Since its launch for the 2021 model year, the fifth-generation Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV were available with the naturally-aspirated 6.2L V8 gasoline engine (production code L87) as well as optional 3.0L I6 turbodiesel (production code LM2). However, Cadillac Society has learned that the 2024 Escalade range will be the last to offer the diesel option, as the 2025 Cadillac Escalade family will leave the diesel powerhouse behind for good.
We detailed the news on our Cadillac Society Podcast, which you can watch in the video embedded here:
According to sources familiar with the matter, the Duramax diesel engine will not be offered on the 2025 Cadillac Escalade due to low demand during prior model years. That’s quite an about-face from initial expectations. Not only was the refreshed Escalade expected to continue to offer a diesel engine, but it seemed to be in line to receive the new and improved 3.0L turbodiesel (production code LZ0).
Said LZ0 engine would have offered more power and torque, while also making a few improvements over the current 3.0L Duramax engine (production code LM2), such as eliminating the long-crank issue seen in the current Escalade diesel. However, the LZ0 will never see the engine bay of the Escalade at all, at least not from the factory, meaning that the final diesel-powered Escalade will harness the LM2.
More specifically, the LZ0 is good for 305 horsepower at 3,750 rpm and 495 pound-feet of torque at 2,750, as opposed to a maximum of 277 horsepower at 3,750 rpm and 460 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm produced by the turbocharged 3.0L I6 LM2 Duramax engine.
That means that the only engine available for the “regular” Escalade will be the the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 gasoline engine (production code L87), which is capable of 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. A power upgrade is and will continue to be available in the form of the high-performance Cadillac Escalade-V, which features the supercharged 6.2L V8 gasoline engine (production code LT4), rated at 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque.
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