According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, a full-size, 8-passenger, luxury SUV decked out with a full-load of standard features and technologies, a vehicle capable of towing 5,800 pounds and toting 108.9 cubic feet of cargo, a traditional body-on-frame truck weighing much closer to three tons than two, gets 20 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. Of course, our review vehicle didn’t, but with good reason as you’ll soon learn. In any case, these fuel economy ratings are remarkable for such a vehicle.

Here’s what’s different about the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid:
• Cadillac calls this technology its Two-Mode Hybrid system
• Scaled down version of technology GM has been testing in city transit buses for years
• Atkinson-cycle 6.0-liter V-8 engine with Active Fuel Management technology and Auto-Stop mode
• Active Fuel Management shuts down half the engine’s cylinders during low-load highway cruising to conserve fuel
• Rechargeable 300-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack, or Energy Storage System (ESS)
• Battery pack is located under the rear seat
• Full hybrid capability, meaning it can operate at low speeds on electricity alone
• Electrically variable transmission drives the rear or all four wheels
• Regenerative braking recharges the battery pack when bringing the Escalade to a stop
• Electric, variable-assist steering system
• Big HYBRID decals on the sides

The 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is available with standard rear-wheel drive or available full-time four-wheel drive. Standard equipment includes the usual luxury bells and whistles plus a navigation system, a rearview camera, heated and cooled front seats, Bose surround sound audio, a power liftgate, triple-zone climate control, Xenon headlights with IntelliBeam technology, a blind spot detection system, a power sunroof, and 22-inch chrome wheels. Other features include a Magnetic Ride Control suspension, 14-way power adjustable front seats, power adjustable pedals, remote starting capability, rain-sensing wipers, XM satellite radio with XM NavTraffic and a free 3-month subscription, Bluetooth hands-free calling, a rear entertainment system, and Keyless Access and ignition.

Cadillac also offers a Platinum version of the Escalade Hybrid. It’s got LED headlights, unique grille detailing; power retractable side steps; cut-and-sewn leather on the dashboard center console, and upper door panels; Tehama aniline leather in the first two rows of seats; genuine olive ash and burled walnut wood trim; special door sill trim and floor mats; dual-screen DVD entertainment embedded into the backs of the front headrests; and cupholders that are heated and cooled.

Escalades come with almost everything standard. According to the Cadillac.com website, using our Southern California zip code, the only options aside from paint color and interior décor are an engine block heater and power retractable side steps, the latter of which comes standard on Platinum models.

The 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is powered by a 6.0-liter V-8 engine equipped with Active Fuel Management and Auto-Stop technology, mated to a 300-volt rechargeable battery pack and compact electric motors. The SUV is a “full hybrid,” which means it can operate at low speeds on electric power alone. This capability contributes to its 20-mpg city fuel economy rating with two-wheel drive. On the highway, the Escalade Hybrid 2WD is rated to get 21 mpg. The EPA does not rate the 4WD version.

The gasoline-fired V-8 engine makes 332 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 367 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,100 rpm. Its Active Fuel Management system shuts half of the engine’s cylinders down under low-load cruising conditions, effectively operating as a four-cylinder engine to conserve fuel. Its Auto-Stop technology shuts the engine off completely when the Escalade Hybrid comes to a stop, conserving gas and reducing emissions when sitting in traffic or waiting at traffic lights.

We used an Escalade Hybrid with 4WD for a road trip to Phoenix from Los Angeles, with nearly half our accumulated miles driven with a trailer attached to the SUV. Overall, we averaged 17.1 mpg, a figure lower than the EPA ratings due mainly to the trailer that was lugged from Arizona to California.

Standard safety equipment on every 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid includes dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front and rear seating positions, and side-curtain airbags with rollover protection for all three rows of seats. Additionally, the Escalade Hybrid comes standard with four-wheel-disc ABS; a stability control system with a rollover mitigation feature; traction control; a rearview camera; and parking assist sensors in the rear bumper.

The Escalade Hybrid is also equipped with OnStar telematics and a free one-year subscription to the Directions and Connections service. This includes turn-by-turn navigation assistance and a destination download service that automatically programs the in-dash navigation system, but the important safety features associated with OnStar are automatic airbag deployment and crash response. In the event of an airbag deployment, the Escalade Hybrid will automatically dial an OnStar advisor, who will attempt to make contact with the SUV’s occupants while simultaneously sending emergency personnel to the site of the accident using GPS coordinates.

J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 Cadillac Escalade competes against other full-size premium multi-activity vehicles such as the Infiniti QX56, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Lexus LX 570, Lincoln Navigator, and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.