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 standard Escalade is built in Arlington, Texas.
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 pickup 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.
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