The new Platinum Hybrid is sure to deliver fuel efficiency as well as luxury

In the famous words of Madonna, “we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.” Taking my cues from entertainment’s girliest girl, I too have always been a material girl. So when I got my hands on my first Cadillac Escalade from my Cadillac dealer in Chicago, it was a dream come true. A dream come true that required more gas money than I was willing to spend. Now, Cadillac has remedied the gas situation by making a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Cadillac is also boosting the Escalade’s luxury in addition to its fuel-efficiency by introducing the new Escalade Platinum Hybrid.

The Platinum Hybrid is the first large SUV hybrid in its class, and it has set the bar quite high for followers. With a 50 percent improvement in fuel-efficiency and ratings of 20 mpg city and 21 mpg on the highway, it gets some of the best fuel economy of any SUV out on the road. But of  course, in Escalade fashion, does not lose any of its strength or panache. With a V-8 engine and 403 horsepower, it has retained all of its oomph in its greener approach.

It also hasn’t lost any of its luxury. In fact, the new Platnium edition has more luxury than ever before. According to Chicago Cadillac dealers, this new edition will come equipped with remote starting, rear view camera, Bluetooth capabilities, leather interior, DVD entertainment system, 22-inch wheels and an option between rear and four-wheel-drive. Oh, and heated and cooled cup holders in case the rest wasn’t enough.

Also available is the new Magnetic ride Control technology.  The new system gives more stability and control in body motion, while also offering a faster-acting suspension system which, as I found out at a local Chicago Cadillac dealer, helps the vehicle react faster in certain situations.

So for all of the material girls (and boys) who are still holding on to their gas-guzzling Escalades it is time to let go. Go into your local Chicago Cadillac dealers and reap all of the rewards of helping the Earth and your wallets, while still keeping all of the glitz that we have come to love.

Cadillac has gone hybrid in a big way with the Escalade Hybrid.  I make it a point to test drive and review any hybrid vehicle on the road because I want to encourage people to look at hybrids as a serious option, and I want to encourage auto makers to continue to invest in hybrid technology.  So I went to a Cadillac dealer in Chicago, Patrick Cadillac, to take a spin in the Escalade Hybrid.

The first thing that is obvious is that this vehicle is an Escalade.  Nothing you can see will tell you otherwise (except for a lot of badges and logos that say “Hybrid).  It possesses the same luxurious design and swanky attitude as the regular Escalade, but with major differences under the hood that make the vehicle a real winner when it comes to going green.

The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid shows an overall 33% improvement in fuel economy.  And it is amazingly city-friendly, managing to best the city fuel efficiency of the MINI Cooper S.  The city fuel efficiency of this hybrid is nearly 70% better than than its non-hybrid brother.  That’s a major, major difference helped quite a bit by the Escalade hybrid’s ability to run on electric-only power at speeds up to 25 mph.  It’s great news for drivers who spend a lot of time stuck in traffic or navigating stop-and-go city streets.

On to the road.  As soon as I pulled out of the Chicago Cadillac dealership, I was impressed with the responsiveness as I accelerated into traffic.  Sure, the hybrid version loses some of the giddy-up the traditional Escalade features, but with hybrids, acceleration isn’t really the point.

And other than the slight drop-off in acceleration , I can’t tell the difference between the way the hybrid drives and the way the regular Cadillac Escalade drives.  On the inside the major difference is the navigation-integrated fuel-efficiency information display that tells the driver how optimally the engine is performing at any given time.  This is something that is both fun and important, as a driver will enjoy watching gallons of fuel being saved before her eyes and be able to adjust driving style to increase fuel efficiency.

As I pulled back into the Chicago Cadillac dealership, I made sure to look at my mpg for my nearly 30-minute test drive.  I managed 20 mpg, and I probably could have done better if I had not horsed around at a couple of stop lights to see how fast I could take off.

Here is a good, quick video review from Cars.com’s Mike Hanley:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vHh_tbPReI&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999]

If you’re looking to purchase a Chicago Cadillac Escalade but are concerned about fuel economy, you’ll want to take a close look at opting for the Escalade Hybrid.  You’ll enjoy it every bit as much as a regular Escalade but save big money on gas, and most importantly, greatly reduce your impact on the environment.