Cadillac says that the Escalade is the model that made the former “standard of the world” relevant once more. “Escalade has led the charge to make Cadillac cool again,” opines Jim Taylor, Cadillac’s general manager. Indeed, buyers of this upscale SUV are the youngest of any model in Cadillac’s lineup, and with the ‘Slade accounting for 27-percent of total Cadillac sales and commanding a comfortable 36-percent of the luxury SUV market, this is clearly the most important vehicle to wear the wreath-and-crest badge today. Which explains why the name Escalade wasn’t phased out in favor of some meaningless alpha-name like DAR (Dope-Ass Ride) – “Escalade has too much positive brand equity,” explained product manager Dave Schiavone.