As more and more electric vehicles charge up for our automotive future, brands are releasing some “last hoorahs” of their internal combustion glories. And that is likely the case with Cadillac’s 2023 Escalade V. This is the first time the V-series badge has made its way to an SUV, so we went to Phoenix for a firsthand drive.

If you know the V-Series, you know it packs a punch. In the Escalade’s case, that’s a 6.2-liter V8, supercharged to displace a tire-smoking 682 horsepower and line-launching 653 lb-ft of torque. Yes, the Escalade is big and luxurious, but it still hauls from 0-to-60 mph in just 4.4-seconds, with a quarter mile in the 13s.

Full-time active all-wheel drive, Magnetic Ride Control and Adaptive Air Suspension bolster these performance gains.

JESSICA RAY: "So, this supercharged V8 should seem familiar because it’s very similar to the one in the CT5-V Blackwing that we loved so much. Um-- But there are some tweaks including a larger supercharger. We also have 'V mode' which allows you to customize the different performance settings including steering, suspension, exhaust noise. You can either go very quiet with the Stealth mode or you can go loud and throaty in Sport."

Loud or quiet, the Escalade V is still very much an Escalade. It shares the same interior with the Platinum trim, coming with 38-inches of OLED screen, a 36-speaker AKG sound system, and droves of passenger and cargo volume. The interior is wrapped in your choice of Jett Black or Dark Auburn colors-- properly classy, as a Caddy should be.

It’s a lot of fun and possibly the last time we’ll see a big, fancy beast like this from Cadillac. Not for the faint of heart in terms of horsepower or pricing, the 2023 Escalade V starts around $150,000.