The GM Authority Take
In addition to experiencing a healthy 6 percent growth, the Escalade nearly outsold all of its direct rivals on a combined basis during Q4 2020. We attribute the solid performance to healthy acceptance of the all-new, 2021 Escalade. However, inventory at the dealer level was extremely limited; as a result, sales could have been even higher.
2021 Cadillac Escalade
rd and the all-new model has been rolling off the line at the GM Arlington Assembly plant starting in Q3 2020. Assuming no interruptions to production and supply, we expect Escalade sales to continue increasing substantially as availability of the all-new model improves in the medium-term future.
The GM Authority Take
While the Escalade outsold all of its direct rivals during Q3 2020, it did see sales slip more than all rivals during the quarter. We attribute the circumstance to significantly depleted inventories at the dealer level caused by the transition to the all-new, 2021 model.
It all started as far back as the second half of the 2019 calendar year, when the UAW labor strike sapped GM of approximate 40 days of Escalade production. The event depleted Escalade inventories in Q4 and going into Q1 2020. Just as Escalade inventories began to recover, the COVID-19 pandemic sapped GM another 60 days of Escalade production during the tail end of Q1 2020 and the majority of Q2 2020. The two events, together, were more than enough to significantly dampen on-the-ground Escalade inventory. But that’s not all.