Geared for Luxury: 2015 Cadillac Escalade eight-Speed Automatic Tested

Instrumented Test

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Caddy’;s big SUV doubles up on eights.

Now in its 4th generation considering that its 1999 introduction, the Cadillac Escalade remains one of the automotive world’s patron saints of conspicuous consumption. Checking in 1.5 inches wider, 1.4 inches longer, and about 25 pounds heavier than the model it replaced, the large-livin’ 2015 Escalade makes no excuses for its imposing presence.

Constructed on the very same truck-based underpinnings as the rest of GM’s full-size SUV fleet, the 2015 Cadillac Escalade initially launched with the recently updated 6.2-liter V-8 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Generating 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, the engine eagerly shouldered its substantial load, hustling the 6-speed-equipped Escalade about town and down the highway with ease. But while we were busy flogging the 6-speed Escalade on the test track, GM was finalizing plans to place its new 8-speed gearbox (essentially the very same transmission that handles gear-swapping duties in the Corvette) into the Escalade, as properly as in the 6.2-liter-equipped Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and GMC Yukon Denali. GM figured that transplanting the 8-speed into the ’Slade would be a reasonably straightforward way to increase performance on a quantity of fronts. Curious to see if the General’s hunch paid off, we re-upped for an Escalade equipped with the new ’box and strapped on the test gear.

As was the case with the 8-speed-equipped GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Silverado we drove earlier, low-speed drivability is substantially enhanced with the new transmission. A numerically higher initial gear facilitates seamless takeoffs, and the a lot more tightly spaced ratios imply the transmission stays busy even beneath light acceleration. But it shuffles amongst gears with a precise, almost imperceptible action, hardly ever letting the revs climb above 3000 rpm. Mat the accelerator at any speed, nevertheless, and the tach swings for the cheap seats, the transmission letting the beefy V-8 rev to around 5700 rpm just before grabbing another gear. Thanks to the tighter gap among ratios, the engine spends far more time in the meaty portion of its torque curve, producing the most of its output and lending a more fluid really feel to the proceedings.

Playing the Numbers

First impressions formed, we set off for the track in search of confirmation that our finely honed seat-of-the-pants meter was correctly calibrated. Initial up was the zero-to-60-mph dash, where the 8-speed Escalade posted a 5.6-second run, laying waste to the 6.1-second time of the 6-speed truck. The rest of the data continued to fall in favor of the 8-speed, with the quarter-mile passing in 14.1 seconds at a trap speed of 99 mph­­, edging out the 6-speed’s run of 14.7 at 96 mph.

Unfortunately, the 8-speed Escalade remained just as thirsty as our 6-speed test car, returning the exact same 14 mpg in mixed driving. To be fair, neither GM nor the EPA have been claiming otherwise the newer version’s 15/21-mpg city/highway estimates are barely far better than the 6-speed model’s 14/21 mpg (that’s for 4-wheel-drive examples like ours rear-drive Escalades pick up 1 mpg on the EPA highway cycle with the 8-speed). Grip on our 300-foot skidpad remained unchanged at .75 g, GM’s Magnetic Ride Control adaptive suspension toiling to keep the huge girl on the level.

Fans of the Escalade’s opulent interior and brassy exterior will be pleased to know that very small has changed outside of the powertrain. The giant Cadillac nonetheless brandishes its glitzy grille and fascia with pride, our newest version riding high on optional 22-inch wheels ($ 600). Accessing the leather-lined, clubroom-like, Kona Brown interior is produced easier by the optional energy retracting side steps ($ 1695), a function we’d leave off unless we have been hampered by stature or lack of flexibility. We really took a liking to the organic matte-wood interior trim, which appears a tad much more organic sans the usual ladled-on gloss finish. Needless to say, virtually each creature comfort and gadget in the GM catalog makes an look here—heated and cooled front and rear seats, all manner of security assists and blind-spot warnings, a 4-color head-up show, Bose audio, and much, a lot more. It is as you’d count on of an $ 89,360 SUV—which now has a transmission more befitting of its lofty sticker.

