The 2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT adds pickup-style functionality to the luxury sport utility vehicle. Part luxury SUV and part pickup truck, it has a unique sport utility truck (SUT) body style. The industry-exclusive Midgate panel allows owners to convert it easily from a five-passenger SUV to a two-passenger pickup offering eight feet of protected and secured storage.

The 6.2-liter V-8 producing 403 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque is exclusive to the Cadillac Escalade family. The all-aluminum engine uses variable valve timing (VVT) to optimize camshaft timing and improve low-rpm torque as well as high-rpm horsepower. The introduction of variable valve timing through the unique, dual-equal cam phaser is the industry's first application of VVT on a mass-produced V-8 overhead-valve engine. A Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission is matched with the 6.2L engine.

The Cadillac Escalade EXT's sleek and athletic lines provide improved aerodynamics. Instantly identifiable as a Cadillac, it incorporates styling cues from Cadillac's landmark Sixteen concept vehicle, including the detailed signature grille, front fender vent ports and layers of chrome accent. The warm and inviting interior features a premium and distinct layout not shared by other full-size SUVs by General Motors. The vehicle has an unique instrument panel; white needles and blue light inlays in the instrumentation gauges, which are continuously backlit with white-LED; Nuance leather-covered seats; leather-covered door trim and centre console; fabric-covered interior pillars; and an available heated steering wheel.

Cadillac Escalade EXT is designed to be among the industry's safest and most secure vehicles, with numerous safety systems and crash-avoidance technologies. Features for occupant protection include head curtain side air bags with rollover protection for all seating rows; and an industry-first, 360-degree front safety belt pretensioner activation system. In keeping with Cadillac's reputation for advanced technology, the OnStar-equipped Escalade models have turn-by-turn navigation, which is the first factory-installed, fully integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar.