Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade is a large sport utility vehicle (or 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 10 months after it was approved. The standard Escalade is built in Arlington, Texas.

The Escalade was originally based on sister company GMC's Yukon Denali, but was redesigned for the 2002 model year to make its appearance fall more in line with Cadillac's new design theme. The Escalade was not the first Chevrolet-based Cadillac: the first-generation Seville and mid-1980s Cimarron were based on entry-level Chevrolet vehicles. As of today, the Escalade ESV (a luxurious Chevrolet Suburban), especially the Escalade EXT pickup are, together with the Cadillac BLS, the only Cadillac vehicles made outside of the United States, since the demise of the German-built Cadillac Catera in 2001. Both the Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT are made in Silao, Mexico.