Maybe it’s the price tag. Maybe it’s the chrome. Regardless of the reason, there’s a big risk that your Escalade won’t be making home.

For the fourth year running, the iconic Cadillac SUV topped the list of vehicles most likely to be stolen. Thankfully, GM isn’t sitting idly by while their loyal mix of suburban socialites and grill-sporting rappers get their prized rides snatched by car thieves— at least not anymore. In August GM announced that the 2012 Escalade would sport spiffed up security features to fend off fiends in the act. Details around those features finally came to light today in a press release.

“The goal is to make the Escalade a very difficult target for thieves without any added inconvenience for customers,” Bill Biondo, General Motors’ global leader for vehicle theft prevention told CarScoop. “The new systems work in the background and few people realize they are there, but they are strong added protections.”

Those added protection measures include a standard encrypted key system that prevents drive-away thefts and an improved column-lock system that makes pushing the trucks onto flatbeds almost impossible. Owners can also opt to pay more for a system that senses changes in the vehicle’s angle as would happen during a tow-away or flatbed theft and triggers an alarm, a shock-sensing system that detects “shocks” like breaking glass and finally a wheel-locking system to keep your Escalade from ending up on cinder blocks while you shop.

Often times we only hear the bad side of the story: cars getting stolen, thieves running off with your precious property, etc. But sometimes it’s nice to hear that there’s a happy ending to some of thefts thanks to Lojack.

Lojack helps retrieve countless vehicles a year, but some of the incidents are more peculiar than others. In Atlanta, a thief successfully disabled the OnStar GPS system on a stolen Cadillac Escalade, but that didn’t affect Lojack. The company, with the assistance of the local police, were able to recover the stolen vehicle.

Another interesting one was a thief that had stolen a Lexus at gunpoint from a salesman, which Lojack had no troubles finding. Or even better yet, one man was smart enough to have Lojack on his Honda Civic, but wasn’t smart enough to say no to taking a check when he sold it. Thankfully, Lojack was able to get the car back once the check bounced.

Lojack in 2011 even helped recover 30 cars that were stolen from a Southern California used car dealership. Even though only one of the vehicles was equipped with Lojack, they were able to recover all 30. Similarly, a Honda Accord Crosstour was found through Lojack, revealing a ring of stolen cars that were on their way in shipping containers to other countries.

In closing, this year was a good year for those that have Lojack. The company was vital in closing chop shops, breaking up an international car theft ring, tracking down a murder suspect in a stolen car, and even deterred the kidnapping of a four year old girl.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Cadillac has just launched a marketing push title “New Standards”, highlighting some of the brand’s best features and little known secrets. Along with a new site dedicated to highlighting these traits, the GM luxury brand has just released the first of what appears to be a series of clever videos pitting Cadillac models against their rivals.

In the first spot, there’s a 0-60 drag race between a Mercedes C300 and a Cadillac Escalade. With 403-hp and plenty of torque, the mammoth SUV holds its own. Plus, it’s a great way for Cadillac to highlight the luxury ‘ute’s excellent towing capability too.

Watch the ad after the jump and learn more at cadillac.com/newstandards:

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Now that we know the mid 1990s Honda Civic and Accord hold the top two spots amongst car thieves, what cars do thieves avoid most?

Well, aside from the BMW 5-Series, the common denominator on this list is that these cars are all pretty dull. Interestingly, midsize SUVs and German sedans are among what the Highway Loss Data Institute deems to be undesirable to car thieves.  These vehicles are likely on the list because they have proper anti-theft mechanisms that go beyond a mere alarm system. On the other hand, the Chevrolet Aveo is a rolling anti-theft system in itself.

Here’s the Top 10 car that thieves dislike:

1. Audi A6 all-wheel-drive, large luxury car
2. Mercury Mariner (2009-10) small SUV
3. Chevrolet Equinox (2010) midsize SUV
4. Volkswagen CC (2009-10), midsize car
5. Chevrolet Equinox four-wheel-drive (2010) midsize SUV
6. Lexus RX 350 (2010) midsize luxury SUV
7. Saturn Vue midsize SUV
8. Chevrolet Aveo (2009-10) mini station wagon
9. BMW 5 series all-wheel-drive large luxury car
10. Mini Cooper Clubman 2-door car

[Source: USA Today]

Well this is a change. The typical NBA all star usually drives around in a Cadillac Escalade or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but not Steve Nash. No no, this Pheonix Suns point guard, seven-time NBA All-Star, two-time MVP award winner represents the Toyota Prius. In this new commercial, based on the competitive nature of both Nash and Toytota, the all new Prius comes out on top, or maybe dancing does. Nash’s competitve edge show him push the Prius to beat an old lady into a parking sport. The victory dance is hilarious.