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Geared for Luxury: 2015 Cadillac Escalade eight-Speed Automatic Tested

Geared for Luxury: 2015 Cadillac Escalade eight-Speed Automatic Tested

Instrumented Test

arrow

Caddy’;s big SUV doubles up on eights.

Now in its 4th generation given that its 1999 introduction, the Cadillac Escalade remains 1 of the automotive world’s patron saints of conspicuous consumption. Checking in 1.5 inches wider, 1.4 inches longer, and about 25 pounds heavier than the model it replaced, the massive-livin’ 2015 Escalade tends to make no excuses for its imposing presence.

Built on the exact same truck-based underpinnings as the rest of GM’s complete-size SUV fleet, the 2015 Cadillac Escalade initially launched with the lately updated 6.2-liter V-8 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Making 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, the engine eagerly shouldered its substantial load, hustling the 6-speed-equipped Escalade around town and down the highway with ease. But even though we have been busy flogging the 6-speed Escalade on the test track, GM was finalizing plans to put its new 8-speed gearbox (primarily the identical transmission that handles gear-swapping duties in the Corvette) into the Escalade, as effectively as in the 6.2-liter-equipped Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and GMC Yukon Denali. GM figured that transplanting the 8-speed into the ’Slade would be a relatively basic way to enhance efficiency on a quantity of fronts. Curious to see if the General’s hunch paid off, we re-upped for an Escalade equipped with the new ’box and strapped on the test gear.

As was the case with the 8-speed-equipped GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Silverado we drove earlier, low-speed drivability is substantially enhanced with the new transmission. A numerically larger very first gear facilitates seamless takeoffs, and the far more tightly spaced ratios mean the transmission stays busy even under light acceleration. Yet it shuffles in between gears with a precise, nearly imperceptible action, hardly ever letting the revs climb above 3000 rpm. Mat the accelerator at any speed, even so, and the tach swings for the inexpensive seats, the transmission letting the beefy V-8 rev to about 5700 rpm prior to grabbing an additional gear. Thanks to the tighter gap in between ratios, the engine spends far more time in the meaty portion of its torque curve, generating the most of its output and lending a much more fluid really feel to the proceedings.

Playing the Numbers

Initial impressions formed, we set off for the track in search of confirmation that our finely honed seat-of-the-pants meter was properly calibrated. Initial up was the zero-to-60-mph dash, where the 8-speed Escalade posted a 5.6-second run, laying waste to the 6.1-second time of the 6-speed truck. The rest of the information continued to fall in favor of the 8-speed, with the quarter-mile passing in 14.1 seconds at a trap speed of 99 mph­­, edging out the 6-speed’s run of 14.7 at 96 mph.

However, the 8-speed Escalade remained just as thirsty as our 6-speed test automobile, returning the identical 14 mpg in mixed driving. To be fair, neither GM nor the EPA had been claiming otherwise the newer version’s 15/21-mpg city/highway estimates are barely greater than the 6-speed model’s 14/21 mpg (that is for 4-wheel-drive examples like ours rear-drive Escalades pick up 1 mpg on the EPA highway cycle with the 8-speed). Grip on our 300-foot skidpad remained unchanged at .75 g, GM’s Magnetic Ride Manage adaptive suspension toiling to preserve the huge girl on the level.

Fans of the Escalade’s opulent interior and brassy exterior will be pleased to know that quite tiny has changed outdoors of the powertrain. The giant Cadillac nonetheless brandishes its glitzy grille and fascia with pride, our most recent version riding higher on optional 22-inch wheels ($ 600). Accessing the leather-lined, clubroom-like, Kona Brown interior is made easier by the optional energy retracting side actions ($ 1695), a function we’d leave off unless we were hampered by stature or lack of flexibility. We actually took a liking to the all-natural matte-wood interior trim, which appears a tad far more organic sans the usual ladled-on gloss finish. Needless to say, practically each creature comfort and gadget in the GM catalog tends to make an appearance here—heated and cooled front and rear seats, all manner of safety assists and blind-spot warnings, a 4-color head-up show, Bose audio, and considerably, a lot more. It’s as you’d expect of an $ 89,360 SUV—which now has a transmission far more befitting of its lofty sticker.

