2004 Cadillac Escalade Esv Platinum Edition on 2040-cars

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2019 Cadillac Escalade Sport Edition goes dark for the L.A. Auto Show

Cadillac is taking a shallow swing at the L.A. Auto Show, which might have something to do with the churn and burn happening at the brand and at parent General Motors. The Escalade Sport Edition brings its dark hue to the West Coast shindig, a touch of anti-flash that's actually a pinstripe job. For $2,700, it installs Gloss Black Ice chrome on the grille, rear fascia, window surrounds, and body side moldings, and the otherwise optional 22-inch Midnight Silver wheels. That's the whole show. Available on three of the Escalade's four trims — Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum — brand president Steve Carlisle said the Sport Edition comes "in response to customer and dealer demand for a dark and aggressive look." The least expensive 2WD Luxury model starts at $84,790, including destination, with orders commencing at the beginning of next year. For all that the package isn't, it is still a better deal than buyers got ten years ago, when the 2007 Escalade offered a similarly thin Sport Edition for $4,890. There are a few small changes for the Escalade line overall for 2019. The exterior colors Midnight Sky Metallic and Dark Granite Metallic leave the palette list, making room for Manhattan Noir Metallic and Shadow Metallic to join the list. In back, there's a hands-free tailgate with a logo light, standard on all trims. The Escalade Sport Edition represents both a beginning and an end for the model. The fourth-generation Escalade went on sale in 2014 as a 2015 model, and this is the first special edition it gets. This could be the last, too, since the fourth-gen money machine we called "Old, but not antiquated" in our Driver's Notes last month is expected to give way to a fifth-generation for the 2020 model year. Related Video:

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.

Sunday Drive: An automotive flavor for every taste

Last week was flush with interesting new vehicle debuts, led by the new 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. This crossover is entering straight into the heart of one of the world's most competitive automotive segments, and it's doing so with a fresh sense of style and a brace of new technologies. Our readers are clearly intrigued – the Santa Fe was the biggest news story of the last week on these online pages. It's fitting that a crossover generated a lot more interest than a traditional wagon, though we don't really have to be happy about it. Still, the completely new, fully redesigned Volvo V60 is worth taking another look at. First of all, it's pretty, in a traditionally Scandinavian way. Second, it's quick, with a 0-60 time of as little as 4.8 seconds. And finally, it's practical, with all kinds of room for cargo without the dynamic penalties of an unnecessary lift kit. Moving on from new vehicle debuts, we took another long look at the Honda Ridgeline. It's definitely a non-conformist pickup truck, based not on a body-on-frame platform but on a more carlike unibody design. That means it can't tow as much as some other trucks, but it also means the Ridgeline drives better than any of its more truckish competitors. It's the Swiss army knife of pickup trucks. Rounding out our coverage from last week are three sets of spy photos, each showing the interior of a hotly anticipated new model. One is a truck, one is a crossover, and the last is a sportscar. All of them are worth another look. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week for all the most important news in the automotive world. 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe unveiled 2019 Volvo V60 | Sleek, swift new twist on the Swedish wagon 2018 Honda Ridgeline | Pocketknife pickup is up for anything 2019 GMC Sierra interior looks just like the Silverado's 2019 Cadillac XT4 interior has actual buttons, no more touch-sensitive panel 2020 Porsche 911 992 spy shots show interior and manual transmission Cadillac GMC Honda Hyundai Porsche Volvo Truck Crossover Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan hyundai santa fe