As you may recall, GM has been having a tough time deciding what to do next with the Escalade.

On one hand, they have strict government fuel economy targets to hit later in the decade. On the other, the Escalade is still a cash cow (who wouldn’t want to charge 2x as much as a comparable Tahoe for an SUV that shouldn’t cost that much more to build?).

So, we have been hearing rumors first that the body-on-frame Escalade is being cancelled in favor of a Lambda (think Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave) based large crossover. Then that the next Escalade would be body-on-frame just as it is now and the Lambda option had been shelved.

Lately we have heard that GM had decided to bring both to market. Escalade for their traditional buyers and the Lambda-based vehicle as a larger version of the uber-successful SRX formula (i.e. a heavily sporty leaning CUV).

The latest details have the new vehicle hitting the market as a 2013 model year (likely going on sale sometime in 2012) – this should also put this on the Lambda II architecture – so there is room for more interesting powertrain options as well as unique body-work that should resemble a bigger SRX.

The next Escalade should bow a year later as a 2014 (and will hopefully distance itself even more from its platform-mates).

Source: eGMCarTech

Categories: News, SRX, Escalade, Rumored Models
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Edmunds’ Inside Line is running this relatively poor rendering of what a Cadillac version of the large Lambda crossover might look like.

The only issue? This is a pretty obvious ‘chop of the Chevy Traverse with XTS bits grafted on.

Since the Cadillac version of the platform will be on the second generation version, it is likely to share few, if any, sheet metal bits with its siblings, much less any first gen model. Expect it to be as unique from the others as the Buick Enclave is on this generation.

Also, we can be pretty sure that this won’t be badged ‘Escalade’ as they suggest since we’ve also seen confirmation that the next Escalade will stay body-on-frame and be co-developed with the Tahoe and Yukon, as before.

Nice try Edmunds.

Source: Edmunds.com

Categories: Uncategorized, News, Escalade, Rumored Models
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Part 1 – Overview
Part 2 – Design and Technology
Part 3 – Ride and Performance

Image galleries – Escalade Review Pics | Escalade Pics from Cadillac

So, how does the Escalade Platinum Hybrid drive?

Well, that depends on what you expect of a Cadillac.

If you are expecting a full-size, body-on-frame, SUV experience – then this will be about the most impressively composed, high-tech version of that breed you’ve ever driven. Finding out that you can get fuel economy into the 20’s in day-to-day driving (caveat below) while still being able to tow almost 3 tons and being able to pack 2-3 little kids in the rear-most seat, and 3 average-sized adults in the second row will just be icing on the cake.

However, if you are looking for the BMW hunting heart of the new Cadillac in large SUV form…um, may I show you something else?

The Escalade hybrid drives as well as any big SUV has a right to with more body control than you can buy in a lesser GMT900-based SUV (though the magneto-rheological shocks are also available on the GMC Denali Hybrid).

There is a reason, though, that you don’t see that many on the roads that comprise the tCE test loop – nor do you see many big SUV’s up here, period. They are not well suited to mountain driving unless you happen to be pulling a camper up to Rocky Mountain National Park. The weight and high CG of this type of truck don’t mix well with all the sharp turns.

That said, in anything but full-on mountain driving, the Escalade is comfortable, quiet, but in no way sporty – making it a throw-back to Cadillacs of old (or at least Cadillacs of several years back). It would be the perfect vehicle for someone who needs a full-size tow vehicle but would like to save a few hundred gallons of gas during their ownership – with most of the Cadillac tech toys layered on top. However, if you have bought into the new direction Cadillac is taking – one where sporty driving is as much a part of the Cadillac mystique as comfort and features, then you’ll find yourself craving more.

However, if you are in need of a tow-capable vehicle and also are a fan of hybrids – you can have a lot of fun in-town. We found ourselves playing the standard hybrid tricks of, ‘how far can I get and how fast can I go on all-electric power’ (several blocks and 30mph, respectively, in our testing). So, for in-town driving, we found it to be an absolute hoot. It is also a kick to see how many levels up in a parking garage you can make it before the engine fires – in a few instances, we ran out of garage before we ran out of electric propulsion.

