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Sunday, November 11, 2007
Why? Because movie stars are sick of Priuses.
BY STEVE SILER, November 2007
Long before we saw the Cadillac Escalade hybrid, we wondered just how blatantly GM would market the fact that the big, glitzy luxo-barge is also a luxo-’brid.
Now we know: six big letters over both side doors, plus a fat chrome repeat a couple feet away inside the big side vent. Take that, Toyota.
Seriously, though, we wonder if anyone besides the trendistocracy would actually believe the Escalade hybrid is good for the environment. It’s not.
It is, of course, better in that regard than the regular Escalade. Although numbers weren’t provided, GM claims it is some 50 percent better in around-town driving than a comparable gas-only Escalade, in spite of weighing about 200 more pounds. Both figures are the same as those for the mechanically identical Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid we recently tested, which is said to earn between 21 and 22 mpg in the city, and 20 on the highway.
A Full Hybrid
Like the Tahoe, of course, the Escalade hybrid is a full (two-mode) hybrid. As such, it is able to propel its massive 9.0-by-22-inch chromeys on gasoline or electric power or a combination of both.
In the interest of retaining a high tow rating, which remains respectable at 6000 pounds for the two-wheel-drive version and 5700 with all-wheel drive, the engine used for all GM full-size SUV hybrids is the company’s big-ass 6.0-liter V-8 with cylinder deactivation and variable intake-valve timing, but with only 332 horsepower. It also happens to be the top-dog gasoline engine in all of GM’s pickups, save the 6.2-liter GMC Sierra Denali (and, technically, the Escalade EXT).
This is mated, of course, to a 300-volt electrical system that, in addition to providing power to the electric power-steering system and accessories, can propel the 5700-to-6000-pound beast up to 32 mph without enlisting the help of the V-8.
The Escalade hybrid also features GM’s innovative new dual-mode transmission, which is basically two transmissions in one: a CVT-style “Electrically Variable Transmission” for low-load driving conditions and a four-speed automatic for towing and higher-load driving conditions, either of which can pass the power back and forth seamlessly.
The Ultimate Oscar Shuttle
Now that’s all good. But in Hollywood, who cares? It’s all about looking the part. And thus, we expect several-dozen preproduction Caddy ’Brids to be shuttling superstars up and down L.A.’s busy boulevards during Oscar week in March.
And not long after the Slade hybrid goes on sale in the summer of 2008, we expect most of Hollywood will have forgotten all about that little old doorstop from Toyota with the cloth seats and skinny tires.
BY STEVE SILER, November 2007
Long before we saw the Cadillac Escalade hybrid, we wondered just how blatantly GM would market the fact that the big, glitzy luxo-barge is also a luxo-’brid.
Now we know: six big letters over both side doors, plus a fat chrome repeat a couple feet away inside the big side vent. Take that, Toyota.
Seriously, though, we wonder if anyone besides the trendistocracy would actually believe the Escalade hybrid is good for the environment. It’s not.
It is, of course, better in that regard than the regular Escalade. Although numbers weren’t provided, GM claims it is some 50 percent better in around-town driving than a comparable gas-only Escalade, in spite of weighing about 200 more pounds. Both figures are the same as those for the mechanically identical Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid we recently tested, which is said to earn between 21 and 22 mpg in the city, and 20 on the highway.
A Full Hybrid
Like the Tahoe, of course, the Escalade hybrid is a full (two-mode) hybrid. As such, it is able to propel its massive 9.0-by-22-inch chromeys on gasoline or electric power or a combination of both.
In the interest of retaining a high tow rating, which remains respectable at 6000 pounds for the two-wheel-drive version and 5700 with all-wheel drive, the engine used for all GM full-size SUV hybrids is the company’s big-ass 6.0-liter V-8 with cylinder deactivation and variable intake-valve timing, but with only 332 horsepower. It also happens to be the top-dog gasoline engine in all of GM’s pickups, save the 6.2-liter GMC Sierra Denali (and, technically, the Escalade EXT).
This is mated, of course, to a 300-volt electrical system that, in addition to providing power to the electric power-steering system and accessories, can propel the 5700-to-6000-pound beast up to 32 mph without enlisting the help of the V-8.
The Escalade hybrid also features GM’s innovative new dual-mode transmission, which is basically two transmissions in one: a CVT-style “Electrically Variable Transmission” for low-load driving conditions and a four-speed automatic for towing and higher-load driving conditions, either of which can pass the power back and forth seamlessly.
The Ultimate Oscar Shuttle
Now that’s all good. But in Hollywood, who cares? It’s all about looking the part. And thus, we expect several-dozen preproduction Caddy ’Brids to be shuttling superstars up and down L.A.’s busy boulevards during Oscar week in March.
And not long after the Slade hybrid goes on sale in the summer of 2008, we expect most of Hollywood will have forgotten all about that little old doorstop from Toyota with the cloth seats and skinny tires.
Labels: Automobiles Reviews
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