Cadillac Escalade Sales Dominate With 50 Percent Share In Q4 2021

Cadillac Escalade sales continued to increase in the United States, Canada, and Mexico during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Cadillac Escalade Sales - Q4 2021 - United States

In the United States, Cadillac Escalade deliveries totaled 9,664 units in Q4 2021, an increase of about 2 percent compared to 9,454 units sold in Q4 2020.

During the complete 2021 calendar year, Escalade sales increased about 65 percent to 40,505 units.

Cadillac Escalade Sales - Q4 2021 - Canada

In Canada, Cadillac Escalade deliveries totaled 482 units in Q4 2021, an increase of about 15 percent compared to 420 units sold in Q4 2020.

During the complete 2021 calendar year, Escalade sales increased about 104 percent to 2,692 units.

Cadillac Escalade Sales - Q4 2021 - Mexico

In Mexico, Cadillac Escalade deliveries totaled 218 units in Q4 2021, an increase of about 4 percent compared to 210 units sold in Q4 2020.

During the complete 2021 calendar year, Escalade sales increased about 190 percent to 932 units.

Cadillac Escalade Sales - Q4 2021 - Russia

In Russia, Cadillac Escalade deliveries totaled 35 units in Q4 2021.

During the complete 2021 calendar year, Escalade sales were flat at 0 units.

Competitive Sales Comparison (USA)

Despite cumulative Cadillac sales suffering a significant 48 percent decrease in Q4 2021, Cadillac Escalade sales tell a very different story, as the full-size luxury SUV absolutely dominated its segment in the United States. With 9,664 deliveries during the fourth quarter of 2021 (up 2.2 percent year-over-year), the Escalade outsold all of its direct rivals on a combined basis. The Lincoln Navigator came in second as sales slid 33 percent to 3,384 deliveries, while the Infiniti QX80 took third as sales jumped 80 percent to 2,898 units. The newest segment competitor, the Grand Wagoneer, held down fourth place with 2,585 units sold, and the Lexus LX brought up last place with 755 deliveries as sales tanked 54 percent.

Sales Numbers - Full-Size Luxury SUVs - Q4 2021 - USA

From a segment share standpoint, the Escalade dominated with 50 percent (down 3 percentage points), followed by the Navigator at 20 percent (down 8 percentage points), QX80 at 17 percent (down 8 percentage points), Grand Wagoneer at 13 percent, and LX at 5 percent (down 4 percentage points).

Overall, the full-size luxury SUV segment contracted nearly 6 percent to 16,701 units, meaning that the Escalade outperformed the segment average. However, the Infiniti QX80 outperformed the segment average even further.

For the sake of reference, below we’ve included sales figures for full-size luxury crossovers. Though they differ mechanically from the aforementioned body-on-frame SUVs by having a unibody construction, they are typically cross-shopped and considered as alternatives. Currently, the only full-size luxury crossovers are the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and the new BMW  X7, though Audi is rumored to be working a future Q9.

Sales Numbers - Full-Size Luxury CUVs - Q4 2021 - USA

The Cadillac Society Take

Demonstrating a small 2.22 percent increase, the Cadillac Escalade outsold all of its rivals combined during Q4 2021. We attribute this strong performance to continued interest in the all-new fifth-generation Escalade, which was completely overhauled (redesigned and re-engineered) for the 2021 model year. However, thanks to the ongoing global microchip shortage, inventory at the dealer level continues to be extremely limited, indicating that sales volume may have been even higher under normalized circumstances.

Considering that the Cadillac Escalade continues to obliterate the full-size luxury SUV segment in terms of sales volume, it’s safe to say that it’s one of the most coveted vehicles on the market. This is especially evident by the lack of discounts and incentives offered for the model, which indicates that Cadillac sees no need to incentivize buyers to consider the luxury SUV. In other words, they’ll likely end up purchasing it, no matter the price tag attached.

It’s worth noting that Cadillac elected to scale back the production of other vehicles in its lineup, namely the CT4 and CT5, conserving its limited supply of microchips in order to facilitate the continued production of the highly-profitable Escalade. The microchip shortage isn’t predicted to ease until mid- to late-2022. However, when it does, we expect Cadillac Escalade sales to continue their segment-leading momentum. Additionally, we expect that the introduction of the high-performance Cadillac Escalade-V for the 2023 model year will further bolster sales.

That said, competition isn’t standing still. In fact, the newest segment entry – the Jeep Grand Wagoneer – accounted for a not-insignificant 2,585 deliveries, resulting in a slight decrease in Escalade segment share. We believe that the Jeep’s sales volume will decline over time as initial demand is satiated, and as Escalade availability improves.

About The Numbers

• All percent change figures compared to Cadillac Escalade sales for Q4 2020, unless noted otherwise
• In the United States, there were 78 selling days in Q4 2021 and 78 selling days in Q4 2020
• Escalade and Escalade ESV model line break-outs contingent on data availability by market

Cadillac sales results for Q4 2021:

• Cadillac sales Q4 2021 USA
• Cadillac Canada sales Q4 2021
• Cadillac China sales Q4 2021
• Cadillac South Korea sales Q4 2021
  • Cadillac South Korea sales October 2021
  • Cadillac South Korea sales November 2021
  • Cadillac South Korea sales December 2021
• Cadillac Mexico sales Q4 2021
  • Cadillac Mexico sales October 2021
  • Cadillac Mexico sales November 2021
  • Cadillac Mexico sales December 2021
• Cadillac Russia sales Q4 2021
  • Cadillac Russia sales October 2021
  • Cadillac Russia sales November 2021
  • Cadillac Russia sales December 2021