The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was sold by the General Motors luxury part, Cadillac. The Escalade is Cadillac's first major entry into the SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year as a competitor for Lincoln Navigator. The name Escalade refers to a siege warfare tactic of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders or siege towers. The standard Escalade is built in Arlington, Texas. The Cadillac Escalade is one of the few Cadillac vehicles produced outside the United States.
The Escalade initially used the GMC Yukon Denali as its base. The first generation Escalade was available only as a five-seat SUV. The Escalade's used the same wheels as the Denali line, with the GMC logos on the center caps replaced with Cadillac's crest. The Escalade used the 5.7 Litre Vortec 5700 V8 at 255 hp (190 kW), which was greatly underpowered compared to the Navigator's 300 hp (220 kW) and 365 lbft (495 Nm) 5.4 Liter InTech V-8 engine. All first-generation Escalades featured Autotrac selectable 4x4.