GM Prices Cadillac Escalade Hybrid at $71,685

BIRMINGHAM, MI – General Motors Corp. places a sticker price of $71,685 on its ’09 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, the industry’s first luxury, fullsize SUV hybrid.

The pricing represents a $3,600 premium over a comparably equipped Escalade with the standard powertrain.

The hybrid, which delivers fuel economy of 20/21 mpg city/hwy. (12-11 L/100 km), begins arriving at U.S. dealers this month.

“A very fuel-efficient vehicle for people in suburban conditions,” is how John Howell, product director at Cadillac, sums up the new model’s market position.

The Escalade Hybrid leverages the same 2-Mode Hybrid technology GM offers with its Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon fullsize SUVs, which launched earlier this year. The system can operate entirely on battery-electric power at idle or low-speed situations to provide a 50% fuel-economy improvement under such conditions.

GM’s 2-Mode Hybrid also uses cylinder deactivation, which allows the V-8 in its fullsize SUVs to operate in 4-cyl. mode under certain conditions.

Escalade Hybrid gets 21 mpg highway.

The Escalade Hybrid includes nearly all the features of its traditionally propelled stablemates, with the exception of a 6.0L V-8 in place of the standard 6.2L.

The hybrid also eliminates the Escalade’s second-row captain’s chairs in favor of a bench seat that better accommodates the 2-Mode’s battery pack. Also missing is a heated steering wheel.

The Escalade Hybrid weighs an additional 400 lbs. (181 kg) and towing capability falls slightly to 5,800 lbs. (2,630 kg) on 2-wheel-drive versions and 5,600 lbs. (2,540 kg) on 4-wheel-drive models. Payload is 1,300 lbs. (589 kg).

GM builds the Escalade Hybrid at its Arlington, TX, assembly plant.

The auto maker will make the 2-Mode Hybrid system available on its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra fullsize pickups later this year.