BLUFFTON, SC – The king of bling is back, but with refreshingly less flash and delightfully greater refinement.

Fans of the Big Daddy Caddy need not fear, either, because the ’15 Cadillac Escalade retains many of the desirable traits that in the previous decade lured so many musicians and professional athletes to the SUV and thrust it to pop-icon status.

For starters, it remains as roomy as any SUV on the road, so go ahead, bring the whole gang. A powerful V-8 engine will move it from the curb to the street faster than a paparazzi’s lens can follow. And while it no longer drips with bright work, it still makes one hell of an entrance and leaves no question that its owner has arrived in life.

It’s just that after 15 years of ferrying around all sorts of VIPs and MVPs, the Escalade itself finally has arrived. It is for the first time a bona fide Cadillac.

Nowhere is the transformation more apparent than inside the fourth-generation model. A person could step out of any of the latest Cadillac models, such as the CTS midsize sedan, XTS large sedan or ELR electric car, and into the Escalade knowing they all come from the same lineage.

The now-familiar Cadillac User Experience 8-in. (20-cm) touchscreen sits front-and-center of the Escalade’s cabin, serving as the SUV’s nexus for smartphone connections, audio and video, navigation and vehicle information. The system has received mixed reviews since its launch, but CUE’s colorful, detailed images combine with its tablet-like swipe-and-tap functions to confirm the Escalade is a high-tech truck.

Cadillac’s trademark cut-and-sewn materials run door-to-door in the Escalade, stitching together leather and suede on the door panels, dashboard and seams of the leather-wrapped steering wheel and seating surfaces. It gives the cabin a bespoke feel.

Subdued Galvano chrome trims the center stack and steering wheel, and wraps air vents and door speakers of the premium Bose audio system.

Escalade cabins also receive a choice of open-pore or finished woods, such as elm and walnut, and leather interiors include a Konah that resembles the lounge of a private club or a Shale environment that’s as modern as an Ikea kitchen.