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Powertrain Shared with Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids

Like the Tahoe and Yukon gas-electrics, the Escalade hybrid will be a two-mode hybrid that supplements GM’s venerable 6.0-liter V-8 with power from two electric motors. At low speeds, the vehicle can run on batteries only, the engine only, or a combination of both. At higher speeds, another operating mode engages the electric motors and the cylinder deactivation system for more efficient operation. GM claims that harmful emissions will drop significantly, and fuel economy will be boosted by some 25 percent compared with utes equipped with the 5.3-liter V-8. The fuel-economy disparity with the standard Escalade, which comes with the gluttonous 403-hp, 6.2-liter V-8, should be even more significant.

Styling Changes

The vehicle we saw was basically a working prototype that looked pretty much identical to the standard Escalade. We’re told, however, that some changes will be made to the grille and front bumper to create a distinction between the hybrid and the more hedonistic standard model. After all, what’s the point of driving a hybrid in Hollywood if you can’t show the thing off? No changes are expected for the interior, however—the wood is already fake.

The Escalade hybrid is expected to go on sale in April or May of 2008 as a 2009 model, but you can bet your spirulina-infused wheat-grass protein shake that several dozen preproduction vehicles will be available in early March to shuttle the superstars up and down L.A.’s busy boulevards during Oscar week 2008.