2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

The Escalade goes green next summer, when the mack daddy Caddy adopts the two-mode hybrid powertrain recently introduced in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon.

Mechanically identical to the Chevy and GMC, the Escalade Hybrid combines a 6.0-liter V-8, two electric motors, and a battery pack. Output is 332 horsepower and 367 lb-ft of torque. Although EPA figures are not yet available, GM is promising a 50 percent improvement in city fuel economy; with the standard Escalade rated at 12 mpg city, that would put the Hybrid figure at around 18 mpg.

The Escalade Hybrid will be available with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The vehicle is rated to tow a maximum of 5700 lbs (4wd) or 6000 lbs (2wd).

The Escalade is not about understatement, so it is perhaps to be expected that the Escalade Hybrid spells out h-y-b-r-i-d along its lower body in the biggest letters of any hybrid vehicle. After all, what's the point of doing your little part for mother earth if you can't boast about it?