2000 Cadillac Escalade

By Bob Storck

When he was GMC's Vice President, Roy Roberts had a long fight in creating the distinctive upscale products in the stingy and slow moving environment in General Motors. Now he has seen his popular products grabbed and re-badged by Cadillac as the Escalade. Escalade takes the GMC Yukon to a new level, utilizing the now accepted scheme of taking a proven product, selecting all the top line features as standard offerings, and then wrapping them inside a distinctive interior.

When the smaller sport utilities went to four doors, everyone asked when the big critters would get the extra access. Probably the success of the compact trucks held the development back, but GM responded first with the GMC Yukon and the Chevy Tahoe.

Planners have equipped the four-door Escalade with all the luxury bits from the GM bin and added unique sheet metal and cladding, especially on the front end. The bold oval front opening contains the traditional egg crate grille and the easily recognizable wreath and crest badge.

Aerodynamic running boards and roof racks are standard, and six-spoke chrome wheels carry on a Cadillac tradition. Leather seats with perforated inserts differentiate the interior. The rear seat contains independent audio controls, allowing front and rear to listen to different sources.

OnStar is integrated and standard, and not only provides the navigation and convenience features, but creates a shell of personal and theft security for the vehicle and occupants. The system uses a three-button keypad in the overhead console and a hands-free microphone built into the headliner in place of a cell phone headset.