Embargo, emshmargo: Cadillac Escalade Hybrid released into the wild

Embargo breaking has become another phenomenon that's equal parts corporate ignorance and now, just journalistic necessity. Farago over at The Truth About Cars has officially made it his mission to bust open any automaker-imposed embargo he finds, and his opening salvo is to publish a pic of the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. While we agree with Farago that our first duty is to serve the readers, we could think of bigger bombs to drop than this vehicle.

Regardless, the nitty-gritty of the "fuel-efficient" 'Slade involves mating the 6.0-liter V8 to a host of energy-saving technologies. To begin with, the engine features Active Fuel Management and a "late-intake valve closing" system, which, when partnered with a new electrically variable transmission with start/stop tech, regenerative breaking, a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride storage system, a 42-volt variable-assist power steering setup, an electrically-driven 300-volt air-con unit, plus a new exhaust and resonator, boosts fuel economy by... wait for it... 50-percent. As Mr. F. points out, that brings the average in-town fuel consumption up to 18 mpg from 12. Despite the improvement from egregious to simply bad fuel economy, GM believes the Escalade Hybrid will be hit with eco-conscious celebs. Somehow we doubt it.