Yesterday our Spy Photographer captured a suspicious looking and fully camouflaged Cadillac Escalade. Considering the all new 2021 Escalade is on sale right now with nothing to hide….the question is… what is this thing doing on the road and why is it so bundled up?

Left Over Prototype Or Future Development Vehicle?

If you’ve followed us as we’ve watched the redesigned 2022 Chevy Silverado teased over and over again through spy photography then you know GM uses camouflage to disguise the features and styling of unreleased vehicles. Cool, so this is a future unreleased Cadillac Escalade then, right?

Not so fast. Despite rumors suggesting that a future Escalade will get V-Series treatment in the form of a 6.2L Supercharged LT4 engine, we’re just not seeing the signs of high performance out of this test mule.

Our photographer reports: 

I shot this fully-camouflaged Cadillac Escalade yesterday. I’m not sure if we’re dealing with an older prototype that simply hasn’t ditched its camo, or if there’s something new to hide. It’s riding on Bridgestone Alenza tires in the standard 275/50R22 size. The wheels appear to be what’s currently available on the Premium Luxury package, according the Build & Price tool on Cadillac’s website.

I dug into the info provided on the AutoPacific site, and the only coming change they report is the possible addition of GM’s supercharged LT4 6.2-liter V8 engine, which generates 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque in the Camaro ZL1 and C7 Corvette Z06. AutoPacific reports that this new engine option could be available as soon as sometime next year.

That engine would likely come with a more aggressive wheel-and-tire setup, and possibly an Escalade-first V designation. This prototype doesn’t seem equipped for higher-performance duty. But the camouflage looks quite fresh, suggesting this isn’t some old worn-out prototype from the Escalade’s early development days.

So What Is This Escalade Mule Doing?

Most likely this is an advanced/future/experimental vehicle. Whether it’s a future Cadillac or a Cadillac testing a future part or engine is the real question. We agree the lack of upgraded brakes, wheels, and/or tires makes it hard to stomach that this is an Escalade-V prototype. It could however be a test bed for future engines or full-size truck / suv parts.

We really do hope it’s an upgraded Escalade-V, as Muscle Cars and Trucks has reported in the past. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. What do you think it is? Let us know and comment in our Spyshots/Future Vehicle Discussion Forum.