Check out Nash celebrate his victory dance after the jump!

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GM is recalling 10,000 trucks and SUVs that have been impacted by two safety issues worldwide. The majority of the recalls are for the 2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon (9,215 combined) that could roll away when shifted into park due to a faulty part manufactured in China. The recall will be officially issued out on July 19th, and GM will install new automatic transmission adjustment clips. This recall impacts 6,700 vehicles sold in the United States.

Fortunately this recall (and the other one) doesn’t involve any crashes. The Colorado and Canyon recall was discovered when a vehicle failed to start while at a GM assembly plant. The other recall is being issued out to 891 SUVs and trucks for steering problems. 739 of the vehicles impacted are in the United States. Those impacted will have their intermediate steering shaft bolts properly tightened to ensure no loss of steering can occur. Those letters will be sent out on July 13th.

The 891 SUVs and trucks affected by that recall include the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Sierra all from the 2011 model year.

The latest in a growing list of investments, General Motors has announced a $331 million cash infusion into its Arlington Assembly Plant in Texas.

The plant currently builds GM’s SUV lineup, with models including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. The funding will go towards new tooling and equipment for the facility and while GM hasn’t said as much, it’s believed the this is in preparation for a new full-sized SUV line, with new versions of the above-mentioned trucks expected to hit the market some time around 2014.

In addition to sprucing up the place, GM has also announced the creation of 110 new positions at the plant, adding to the 2,400 person workforce there now.

“This investment will allow us to continue building award-winning full-size SUVs that offer better fuel efficiency than ever before without sacrificing the features and functionality they’ve come to expect,” GM Manufacturing Manager Larry Zahner said Thursday. “We remain committed to providing customers the utility and capability of our world-class full-size SUVs.”

Part of a major overhaul of its production facilities and models, GM recently announced upgrades to its Detroit-Hamtramck plant and Bowling Green Corvette Factory as part of an investment strategy that will see $2 billion used to revitalize 17 plants.

Fab Design, that normally specializes in customizing various Mercedes-Benz models, was approached by one of their most dedicated customers to transform his Cadillac Escalade to a true one-of-a-kind American luxury SUV. Well, we’re not too sure of the results and quite frankly we believe Fab Design should just stick to Mercedes-Benz models.

The craftsmanship looks to be top notch, and there was some originality with the modifications, but we have some question marks on why certain things were done the way they were. From the headlight covers to the oversized grille to the obscured tailgate glass, we can’t help but think Fab Design just wanted to be as big and bold as possible with the build. Or perhaps they just wanted to scare away anyone else from ever asking them to do anything to a vehicle other than a Mercedes.

Worse off, the interior is so excessive that it caught the attention of Pro Wildlife, causing Roland Rysanek (owner of Fab Design) to have to defend the build. The owner wanted the interior to be completely decked out with snake leather and imitation crocodile leather. Rysanek of course obliged, and had to state that the snake skin used came from snakes that had been killed without causing them pain – as opposed to being skinned alive.

Unfortunately whatever way we look at it, this Escalade seems to be a bad idea from any angle.

GALLERY: Fab Design Cadillac Escalade

[Source: Carscoop]

The Cadillac Escalade was ranked first among all models in the AutoPacific’s 2011 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards as well as topping the Luxury SUV segment for the fourth consecutive year. 68,000 owners of new cars and light trucks completed a survey in the U.S selecting the Escalade as the top choice.

“It’s especially gratifying to be honored by AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Awards because they’re chosen by owners,” said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing. “Escalade’s consistent strong showing in these awards is a testament to its ability to deliver what customers want in a luxury vehicle.”

The cars and trucks were tested in areas such as comfort, safety and overall purchase/lease experience. The market research and consulting firm AutoPacific publishes a variety of studies annually within the automotive industry.

The Cadillac Escalade features a 6.2-liter V8 producing 403-hp and 417 lb-ft of torque. Pricing for the Escalade ranges from $63,455 to $85, 175.

[Source: GM News]

We don’t know if he read Forbes’ list of worst cars for 2011. All we do know is that he’s made his own list, and that he is called the Stig.

That’s right, Top Gear’s ‘the Stig’ has released his list of the worst five cars he’s ever driven, with some shocking surprises and some rather obvious ones. The Stig in question here is the second Stig or the White Stig, Ben Collins, who joined the show in 2003 after the Black Stig was killed off and who left the show last year.

The list includes a total of five cars, two American, two Italian and even one from the UK. Hit the jump for a brief summary.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

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