**Cadillac, a premium automotive brand of GM, announced on the 24th that it has launched the model year update of its flagship luxury SUV, the ‘2026 The New Escalade’, in Korea.**
This new model adds the ‘super cruise’, a feature that allows drivers to keep their hands off the steering wheel, previously introduced in electric vehicles last year, and now expanded to internal combustion engine cars. This marks GM’s accelerated efforts to penetrate the domestic advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) market.
The super cruise is a hands-free driver assistance system that supports driving and automatic lane changes as long as the driver keeps their eyes on the road, covering approximately 23,000 km of highways in Korea. It safely controls the vehicle in complex driving environments such as curved roads or construction zones, utilizing high-precision road data and integrated sensor technology like cameras, radars, and GPS. This technology was first introduced in Korea with the all-electric Escalade IQ. Its adoption has now been expanded to include the 2026 gasoline-powered New Escalade.
The new model is also notable for featuring the ‘TMAP Connected Service’ and the ‘Traffic Sign Recognition (TRS)’ to enhance driving convenience and safety. The TMAP Connected Service, implemented for the first time in a Cadillac model, provides intuitive access to real-time traffic information and the optimal route via the infotainment central screen and instrument cluster, without the need for a smartphone connection. Developed specifically for Korean customers, it greatly enhances functionality.
The TRS assists drivers in recognizing speed limits on roads during travel. It uses camera and navigation information to display speed limits on the cluster. When the cruise control is activated, the vehicle’s cruise speed is automatically adjusted according to detected speed limit signs, based on the customer’s preferences. Additionally, the New Escalade comes equipped with an ‘AKG Studio Reference Sound System’ featuring up to 42 speakers.
Yoon Myung-ok, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Head of Communications at Korea GM, noted, “The 2026 New Escalade combines advanced intelligent technologies like Super Cruise and TMAP Connected Service, elevating the standard of luxury flagship SUVs to a new level.”
The 2026 New Escalade is available in two models: the standard version and the extended wheelbase ESV. The domestic selling price (based on a 3.5% individual consumption tax) is 168.07 million won for the standard model and 190.07 million won for the ESV.