The 2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, for example, relies on similar tech, yet it's effectively the Toyota's polar opposite. Possessing the elegant style of a fashionable fat kid, the Escalade Hybrid manages to produce brutish noises and surprising bursts of speed. An expensive eight-passenger luxury barge, this full-size hybrid SUV could easily be dismissed as an overpriced dinosaur - especially as it has been getting a bit long-in-the-tooth while the competition has continued to evolve. GM knows this, and it's recently committed to investing a bundle into the Arlington, Texas plant that churns out the cash cow GMT900 platform this Caddy rides upon.
A replacement may be on the way for 2014, but we still couldn't help but feel that there's something compelling about this generation's sharp fenders, large rolling stock and singular swagger that's worth revisiting. Not wanting to mess about with anything less than full kingpin spec, we requested a week with the hybrid Platinum model seen here. Click past the jump to see if this baller still has game.
Like the coupes and sedans before it, this Escalade features larger-than-life styling. A big, downward sweeping grille intersects massive LED headlamps. That grille, in turn, is broken up with V-cut sills and honeycomb latticework, and the chrome matches the shine from the brightly-polished 22-inch wheels.
An abundance of hybrid badging is notably absent from the exterior. Earlier model years slathered the word "HYBRID" across its flanks like neon dots on a Vegas-strip casino. For 2011, the Escalade uses much more discrete hybrid logos on each fender vent and one on its rear.
Interacting with the Escalade's various controls and switchgear is where this Caddy begins to show its age. This SUV isn't part of the "New GM." Playing with the switches reveals a downmarket feel that clashes with the high-class sheen of the cabin. The center console storage bin's lid feels particularly flimsy.
