Earlier this month, we heard some pretty interesting rumors. Report from Car and Driver claims General Motors plans to establish the Escalade and Camaro as independent sub-brands with their own models. The Escalade will reportedly receive a smaller three-row crossover and minivan, complementing the Escalade’s existing luxury SUV. Fueled by this exciting rumor, our colleagues at Kolesa.ru created this exclusive rendering to see what an Escalade branded MPV would look like.
This very early, speculative look at the Escalade minivan doesn’t look bad, to be honest. The front fascia of the Escalade with the large grille seems to fit in well with the overall box design of the modern MPV. Even more so when you consider the next generation of luxury minivans for the Chinese market from local and global automakers – like the Zeekr 009 and Trumpchi M8, for example. (see related link below).
Talking about the growth of the minivan segment in the People’s Republic, it is believed that if Escalade expands into an independent sub-brand, its extended family of products will be specially designed and manufactured for the Chinese market. There, brands such as Buick and Lexus currently sell luxury minivans and there is also strong competition from domestic brands.
Unfortunately, at the moment information is scarce and we can only make assumptions regarding the Escalade minivan. However, one scenario that seems very plausible is a rebranded version of the recently unveiled Buick GL8 Century, which is a large MPV with Maybach-level legroom, features like Bose speakers integrated into the headrests, and sliding rear doors. In theory, its Escalade-branded sibling could launch as a slightly more affordable and sportier offering to complement the GL8 portfolio in China.
Back to the report from last week, Car and Driver also claims the Escalade could launch one additional model alongside the three-row minivan and SUV. According to available information, there may be a raised sedan or wagon, perhaps the idea is similar to the new Toyota Crown.
