FOR car buyers for whom money is no object Cadillac is launching an off-roader in the UK with seating for up to eight occupants.

The left-hand-drive Escalade is powered by a mighty 409 horsepower, 6.2-litre, V8 petrol engine with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Two models are on sale in the UK priced from £47,100.

Completely redesigned last year, the makers say the 2008 Cadillac Escalade offers a new level of refinement and style, with a feature-packed and spacious interior.

In the UK, Escalade customers can choose from Elegance or Sport Luxury equipment/trim levels, with prices ranging from £47,100 (on-the-road) to £50,100, and from a selection of seven exterior colours and two interior colours.

Manufactured in the USA, the 2008 Cadillac Escalade is built at GM's award-winning facility in Arlington, Texas.

The 2008 Escalade is instantly identifiable as a Cadillac and incorporates styling cues from Cadillac's landmark Sixteen concept vehicle, including a detailed egg-crate' signature grille flanked by tri-element HID headlamps, chromed front wing air vent ports, distinctive rear-end styling and layers of chrome accents (side moulding, door handles, window base trim and roof rails), and seven-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels.

The cabin, which can be specified in two colours, Ebony and Cocoa-Cashmere, is spacious, thanks to the long wheelbase (2946 mm), generous body width (2007 mm, excluding door mirrors).

The Cadillac-exclusive power fold-and-tumble for the second row seats (standard on Sport Luxury models) ensures easy access to the third row, while allowing one-handed push-button operation - for example when a parent is holding a child.