ESCALADE BRINGS CADILLAC LUXURY TO
SPORT-UTILITY CUSTOMERS

Developed and brought to market in less than one year, the Cadillac Escalade offers the rugged versatility of a sport-utility vehicle with all the styling, technical excellence and customer services that have made Cadillac a leader in the luxury car market.

"Escalade is the first truck-based vehicle in Cadillac's 96-year history," said John F. Smith, Cadillac general manager. "In creating Escalade we combined the best features of a luxury car with those of an all-weather, all-terrain vehicle."

The Escalade is based on General Motors' award-winning, full-size sport-utility architecture. GM created the full-size sport-utility in 1937 with the Suburban. The company has dominated the market ever since with sport-utility vehicles for an infinite variety of customers around the globe. GM's SUVs carry oil field crews across the Alaskan tundra, tow prize-winning racehorses through the bluegrass hills of Kentucky, and meet the transportation needs of busy families throughout the world.

"Over the past six decades, GM has refined the science of building sport-utilities that excel in comfortably carrying people and their cargo over the most demanding terrain on earth," said Smith. "Like a good pair of boots or a well-engineered parka, Escalade can provide one of life's luxuries, getting you where you are going, through all sorts of elements, in Cadillac style, security and comfort."

Luxury Sport-Utility Market

Probably no market segment since the pony cars of the mid-1960s has grown as rapidly as that for luxury sport-utilities. The segment exploded into life in 1997, growing from just 35,258 units in calendar year 1996 to 92,032 in 1997.This growth is being fueled by baby boomers who are moving up from smaller sport-utilities and conventional luxury cars. Both groups of buyers are looking for vehicles that blend the utility and versatility of a sport-utility vehicle with the style, spaciousness, comfort, technology and customer services of a luxury car.

As it became clear toward the end of 1997 that this growth would be a long-term trend, Cadillac decided to enter the market. To develop a luxury sport-utility vehicle in less than one year, General Motors chose to extend the current family of full-size SUVs, creating a new model that has styling, features and customer services that are uniquely Cadillac, while retaining the strengths that have consistently made the Suburban, Yukon and Tahoe favorites among affluent sport-utility vehicle buyers.

"Just as a great house has to be built on a solid foundation, so a luxury sport-utility has to be built with class-leading hardware," said Escalade Brand Manager Susan Docherty. "It is important to remember just how good the full-size GM sport-utility is. No competitor offers the combination of performance, ride and handling, comfort, utility and durability of this vehicle. No other competitor has sold so successfully to affluent customers, year after year after year."

Elegant, Functional Exterior

On the outside, Escalade features a clean, contemporary interpretation of the classic sport-utility. Body-colored bumpers replace the chrome steel typically found on working trucks. These bumpers flow into dent-resistant sculptured side panels and integral running boards, providing a look that is both elegant and functional.

The standard running boards, shaped in the wind tunnel for lower drag and less wind rush, finish off the lower body. Combined with Escalade's moderate ride height, these running boards make Escalade one of the easiest sport-utilities to enter and exit.

No detail has been overlooked in the search for the perfect marriage of form and function. The trademark Cadillac grille is molded from a high-tech composite designed to shrug off arctic cold and desert heat. Reflector-optic headlamps feature clear lenses of high-impact polycarbonate to reduce the chance of stone damage.

Six-spoke chromed aluminum wheels carry premium radial tires developed specifically for the all-weather highway use typical for a luxury sport-utility. A flush-mounted luggage rack gives a more tailored appearance and reduces wind noise, yet still incorporates tie-down points for easy use.

Spacious, Luxurious Interior

Escalade is sized to offer luxurious accommodations for five adults, plus plenty of space for luggage and sporting gear. Yet at 201.2 inches (5110mm) in overall length, Escalade is shorter than many sedans, and its overall height of 74.3 inches (1887mm) allows Escalade to fit comfortably into most garages.

Inside, the Escalade is pure Cadillac. The seats are tuned specifically to Escalade's ride characteristics, then covered with soft Nuance leather with perforated inserts for enhanced comfort. Zebrano wood accents on the doors and console provide a feeling of warmth. The wood and leather steering wheel looks luxurious and feels superb under the hands.

Even the softer sides of Escalade were put through truck durability cycles. Engineers were concerned that the soft Nuance leather used by Cadillac wouldn't stand up to years of customers sliding in and out of higher seats.

So engineers built a special test rig to simulate a customer sliding in and out over the outside part of the seat thousands of times. The seats passed with no wear or durability problems.

Standard on Escalade is a Bose Acoustimass(r) music system that features four wide-range speakers in the doors, two high-output speakers in the headliner, and a subwoofer in the console. Both a single-disc CD player and a six-disc CD changer are standard in Escalade.

The rear seat features independent audio controls, allowing back seat passengers to listen to one audio source, while those in the front listen to another. Sony earphones for the two rear-seat passengers are standard, and stow neatly in the rear armrest.

A new integrated OnStar system is standard on Escalade, providing a broad range of security and concierge services. The system uses a three-button keypad, located in the overhead console, to connect the vehicle with the OnStar Center. The driver communicates through a hands-free microphone, while the radio speaker system also carries the responses from the OnStar Center. There is no phone handset involved, resulting in a cleaner, simpler installation.

Outstanding Powertrain Performance

Escalade features a 255-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine. Built to meet tough truck durability cycles, the engine provides quiet, refined power for all driving conditions, whether cruising to the opera or towing a horse trailer over a mountain pass.

Unlike some competitors, which feature passenger-car-style all-wheel drive, Escalade offers an AutoTrac four-wheel-drive system that provides truck-like pulling power for heavy snow or back-country mud, yet also provides a full-time all-wheel-drive setting for everyday use on wet or icy roads.

With its rugged body-on-frame construction, Escalade offers the proven durability of a full-size SUV. However, its suspension and tires are specifically tuned for highway use, providing a controlled ride and confident handling, with none of the noise and harshness associated with off-road suspensions or heavily-treaded tires.

As part of the GM truck family, Escalade was put through the same exhausting durability testing as GM sport-utility vehicles intended for use by ranchers and oil men."We tow a 6,000-pound (2948 kilogram) trailer to the top of Pikes Peak on a 120-degree day," said Smith. "When you reach the top, the exhaust manifolds actually glow bright red from the heat. The front of the vehicle gets so hot we even melted a few prototype grilles. While we don't expect most of our customers to put Escalade through this torture, it is reassuring to know that it can survive challenges that would leave lesser vehicles by the side of the road."

For enhanced safety, Escalade features height-adjustable shoulder belts for all outboard seating positions, along with next-generation front airbags for the front seat occupants. Anti-lock brakes and specifically designed all-weather tires further enhance the sense of control provided by Escalade's chassis and drivetrain systems.

Escalade also features a PassLock(tm) anti-theft ignition system and a theft-deterrent alarm system with a shock sensor. PassLock prevents the vehicle from being started unless a key with the proper code is inserted in the ignition system.

The theft-deterrent system sounds an alarm if doors are opened without being unlocked properly or if the vehicle is jostled. The sensitivity of the shock sensor can be adjusted easily to prevent false alarms due to vibrations encountered on city streets.