2015 Escalade Elevates interior craftsmanship

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade luxury utility vehicle is defined by a hand-crafted interior. High-end furniture provided the inspiration for Cadillac’s design team and their utilization of authentic cut-and-sew materials.  Much of the interior components – including the dashboard, door panels and steering wheel – feature hand-stitched and hand-wrapped supple leather. Semi-aniline Kona Brown leather is available, which utilizes soluble dyes to preserve the material grain. All interiors are accented by genuine wood and metal trims. “We have cut and sew materials with real live stitching throughout the entire interior,” said Eric Clough, director of design, Cadillac interiors. “It is the foundation of the cabin design, and similar to the way fine furniture and seating are made.” To exceed customer’s expectations, each of the three Escalade interior environments are accented by different species of genuine wood, helping to raise the interior to the next level of luxury. Paired with the Shale environment is a gloss American Walnut; open-pore Natural Finish Elm accents the Kona Brown environment; the Jet Black environment is complemented by low-gloss Santos Palisander wood. All three wood species pull from mid-century modern design aesthetics, and allow the natural grain and structure to show in a dramatic and powerful way. Combined with ambient lighting, the execution creates a warm and inviting cabin that reveals an unprecedented level of detail. Every 2015 Escalade interior features extensive use of cut-and-sew. This top-of-the-line live stitching process requires leather and other premium materials to be precision cut, wrapped and stitched on the instrument panel, center console, door panels and other interior components to highlight their sculpture and create a tactile experience tailored to refined tastes. “As designers of luxury vehicles, I think it is important we do things that will make our customers say ‘Wow,’” said Clough. “One area that stands out in my mind is the end of the dashboard, called the instrument panel end cap. You only see it when one of the front doors is open; however, we still cut-and-sew wrapped this area with live stitching. In a vehicle like the Escalade, it is one more step that demonstrates the attention to detail we are taking to surprise and delight the customer.” The 2015 Escalade design is entirely new yet instantly recognizable. Much of the Escalade redesign focuses on the interior, where new levels of hand-crafted luxury combine with the latest technologies, such as the CUE infotainment system and the 16-speaker Bose® Centerpoint® surround sound audio system. The all-new Escalade goes on sale this spring and is built in Arlington, Texas. Source: GM