We did take note of one issue…’hybrid’ is not a silver bullet for fuel economy where you buy this technology and will see magical fuel savings with no further effort. If you drive this as you might any conventional car – there is a good chance you will never run in electric from a stop. Any more than a feather-light throttle foot will immediately engage the engine and negate most of the fuel economy benefit of the hybrid system. It helps to switch the DIC over into its instantaneous fuel economy display, which shows if you are in ‘auto-stop’ (i.e. electric drive) or V-8 vs. V-4 mode. Only by attempting to keep it in the auto-stop during take-off and V-4 on the highway will you see the better part of the hybrid benefit. If that sounds like torture to you – this isn’t the vehicle for you. Hybrid power allows you to do things no conventional car can do – but you have to be a willing participant.

Almost as fun as running in electric as long as possible was being able to sit in a parking lot, with the key to ‘on’ and enjoying listening to the entertainment options with the engine in ‘auto-stop’ but the A/C blasting (the A/C, like other accessories like power-steering, are electrically driven to allow for engine-off driving).

So, ultimately, the Escalade Hybrid is what it set out to be – the Cadillac of full-size, body-on-frame SUVs – just not the Art & Science Cadillac of SUVs. To the people who love them, that is all they could ever want.

Categories: News, Escalade, Reviews
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Part 1 – Overview
Part 2 – Design and Technology
Part 3 – Ride and Performance

Image galleries – Escalade Review Pics | Escalade Pics from Cadillac

Before we can fully understand the Escalade, much less the Escalade Hybrid, and where it fits in the Cadillac hierarchy, we need to spend a little time with the history of this truck and to put things into context.

The Escalade is, in many ways, the oldest vehicle in the Cadillac stable – not in the sense of when it was designed and brought to market or even the technology and chassis it is built on. No, the Escalade is the oldest in the sense that it is the latest version of a decade old idea. It is the third generation of, and the spiritual successor to, the original Escalade. As such, it is saddled with the hit it became in pop culture (remember that GM actually focus-grouped this Escalade with professional athletes and A-list Hollywood types prior to its launch). The original Escalade debuted in 1999 as a thinly restyled version of the GMC Yukon Denali. It received more differentiation in its next generation in 2002 and then again in the GMT900-based 3rd generation in 2007. Along, the way, it became the vehicle of choice for a good number of celebrities. It is for that reason alone that it is stuck in a type of market limbo – it can’t be altered or re-thought too much without risking its success, even if that success means it ends up somewhat out of touch with the modern Cadillac.

This helps answer why this is the one vehicle in the line that has kept a actual name, though you can see some moves toward the direction of the rest of the brand with Escalade sub-models like the EXT and ESV.

So, after all these years, while we’ve seen literally every other model in the Cadillac line-up go through massive changes, from shared GM platforms to Cadillac specific (and back again, if you count the new SRX), and a deliberate move to match the German and Japanese competition in many ways – the Escalade is the same basic formula that it started with over a decade ago.

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Categories: News, Escalade, Reviews
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Part 1 – Overview
Part 2 – Design and Technology
Part 3 – Ride and Performance

Image galleries – Escalade Review Pics | Escalade Pics from Cadillac

What you need to know about the 2010 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum:

• As tested, this rear-drive version stickers at a heart-stopping $86000+
  
• The Platinum trim comes with nice cut-and-sew dash topper, door panels, and even the trim down the sides of the center console.
  
• It has 3, count ‘em, 3 entertainment screens – even before you count the in-dash navigation/infotainment screen up front. There is a center drop-down screen as well as a screen in the rear of each front headrest.
  
• The front console cup holders are both heated and cooled.
  
• The front and second row seats are both swathed in a rich, dark-chocolate brown leather (trust us, it looks better than you might originally think).
  
• The two-mode hybrid powertrain means that you not only get to play the Prius trick of driving in parking lots and in stop-and-go traffic on electric only power, but you also get a power boost to the 6.0l V-8 when at speed. It not only gives a power boost for passing, but also helps let the engine do its V-8 -> V-4 cylinder deactivation trick more often, boosting highway mileage.
  
• It is rated at 21 city, 22 highway and we managed in mixed driving to get over 20mpg…not a bad trick for this size truck.

What you also need to know…some nits we pick:

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Categories: News, Escalade, Reviews
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