Lets get one thing straight. The Escalade was cool in 2002. Yeah, it is a nice looking SUV that goes up against others in its class such as a Range Rover, but MTV and rap music killed this vehicle a long time ago. After cruising on the roads, highways, and through the ghettos for the past 14 years, the Escalade has been updated. This is the fourth generation of the chromed out monstrosity which will be replacing the third generation that debuted back in 2007.
The Escalade was born in 1999 as a response to the Lincoln Navigator (a luxurious, yet hideous, version of the Ford Expedition). Cadillac did the same thing. They took the guts and skin of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon Denali, and badged it as an Escalade. Pretty simple. All three trucks shared the same 5.7L V8 under the hood.
1999 Cadillac Escalade
1999 GMC Yukon Denali
1999 Chevy Tahoe
All three of these guys were basically the same truck.
Things changed in 2002 when Cadillac completely redesigned the Escalade to fall in line with its other vehicles. You could now differentiate one SUV from the other. Sales were great in the States, and a record 62,250 units were sold in 2004. Another redesign came along in 2007, but sales figures were starting to decline. This big, flashy SUV was certainly a phase of the 2000s, and around 26,000 were sold by the end of the decade for the 2009 model year.
This new generation is really set apart from its GMC and Chevy cousins. Classic Cadillac styles are used to magnetize your eyes to this vehicle, and you should expect to find a much better interior than previous models.
Cabin
Pricing and fuel economy isn’t available yet but be sure to expect a high price tag and low fuel economy from the 6.2L V8. When you put my wise attitude aside, you really do see what a nice job Cadillac did with the Escalade. Sure it may not be for me or you, but this is great for someone who will dish out the cake for a comfy ride with all the creature comforts that will make all the neighbors envy you or roll their eyes at you. We’re expecting it in showrooms the first quarter of next year.
The most important thing is GM’s eyes is that they likely average upwards of $30,000 profit on each Escalade sold, so even 23,000 sales (which is what the Escalade, ESV and EXT sold last year) you are talking about close to $700M in profits on this model alone. Add in the GMC and Chevy, and the profit from the full-size SUV’s is staggering. Also while I always think of the Escalade as a “rapper’s” special, I am always surprised how many I see in towns like Wellesley, MA and Greenwich, CT, bastions of old white wealth..