2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT

Cadillac's new "Art and Science" design direction and GM's sincere determination to re-establish the Cadillac brand as among the best in the world are both admirable. We like the BMW 5 Series-fighter CTS sedan and have high expectations for the soon-to-come '04 XLR luxury roadster and SRX crossover utility. However, if you find Cadillac's current naming convention of its model line a bit confusing, you're not alone. Take heart in the fact that they actually do stand for something.

The EXT, Cadillac's take on Chevrolet's innovative Avalanche, quickly converts from a closed SUV to a pickup truck.

The first letter of each model name denotes the vehicle series: "D" for DeVille, "S" for Seville, "C" for the new smaller rear-drive CTS sedan and "X" for the upcoming Corvette-based 2-seater. The second and third letters are body style and vehicle descriptors: "L" for luxury, "X" for crossover, "T" for touring, "S" for sedan and "R" for roadster. But, go figure, the "R" in SRX, Cadillac says, means "reconfigurable." Even more confusing is that sometimes the alpha name refers to the overall model and other times it refers to a trim level within the model line, as with the DeVille DTS, Seville STS and Escalade EXT. In the near future, Cadillac may drop the names DeVille and Seville in favor of just the DTS and STS, but what about Escalade?


The Escalade, Cadillac's hot-selling luxury SUV originally derived from GM's full-size Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon SUVs was a hurry-up answer to Lincoln's huge Ford Expedition-based Navigator. The first generation sold surprisingly well, and the latest Escalade has suddenly become the darling of rap stars, NBA athletes and bucks-up California cognoscenti—proving that it's still possible for a Cadillac to be cool.


Capitalizing on that success, the Escalade EXT ("Escalade crossover truck") arrived late in 2002, and a third variant, Escalade ESV ("Escalade stretched vehicle"—) is due for launch in early '03. While the ESV is a Suburban-based extended version to better compete with Lincoln's very lengthy Navigator, the EXT is Cadillac's take on Chevrolet's innovative Avalanche truck, which quickly converts from a closed SUV to a pickup via a unique Midgate configuration. Cadillac calls it a "sport utility truck with elements of luxury SUV and pickup."

The substantially upgraded interior includes a newly designed instrument panel and dual-zone climate control.

Significant Escalade EXT upgrades for '03 include an advanced multiplexed electrical system. This system greatly reduces the number of wires, splices and connectors thereby reducing weight, improving packaging efficiency and reliability. It also helps enable features such as an enhanced driver information center, new infotainment systems, automatic climate control and the passenger sensing system for airbag deployment.