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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
cadillac escalade hybrid
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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
cadillac escalade hybrid
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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
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| cadillac escalade hybrid |
Columbiana drivers looking to save on fuel without sacrificing their taste for luxury are in luck; the 2011 Escalade Hybrids have arrived at Columbiana Buick Cadillac Chevrolet.
Cadillac’s 2011 Escalade is the perfect blend of fuel economy and classic Cadillac luxury, and is the world’s first hybrid full-size luxury SUV.
With an EPA-rated 20 city miles per gallon, the 2011 Escalade Hybrid’s fuel economy boasts a 33 percent improvement over the non-hybrid model.
And while the fuel economy has been drastically improved, the Hybrid doesn’t sacrifice the Escalade’s standard comfort and convenience features, making it the perfect blend for driver’s looking to save on gas, without sacrificing style.
The 2011 Escalade Hybrid uses a patented two-mode hybrid system, with an advanced, electrically variable transmission and a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System. This system pairs with the standard 6.0L V-8 Gen IV gasoline engine with Active Fuel Management and late-intake valve closing technology.
The hybrid system generates the electrical power used to propel the 2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. When the driver applies the brakes, or when the engine is coasting, the electric motors within the hybrid system create electricity that is stored in the battery. This stored energy moves the vehicle, saving on fuel economy.
With the 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System, the stored energy powers the vehicle. Despite its power, this addition does not interfere; it sits under the second-row seat, taking up virtually no additional space.
2011 Escalade Hybrid Combines Fuel Efficiency With Ultimate Luxury Package
A platinum version of the 2011 Escalade Hybrid is also available, featuring luxury upgrades and aesthetic-boosting additions for the driver seeking the ultimate in efficiency, luxury and style.
The platinum edition includes innovative technology and an even more stylish look. On the exterior, unique 22-inch wheels and exclusive Platinum badges make their mark for anyone admiring the 2011 Escalade Hybrid from a distance.
This special edition also features segment-first applications of Magnetic Ride Control technology, which gives the vehicle more precise body motion control.
Full-functioning LED headlamps are also included, and emulate the characteristics of natural daylight much more closely than traditional auto lighting. Adding to the increased efficiency and decreased impact of the 2011 Escalade Hybrid, these LEDs are environmentally friendly lasting 10 times longer than traditional halogen bulbs.
Style on the interior is heightened with leather on the instrument panel, with olive ash and walnut burl wood inlays and aluminum trim.
As of this month GM is adding a third model to its family of Two-Mode hybrids as the Cadillac Escalade hybrid becomes the first luxury SUV so equipped. The Escalade is of course built on the same GMT900 platform as the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. As such much of what goes in the places you can't see is exactly the same on all three vehicles including the entire powertrain. All three SUVs get the same 6.0L V8 paired up with the Two-Mode transmission. Unlike Chrysler's new hybrid SUVs all three GM trucks are available in either rear or all wheel drive.
The Escalade distinguishes itself from its siblings with unique front and rear styling and a significantly more upscale interior. If you thought the first two hybrid SUVs were expensive you haven't seen anything yet. The rear wheel drive Escalade price tag tips the scales at a mere $71,685 some $20,000 more than the Tahoe. That makes the Escalade the world's second most expensive hybrid behind the Lexus LS600h. Unlike the earlier hybrids GM is actually declaring that the Escalade hybrid commands a $3,600 price premium over a comparably equipped conventional model. We had a chance to take a short drive in the Escalade around Birmingham MI today.
In short the Escalade driving experience was virtually identical to the GMC/Chevy versions. The firm brake pedal feel produced by the electro-hydraulic brake system remains and transitions between regenerative and friction braking were virtually indistinguishable. As in the other Two-Mode SUVs the 6.0L has been calibrated to stay in four cylinder mode much more of the time, instead relying on the electric motors to provide transient power for passing or climbing a grade. The EPA has rated the rear wheel drive Escalade at 20/21 mpg, 1 mpg less than the Tahoe/Yukon. In short it drives like a big, three ton SUV, albeit a very quiet one. Compared to its lesser siblings the heavier Escalade looses some towing capacity, dipping to 5,800 lbs for the RWD and 5,600 lbs for the AWD.
When asked whether the weak sales of the Tahoe and Yukon had impacted GM's decision making on the Escalade hybrid pricing, Cadillac officials acknowledged that it was one of many factors considered. Nonetheless this is one expensive truck. Cadillac plans to market this thing as what it is, an Escalade, but one that gets significantly better fuel mileage than a conventional model. The bold styling is apparently one of the main selling points of the Escalade and Cadillac chose not to mess with that and passed on giving the Escalade unique styling like it did with the Tahoe/Yukon.
The only distinguishing feature of the hybrid is all the hybrid badging of which there is plenty. The Escalade gets badges on the enlarged fender vents, the C-Pillars and the tailgate. Unfortunately like the earlier hybrids, GM has chosen to add large hybrid stickers to the both rocker panels, the top of the windshield and the rear window. Asked about it Cadillac officials explained that the badging is easily removable with a heat gun and dealers will do it for customers upon request. Perhaps GM should be shipping Escalades without stickers and having dealers apply them on request. On a $72,000 luxury SUV these things just look really tacky.
No one would talk about sales projections for the hybrid but Cadillac is expecting total sales in the mid to upper 40,000 range this year, down from about 58,000 in 2007. They do think that buyers of the Escalade might be more amenable to the price premium for the hybrid system. The Cadillac SUV gets almost the same mileage as the Lexus LS600h without sacrificing any cargo capacity to the battery. The Escalade is clearly not in direct competition with the LS but it does make an interesting comparison. Will the Escalade succeed in a market that is abandoning big SUVs in droves? Only time will tell.
cadillac escalade hybrid
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