The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's 1998 release of the Lincoln Navigator. The Escalade project went into production only ten months after it was approved. The Escalade is built in Arlington, Texas, USA. The name Escalade refers to a siege warfare tactic of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders or siege towers.
The Escalade was originally based on the GMC Yukon Denali, but was redesigned for the 2002 model year to make its appearance fall more in line with Cadillac's new design theme. Today, the Escalade and Escalade EXT pickup are two of only three Cadillac vehicles made outside of the United States. Both the Escalade ESV (Based on the Chevrolet Suburban) and Escalade EXT (based on the Avalanche sport utility truck) were made in Silao, Mexico, before the 2006 redesign; the new Escalade ESV is sourced from Arlington, Texas. The Escalade competes with the Range Rover Sport, Infiniti QX56, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Lexus LX, Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover LR3 and Lincoln Navigator.
The introduction of the Lincoln Navigator in the 1998 model year necessitated that General Motors be able to compete in the burgeoning American market for full-size luxury-type trucks. This generation was only a five-seat SUV. The first Escalade was a largely unsuccessful endeavor from the start. Fearing the growing hegemony of the Lincoln Navigator, the Escalade was rushed through the design process to reach dealers quickly. Essentially little more than a badge-engineered GMC Yukon Denali, the SUV's aesthetics were similar to the Denali and the final vehicle was smaller than the Navigator. The Escalade's under were borrowed from the Denali line, with the GMC logos on the center caps replaced with Cadillac's crest. The Escalade also used the same 5.7 L Vortec 5700 V8 at 255 hp (190 kW), which was underpowered compared to the Navigator's 300 hp (220 kW) and 365 lb·ft (495 N·m) 5.4 Liter InTech V-8. All first-generation Escalades featured Autotrac selectable 4x4. The interior featured all leather seats with the Escalade logo sprinkled all over the car. It also had a Bose surround system–a first for SUVs. The Escalade also used a slightly different gauge cluster from the standard Tahoes/Yukons. The Escalade gauges featured white needles instead of the standard orange and the speedometer reads to 120 mph.
There was no 2001 year Escalade sold for the 2001 model year. The lineup went directly from model year 2000 to 2002. This was done by introducing the 2002 model in January 2001 while still selling the present production 2000 model year car. Rear-wheel drive was standard, as was a 5.3 L V8, with all-wheel drive and the special high-output Vortec 6.0 L V8 engine as options. All models (except for the EXT) began seating 8 people.
The "StabiliTrak" stability control system was upgraded to a four-wheel version for 2003 and power-adjustable pedals were added. For 2004, 20-inch chrome wheels were offered, and XM Satellite Radio, second-row bucket seats, and a tire pressure monitoring system were made standard on all Escalades except the EXT. The 5.3 L engine was dropped for 2005 and the OnStar system was upgraded. Also in 2005, the Platinum edition was introduced at the price of $71,025; it featured heated and cooled cup holders, 20 inch chrome wheels, moon roof, three DVD screens, and chrome accents on the steering wheel and grille.
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