The hip hop culture’s SUV-of-choice now features some of the latest hybrid technology available. The 2009 Cadillac Escalade was unveiled to the public earlier this month and has the same look that SUV lovers have come to know and love. But underneath the hood is where it’s different.
One of the most notable features is the fact that many components of the exclusive vehicle were made in and around Baltimore where the Escalade is manufactured. Actually, it’s in White Marsh, but that’s just a stone’s throw away from the popular Maryland city. What these new features mean, though, is that the Escalade now gets 50 percent more miles per gallon than its non-hybrid brother. It also joins GM’s Tahoe and Yukon models as the latest hybrid to enter the automaker’s hybrid lineup.
The new hybrid Escalade comes just days after GM announced that it was closing down some of its truck plants in order to make smaller cars. Instead of a complete lineup that includes 50 percent cars and 50 percent trucks and SUVs, GM plans to cut back production of trucks by about 10 percent. That will make the mixture closer to 60/40.
You won’t see the hybrid Cadillac Escalade at your local GMC truck dealer until August, but it sounds like they’re definitely worth the wait. Some dealers are reporting waiting lists with at least a dozen people already anxiously awaiting their release. I know I can’t wait to take one for a test drive!
