i've been trying to warm up to this for a while, but these aesthetic changes are a hard no for me.
understanding that designs do need to evolve... this is just totally uncomfortable to even look at, and IMO it's just a bad evolutionary step for ford.
the steering wheel is definitely awkward to me - way too small and out of round is just dumb for this vehicle. it's not a corvette.... it's a truck.
the screen is equally awkward.... looks like it could slightly encroach on the windshield view (unless you're 6'8"), but you can bet that you'll have a clear view of that dumb dashboard. The previous gen escalade screen design crushed this, no comparison... it looked well planned and had a natural integration, but still it kept your eyes focused towards the road...
perhaps the worst parts of the functional changes are the mandatory split tailgate (lower back crusher if you load heavy gear), lack of ANY physical buttons for HVAC when there is an abundance of unused space ... and even more lame is the new shift dial position.... it is now so far forward that it would be incredibly awkward to lean and reach for it when repeatedly shifting forward / reverse in any parking situations, unlike the gen4 dial that can be so easily and casually accessed without even lifting your elbow from the armrest.
call me a debbie downer, fine... but when i upgrade, it will be to a 24.