SPY SHOTS! Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
Link to Original Article @ Jalopnik

Way back in early '06 -- following a year during which ten billion samoleans took flight from GM's balance sheet -- the company's capo Rick Wagoner said a hybrid version of the Cadillac Escalade was on the way for 2008. Heavy snickering ensued, followed by cries the company was pandering to a shallow, Hollywoodland vision of environmental correctness. Nonetheless, according to Automotive News, said duplicitous 'sclade will go on sale in the fall of 2007, sporting a hybrid transmission built by Allison that's similar to the two-mode hookup set for the soon-to-be Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids. The system, AN says, which uses nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery packs from Panasonic EV, could give the Escalade a mileage boost of 25 percent. Now, one Jalopnik reader says he's captured what may be a prototypical Hy-Sclade on a Michigan test outing.

Where da dubz at?

This Hybrid bullsh*t is getting more and more stupid every week.

Going after Lexus not a bad idea.

Just looks like a normal Escalade with relatively small rims to me.

No those are just stock 18's that are chromed for the factory. Nothing special or different.

This Hybrid bullsh*t is getting more and more stupid every week.

I fail to see how a 25% gain in fuel economy is bull... depends on how much extra the hybrid costs, I guess, but gm4life is right - this goes right after the market that only Lexus is currently appealing to - rich snobs who want the status symbol of both a luxury brand AND a hybrid.

Anything that raises the gas mileage of them and makes them more saleable is a good thing. Plus, isn't this "mild hybrid" system a lot cheaper than the Lexus one?

Anything that raises the gas mileage of them and makes them more saleable is a good thing. Plus, isn't this "mild hybrid" system a lot cheaper than the Lexus one?

It's actually the new Dual-mode hhybrid system...it's more complex than the Lexus hybrid system I believe.

Now we can see RAP videos talking about Homies saving the world from Pollution.

No those are just stock 18's that are chromed for the factory. Nothing special or different.

Right. I thought it came with standard 20's. A quick visit to the Cadillac site proved me wrong.

This Hybrid bullsh*t is getting more and more stupid every week.

gas just hit 3.39 in my town today.

at that price, the hybrids are in no way bull$h! if the price of them is cost effective.

on a Sclade, adding say, 5 grand to the cost is nothing on a 70k vehicle.

A buddy just this week bought a new Civic. Went in looking at the hybrid civic. They wanted 23. He settled for the regualr Civic and saved 6 grand. Even driving 25-30k miles a year he couldn't foot the extra 6k.

Whichever manufacturer that can figure out how to build the hyrbid and only add maybe 2 grand on to the price of a car will rake in all the sales it can handle.

GM ought to be developing a new dual stage hybrid for the next global delta platform to work with the small gas and diesels.