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Geared for Luxury: 2015 Cadillac Escalade eight-Speed Automatic Tested

Gearing Up: Subsequent-Gen Jeep Wrangler To Get Eight-Speed Automatic

Amongst the rumors and speculation that surrounds the subsequent-generation Jeep Wrangler, one particular point is specific: Its fuel economy need to enhance from the current model’s less than stellar 17-mpg city and 21-mpg highway numbers. A recent report in Automotive News points to a major modify that will assist in that mission.

AN reports that a current Fiat-Chrysler filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission shows that the corporate 8-speed automatic, built by Chrysler under license from ZF, will uncover a home in the brand’s redesigned rugged off-roader: “The 8-speed transmission is at present paired with gasoline and diesel engines in the 2014 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee and is also featured in the new 2014 Dodge Durango. We plan to use this transmission in all of our rear-wheel-drive autos, except for heavy-duty versions of the Ram pick-up truck and the SRT Viper.” The filing also noted that the 8-speed ’box “reduces fuel consumption by a lot more than 9 % more than the 5-speed and 6-speed transmissions” that it has currently supplanted in many FCA cars.

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If this appears like an obvious and reasonably straightforward way to squeeze a few extra mpg from the existing Wrangler, AN asserts that “Chrysler would have utilized the 8-speed in the Wrangler ahead of the upcoming redesign, but the transmission does not fit in the current model.”

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Gearing Up: Subsequent-Gen Jeep Wrangler To Get Eight-Speed Automatic

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Updated, Like New Eight-Speed Automatic

June 13, 2014 at 6:46 pm by Alexander Stoklosa | Photography by James Lipman and John Lamm

Chevrolet has announced a rash of minor tweaks headed the Corvette Stingray’s way for 2015. Even though the new 650-hp Z06 coupe and convertible soak up the limelight, the Stingray gains a series of functional upgrades like a new 8-speed automatic transmission, while also seeing its paint and wheel options shuffled a bit. Don’t be concerned, the 455-hp 6.2-liter V-8 and 6-speed manual transmission are nevertheless very significantly regular.

We previously reported on the replacement of the optional 6-speed automatic with GM’s new, in-residence 8L90 8-speed unit, so we’ll skip to the other stuff. Like practically each and every other Chevy product, the Corvette’s OnStar telematics setup gains a constructed-in 4G LTE data connection supplied by AT&T as regular. A 3-month/3-GB data trial is incorporated, but right after that buyers should pony up for a month-to-month data subscription.

On the efficiency side of issues, the optional high-efficiency Z51 package now involves the Corvette’s offered sports exhaust. We’re guessing that these interested in the Z51 kit had been also keen to order the amazing-sounding upgraded exhaust, too, so this is a logical step. Chevrolet’s new Overall performance Information Recorder, which enables drivers to download a flurry of dynamic and track data following a drive—and record their antics with a built-in camera—is now incorporated with the Vette’s optional navigation technique.

Uplevel 3LT trim levels now get a suede-wrapped dashboard and upper door panels, convertible buyers can get carbon-fiber tonneau inserts, a CFZ carbon-fiber style package is now obtainable, and purchasers can opt for the Z51 wheels and spoiler by way of a new ZF1 package. The only other changes are some updated wheel styles and the loss of a couple of colors, most notably this author’s preferred, Lime Rock Green. The hues have been replaced by Shark Gray and Daytona Sunrise Orange.

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Finally, there are 2 style packages, the Atlantic (luxury GT automobile vibe) and the Pacific (high-overall performance sports vehicle theme). You can read all about those right here. Full pricing and availability for the 2015 models will be released later, but we’re glad to see Chevy continuing to lavish focus on its 10Best-winning sweetheart.

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2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Updated, Like New Eight-Speed Automatic