2009 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Hybrid Revealed

We wouldn’t call the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid spartan, but a new model — the 2009 Escalade Platinum Hybrid — packs even more luxury into an already classy vehicle.

Cadillac already offers both hybrid and Platinum variants of the Escalade, but this latest offering combines the ‘green’ powertrain of the former with the amenities of the latter. Platinum models add a number of distinctive touches both inside and out, including a unique grille, LED headlamps, Aniline leather seating, magnetic ride control, and unique 22-inch aluminum wheels.

Like the ‘lesser’ Escalade Hybrid, the new model continues to use a 6.0-liter V-8, coupled to GM’s 2-Mode hybrid system. No fuel economy numbers have been released to date, but we don’t expect numbers wildly different than the 20/21 mpg city/highway attained by a two-wheel-drive Escalade Hybrid.

Do, however, expect a significant jump in price. A two-wheel-drive Escalade Hybrid starts at $83,385, approximately $1000 more than a two-wheel-drive Platinum and a whopping $9300 over a normal Escalade Hybrid. Four-wheel-drive Escalade Platinum Hybrid models carry a base price of $88,385.