Cadillac Escalade Wallpapers and Pictures

The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle 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 10 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. The Escalade was not the first Chevrolet-based Cadillac: the first generation Seville and the 1980s Cimarron were based on entry-level Chevrolet vehicles (the Nova and Cavalier, respectively). As of today, the Escalade and Escalade EXT pickup are, together with the Cadillac BLS, the only Cadillac vehicles made outside of the United States. Previously, the 2006 Cadillac CTS was briefly assembled in China for the local market, and the Cadillac Catera was assembled in Germany until the 2001 model year. 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 has quickly become an easily recognizable presence in pop culture, where it is commonly identified with hip hop culture. It has been featured in many hip hop music videos. Comedian Bernie Mac drives an Escalade on his hit sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show, continuing the brand's popularity among TV stars and stand up comedians. Tony Soprano began driving a black Escalade during season 5 of The Sopranos, and after wrecking it in order to avoid a raccoon in the road, he quickly replaced it with a white one. The Escalade was also mentioned in an episode of Family Guy as God's vehicle of choice. Also, the Twins in the Matrix Reloaded drive an Escalade EXT in the car chase sequence. Kendra Wilkinson, one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends, drives an Escalade and she is often seen driving it and car-washing on the E! reality show The Girls Next Door. Second generation Escalades are featured in video games Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition and Need for Speed: Underground 2.