Starting in the 1990s, the US auto market began its obsession with the SUV. In just a few years, virtually every mass-market automaker operating in the States was producing its own SUV to try and join in on the hype. By the end of the 90s, even luxury automakers were getting in on the action, with models like the Lexus LX 470 and the Acura SLX, the latter of which was virtually just a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. The Escalade's Beginnings Bring A TrailerThe 1999 Escalade carried a uniqueness that virtually no other models on the market had at the time. It was a two-year-only model based on the older GMT400 platform which, at the time, GM had already replaced for the most part. The reason behind Cadillac's need to quickly produce a luxury SUV on an aging platform was to respond to Lincoln. One year prior, the Ford-owned luxury subsidiary had unveiled the Lincoln Navigator, and the buzz around the model was hot enough to get GM's attention.Cadillac Because it was rushed into production, it wasn't exactly competitive with its Lincoln-bred rival. For starters, it only offered two rows of seats, whereas the Navigator had three. Its exterior was also extremely similar to the GMC Yukon Denali's, with little more than a few touches here and there to denote the fact that it was, indeed, a Cadillac. Its 5.7-liter V8 engine was also underpowered, producing just 255 horsepower compared to the Navi's 300 ponies.To Caddy's credit, it did work hard to provide a unique interior for the '99 and '00 Escalade, which managed to differ significantly from its GMC Yukon Denali sibling. A swath of real-wood trim was added on top of the kind already found in the Denali, and its seats also sported perforated leather. However, it simply wasn't enough, and the Escalade went back to the drawing board just two years after its introduction.Cadillac The second-gen iteration made its debut for the 2001 model year. The all-new chassis, the GMT820, had already been in use by other GM subsidiaries since 2000, but Caddy held off using it for a full model year to allow the remaining first-gen models time to wrap up production. This time around, Cadillac took a proper amount of time to design an SUV that could actually take on the Lincoln Navigator without having to cut corners.Apparently, this meant the introduction of an Escalade pickup was in order, too. A Response To... Nothing? CadillacFrom the very point of inception, the Escalade EXT had an uphill battle to contend with. The reason behind its introduction was to counter Lincoln's Blackwood pickup truck, which was based on the Navigator. However, the Blackwood was a complete sales flop for Lincoln, and was axed after just a single model year, 2002. This left the newly introduced Escalade EXT as the sole surviving luxury pickup truck in production at the time, and it wasn't exactly a place you wanted to be.For the first two full model years of its life, the EXT managed to sell reasonably well. Of course, Cadillac didn't necessarily expect it to be a smash hit, but the brand's top brass were hoping for about 20,000 to 25,000 Escalade sales per year across the entire model range. The EXT's first model year saw about 13,494 sales, and the second, 2003, saw around 11,256. While it was proving itself to be a much better contender than its rival Lincoln Blackwood, 2003 would be the final year that its sales would exceed 10k.Cadillac A slow decline began, reaching approximately 7,967 sales in 2007, a slight uptick over '05 and '06. However, with the second-gen Escalade EXT's introduction in late 2007, sales figures began to tumble. The second-gen's first full model year saw roughly 4,709 units leave dealer lots. In 2012, just about 2,082 were sold. Finally, its final model year of 2013 arrived, and Caddy managed to shift just 1,972 examples. The writing was obviously on the wall and the Escalade EXT got the axe at the end of the 2013 model year. What The EXT Had To Offer CadillacArguably, the unique aspect of the Escalade EXT is its pass-through cargo area that can be extended into the actual passenger compartment. GM called this feature the "Convert-a-Cab", and it was also seen on the Chevrolet Avalanche. Deploying the Convert-a-Cab feature earned users a total of 97.6 cubic feet of cargo space, compared to just 42.9 cubes with the midgate in the upright position. As standard, its bed size was 5.3 feet, and could be enlarged to 8.1 feet.Now, let's see just what each individual generation had to offer its owners. First Generation (2002–2006) CadillacAs anyone knows, Cadillac is GM's top-of-the-line subsidiary, meaning the Escalade EXT needed to offer as much luxury as possible as standard, with just a few optional extras to choose from. Starting inside its cab, all seats are trimmed in perforated leather, and both the front and rear seats are heated. Front-row occupants can take advantage of 10-way power adjustment, and drivers can use a memory function to save their individual power-seat settings. A power-sliding moonroof, rear-row DVD entertainment system, and a CD-based navigation system were all offered as options.As for its mechanical make-up, all first-gen Escalade EXTs employ the use of GM's 6.0-liter LQ9 V8 hooked up to a four-speed 4L60-E automatic transmission. All-wheel drive was standard fare, with no option to spring for rear-wheel drive like its Chevrolet-bred sibling. Its suspension system consisted of an independent front setup utilizing torsion bars. The rear end took advantage of a truck-like solid rear axle with coil springs and air shocks. GM's Autoride self-leveling suspension came standard with the first-gen Escalade EXT, and was employed on the rear axle. Second Generation (2007–2013) CadillacA new platform update was made available for the second-gen Escalade EXT called the GMT946. The new gen carried the same front fascia over from the regular Escalade, but its rear fascia was borrowed from the Chevrolet Avalanche. The Convert-a-Cab system was still intact, and its cargo dimensions remained virtually unchanged.Its interior was completely revamped, with GM going for a more refined and gentlemanly feel. All-new Nuance leather seats were standard, and both front passengers now had 14-way power seat adjustment. Both front and rear rows retained their heating abilities, and an eight-inch touchscreen now sat center stage in the dashboard as standard. Optionally, buyers could spring for premium leather seats, the aforementioned rear entertainment DVD package, and something called the "Platinum" package, which includes small touches like heated and cooled cupholders.2008 cadillac escalade ext_engine The Escalade EXT's engine was upgraded. Instead of the 6.0-liter V8, there was now a 6.2-liter V8 under the hood sporting more power. A new, six-speed automatic transmission was featured, as well. All-wheel drive remained standard, and Magnetic Ride Control with rear, self-leveling rear air ride made up its new suspension goodies. A Mildly Successful Experiment CadillacSeeing as the Escalade EXT entered the world with a purpose that was immediately taken away, it actually managed to do somewhat well for itself. It managed to be the only mass-produced luxury-branded pickup truck for the first and last few years of its life, as the Ford F-150-based Lincoln Mark LT was produced between 2006 and 2008.However, the market cooled significantly towards the niche Escalade, rendering its sale unprofitable for GM, hence its axing. These days, though, being able to drive around in a Caddy truck that's not too old, offers up to 8.1 feet of bed space, and a set of (optional) rear television screens is a pretty cool prospect.In other words, the Escalade EXT isn't all that bad.
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