The 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT makes it clear that General Motors plans to continue its lineup of crossover pickup trucks. GM entered the segment five years ago with the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, a full-size sport utility vehicle chopped off in back to look like something between a crew-cab pickup truck and a 1968 El Camino. The first-generation Cadillac Escalade EXT and Hummer H2 SUT followed.

The Escalade EXT's shape mimics the previous generation's. Although its headlights and grille were redesigned with the rest of Cadillac's Escalade lineup, it's hard to tell from the side that this is a new model.

The EXT is closer in length to the extended-wheelbase Escalade ESV than it is to the standard Escalade. It features an open pickup bed in place of the ESV's third-row seat and covered cargo area. A feature lifted from previous crossover pickups is the extendable bed, which expands into the passenger cab via a moveable partition behind the second-row seats.

The Escalade EXT hits showrooms in June 2006. It will cost around $53,500 not including the destination charge.