in 2025, with the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 and BMW Alpina XB7 being the only performance-oriented three-row luxury SUVs out there. The former boasts a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 paired with a mild-hybrid system that produces 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, while the latter makes 631 hp and 590 lb-ft from a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. While both SUVs fall short in terms of outright power and torque, they’re quicker than the American, and faster, too. The Merc gets to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds and tops out at 174 mph, while the Alpina can do the sprint to 60 mph in 3.9 and only stops pulling at 180 mph. They also win on price, with the GLS 63 starting at $151,050 for 2026 and the XB7 carrying a base MSRP of $156,000. But nothing beats the character of a noisy, supercharged V8, and perhaps that’s worth paying for.
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