Cadillac Escalade (United States of America, 1999-present)

Sold by General Motors luxury brand Cadillac, the Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV), which was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market.

It was introduced in 1999 as a counter-attack to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's 1998 release of the Lincoln Navigator. In fact, the production of the Escalade started just ten months after the approval of its project.

The Escalade is built in Arlington, Texas, USA, and its name is a reference to a siege warfare tactic of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders or siege towers.

Originally based on the GMC Yukon Denali, the Escalade was redesigned in 2002 to make it look closer to Cadillac's new design theme.