A little over a week ago, we shared some spy shots of the 2014 Escalade in both its short- and long-wheelbase forms. This time, we caught the long-wheelbase ESV testing solo. Despite GM's best efforts with an oval-ish logo in the grille, there's no disguising this is an Escalade, with its prominent vertical headlamps and lighting, and distinctive grille design. Also characteristic for Caddy's large SUV, it's running on what appear to be at 22-inch wheels, continuing that option that's been offered from the factory since 2007.
With the recent public reveal of the fifth-generation LT1 small-block V-8 for the Corvette, we have a little better idea of what will be powering the new Escalade. As with the current model, displacement will remain at 6.2 liters, but expect a bump in power and fuel efficiency with direct-injection, and a high likelihood of an eight-speed automatic. There's still some speculation that an EcoBoost-style turbocharged version of GM's 3.6-liter high-feature V-6 might be offered, but no official word has come out of the Ren Cen one way or the other.
Based on what we can see, it appears the 2014 Escalade will retain a solid rear axle for its incremental edge in efficiency, as well as more robust payload and towing capacity compared to an independent rear setup employed in some of its key competitors such as the Lincoln Navigator and Infiniti QX56.