2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

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What is it?
2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

What's special about it?
From the GM Department of Apparent Oxymorons (DAO) comes the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. You'll remember the DAO for its groundbreaking work on the Malibu SS and the Cadillac Cimarron.

The Escalade Hybrid uses the same two-mode gas-electric hybrid powertrain as the upcoming 2008 Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. Scheduled to go on sale next summer, Cadillac isn't saying what the price hike for the hybrid will be as compared to the $55,640 standard Escalade. But it will surely be more than $10,000.

The hybrid powertrain will be offered only in the standard-length Escalade. Curiously, it comes standard with 22-inch chrome-clad wheels that are optional for the gas-only Escalade. Cadillac says, "Hybrid owners like to demonstrate that they are hybrid owners." Consequently, GM's green "H" logo appears twice on each side of the vehicle; once on the C-pillar and once in the fender vent. In case that's too restrained, Cadillac will apply the "HYBRID" sticker on the lower flanks, as seen in these photos. No, these are not just for the auto show floor. It is all somewhat less than subtle. But then nobody ever accused the Escalade of that anyway.

A 332-horsepower 6.0-liter V8 takes the place of the Escalade's usual 403-hp 6.2-liter V8. Like the Tahoe and Yukon hybrids (as well as the Chrysler's two-mode hybrids, the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango), the Escalade uses an electronically variable transmission that packs two electric motor/generators into its case. The electric motors can augment engine power, return electrical power to the battery pack through regenerative braking, or provide motive force for the truck under low-speed, light-load conditions. To further improve fuel economy, the gas engine uses GM's cylinder-deactivation system to shut down four cylinders under light load conditions. The battery pack is a 300-volt nickel metal hydride block mounted under the second-row seat. Also, like its GM siblings, the Escalade Hybrid can be had with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. And either version is a decent tow vehicle, able to pull 6,000 pounds in rear-wheel-drive form and 5,700 pounds with four-wheel drive.

Cadillac has yet to receive EPA fuel economy numbers for its new hybrid, but expects that it won't be quite as good as the Tahoe Hybrid. Chevy says a rear-wheel-drive Tahoe Hybrid will do 21 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. The four-wheel-drive model should return 20 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. The Escalade Hybrid's slight degradation in fuel economy compared to the Chevy is due to the Escalade's higher curb weight (around 150 pounds more) and less aerodynamic shape (0.36 drag coefficient for the Caddy vs. 0.34 for the Chevy). A standard Escalade gets 12 mpg city and either 18 or 19 mpg on the highway, depending on configuration.

Predictably, Cadillac does not expect to sell too many Escalade Hybrids. But it doesn't expect only a token few hundred sales either. The company says sales will be in the "thousands" per year. Cadillac sold about 60,000 Escalades last year.

What's Edmunds' take?
The Escalade Hybrid is silly, but only marginally more so than, say, a Lexus LS 600h. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit