Some sources are pretty confident about the comeback of the 2024 Cadillac Escalade EXT. However, they don’t have proof. The company is not announcing anything yet and luxury trucks are not quite popular nowadays. Plus, General Motors give an option to buyers with GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate. This truck is offering high-end systems, advanced safety measures, and premium materials inside the cockpit. The focus is currently on the electrification, so the Escalade EV is more likely to happen than a pickup truck.
Still, it is interesting to analyze these kinds of rumors. The SUV-based truck was already in the market. Although discontinued some while ago, we can hear speculations about the comeback. But, the luxury truck class is not achieving high sales numbers. So, a premium version of some existing pickup is a better option to all truckmakers.
Rumors about the 2024 Cadillac Escalade EXT might have a foundation in recent speculations about the Lincoln truck. Ford’s luxury department is not bringing back the Mark LT. Instead, it can be a Navigator truck. As an archrival, Escalade would have to respond.
History, Discontinuation and Resurrection
The pickup is based on the legendary SUV. Well, it was not so famous back in 2004 when the EXT debuted. The SUV was launched only a few years before that, and this was the second generation. The truck had a production run of 10 years before being discontinuation in 2013. At that time, the company announced the all-new Escalade of the fourth generation.
The vehicle was quite popular. However, after the big economic crisis in 2008, sales started dropping rapidly. Plus, SUVs started taking over the market. The towing capacity of 7,300 pounds was not enough for the pickup, when some big SUVs could do more. Also, the Escalade EXT was the only premium truck in the market in 2012 and 2013. Other companies opted out of this segment for a reason. Truckers are paying extra to tune their rides. Paying crazy money for a working truck that brings a luxury of an SUV could not pass.
2024 Cadillac Escalade EXT vs Competition
The luxury truck market was never so big. Worth of mentioning, besides the Escalade EXT, we had Lincoln Mark LT. There were a lot of rumors about German manufacturers developing their models. But all fans saw was the Mercedes X-Class, which was actually rebadged Nissan Navara.
The base price of trucks is growing. Still, truckers add $10k-15k to improve things. The premium vehicle won’t be so affordable. Just take a look at high-end grades of existing pickups. Ford is selling F-150 Limited for more than $90,000. Denali Ultimate package makes Yukon cost just under $100k. With this configuration, the question is if General Motors needs a luxury Cadillac truck?
Maybe they do, because of the possible competition. We heard rumors about the Lincoln Navigator truck. General Motors didn’t respond in the high-performance pickup class. If they let Blue Oval company take over this segment as well, the image will be hardly restored. Ford is the #1 truckmaker, but experts still consider GM as its archrival.
2024 Cadillac Escalade EXT Specs
There are two engine choices coming to our minds for the 2024 Cadillac Escalade EXT. As the luxury model, it needs high-end units. Like the SUV, a 6.2-liter V8 is the main source of power. It can deliver 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, delivering enough towing capacity to make a premium pickup work smoothly. A ten-speed automatic transmission is paired to the V8 mill and sends power to rear or all wheels. The truck might be the 4WD vehicle only.
An alternative is the performance model with a supercharged V8 engine. Cadillac makes this possible for their V-Series vehicles. The Escalade SUV is getting a 6.2-liter unit with 682 horsepower. This is what we hope for – the EXT with this engine can compete with Ram TRX and Ford Raptor R. However, the price is a concern. The SUV costs $165,000. The EXT with this price will be much more expensive than the abovementioned rivals. A smaller supercharged V8 with 550 hp could be a better choice. In that case, the truck can provide power that matches its luxury nature, but keep the price at the competitive level.
That is not all, though. Maybe the best options would be a diesel engine. It also saves a lot of fuel and makes enough torque. But, it lacks power and emits too many gases. The future of GM’s vehicles is in zero-emission drivetrains, and an oil burner doesn’t fit, although the company is still using it for its big rigs.
Electric Truck
Finally, we can talk about the 2024 Cadillac Escalade EXT as the EV. General Motors is running the process of electrification and every model will soon have an electric version. Also, new vehicles are also on the way. Some of them are already available. For example, the company drew attention with Hummer’s comeback. Not only that famous SUV is a truck now, but it is also using an electric powertrain.
