Cadillac Escalade II (GMT800) gallery (2001–2006)

The second generation Cadillac Escalade entered production in January 2001 built upon General Motors' advanced GMT800 body-on-frame architecture. It introduced a bold, angular exterior design language defined by sharp body lines, a massive jewel-patterned chrome grille, and stacked vertical headlight clusters that established Cadillac's Art and Science design identity. In addition to the standard five-door SUV body, the lineup expanded to include the long-wheelbase Escalade ESV with an extended cargo hold and the Escalade EXT luxury crew-cab pickup. The refined interior was fitted with premium Nuance soft leather, white-faced analog gauge clusters, real wood accents, and available rear-seat DVD entertainment systems.

Under the hood, the Escalade offered two powerful Vortec V8 gasoline engines: a 5.3-liter producing up to 295 horsepower for rear-wheel-drive models, and a high-output 6.0-liter Vortec V8 generating 345 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque for all-wheel-drive variants. Power was routed through a heavy-duty 4L65-E four-speed automatic transmission. Mechanical highlights included Road-Sensing electronic suspension dampening and StabiliTrak stability control. Mid-cycle updates in 2004 added optional factory 20-inch chrome wheels, revised instrument cluster graphics, and tire pressure monitoring systems.