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Cadillac Escalade To Drop Diesel Engine From Lineup: Video

Like every other model year of the fifth-generation Cadillac Escalade, the refreshed 2025 Escalade was originally expected to offer both a standard gasoline engine and an optional diesel engine. Now, however, that’s no longer the case, as GM Authority has learned that the refreshed 2025 Cadillac Escalade will in fact forgo the diesel option entirely, offering only gasoline under the hood.

The news was first reported by GM Authority‘s sister publication, Cadillac Society, and discussed on the Cadillac Society Podcast, which you can watch via the embedded video below for exclusive details.

Sources familiar with Cadillac‘s strategy have indicated that the decision to drop the optional diesel engine stems from low consumer demand. The 2025 Escalade was initially expected to offer the improved 3.0L I6 LZ0 turbodiesel Duramax engine, which boasts 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque, replacing the 3.0L I6 LM2 Duramax, rated at 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

The front end of the refreshed 2025 Cadillac Escalade.

With the diesel option exiting the lineup, the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engine will be the sole engine option for non-V variants of the refreshed 2025 Escalade, delivering 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. For those seeking more power, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade-V will continue to feature the supercharged 6.2L V8 LT4 gasoline engine, rated at a formidable 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque.

Moreover, GM Authority has learned that the 2024 Cadillac Escalade is no longer available to order with the LM2 turbodiesel. The final production week for diesel-powered variants of the 2024 Escalade is scheduled for September 16th, as GM Authority was first to report just yesterday.

As a reminder, the Cadillac Escalade rides on the GM T1 platform and is assembled at the GM Arlington plant in Texas.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac Escalade news, Cadillac news, GM business news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. I’m surprised the 4 banger turbo is not an option on this thing since GM is shoving it down everyone’s throats on the other Full-Sizers

    Reply
  2. gm needs to change their designers.

    Cadillac wont probably have another 300k car. They had an opportunity to create a really special car for that money and they’ve made the celestiq which is a flat lyriq lmfao

    btw the sear control buttons need a lighting like in the w222. gm is always gm. makes a and forgets b

    Reply
  3. This won’t make the livery drivers and companies happy. Out here in LA area, you see tons of these things with the numbers on the rear bumpers for the livery license. Most of them have the diesel now and when I talk with them, they say it’s the best thing going for them for MPG and long term use.

    Reply
  4. What awful choice . Thats one thing that made them stand out vs navigator . Awful awful . Another failure for GM . There was no need take it out .

    Reply
    1. What part of “low consumer demand” do people here not understand?
      And it’s always the same people who swear they can run GM better than current management.

      Reply
      1. If it was a demand issue, the Diesel models should out number the gasoline models at dealers. A quick check on cars.com there are close to 5000 gas Escalades, and 77 diesels. It’s not a demand issue.

        Reply
        1. GM builds the amount of diesels they think they will sell based on sales from prior quarters. They don’t just build the same amount of diesels as gas models and hope for the best.
          Come on now. Let’s think about this.

          Reply
          1. If my experience was like other customers’ experience, most Escalades of the new generation have been built to order. We waited nearly 2 years for ours at a high-volume dealer. Our dealer had another 100 people benind us on their list. Every person put down a $2500 deposit. We specced our build like everyone else did. I’m sure the wait list is longer now with the ’25 refresh around the corner. Given this, I would be SHOCKED if this was anything other than a response to low customer demand.

            Reply
  5. Diesel and luxury don’t mesh well together nowadays IMO. Having a hybrid powertrain makes much more sense for Cadillac in general.

    Remember that the XT4 was sold overseas with a diesel option but not available here because no one wanted it and that says that most Escalade owners don’t want diesel and don’t care how fuel efficient diesel is.

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  6. I’m going to be honest I’m rather happy that the diesel is gone because it’s a horrible engine that many bought not knowing that it has a wet belt at the rear of the engine that has to be changed every 100k miles and you can only do that if you rip the engine or trans out and if you don’t you’ll blow the engine without oil pressure in no time. On top of that the DPF it’s not going to be reliable long term and will just be another huge bill to hit you when you least expect it. Turbochargers are rarely reliable these days yeah I know that there are some old late 90’s volvos and mercedes diesels which have very reliable turbos but this is a modern GM turbo so I wouldn’t be naive.

    Reply
    1. Ummm its rated for 200k miles. Not 100k.
      You clearly know nothing about the 3.0 Duramax so spew the ignorance elsewhere.

      Reply
      1. “Full disclosure” supposedly the injection pump is only expected to go 100k.

        Reply
  7. Not surprised, but surely demand in the Suburban, Tahoe, & Yukons is enough to keep the option around, all of these are made in Arlington on the same production line, I would just keep it as special order option. I thought this option was a great choice for the Escalade, turn on super cruise and cross whole states on a single tank and arrive relaxed. Guess You would not need to get a GMC or Chevy to do same.

    Reply
  8. Check out the cadillac.kwt insta page. there are some photos of the cadillac coupe from the patent photos that leaked a few years ago. looks like it will never be built. what a shame. would have been a nice b-pillar less coupe for the e-class.

    Reply
  9. Who didnt see this coming?

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  10. They might get more demand if they actually tried to sell and advertise it.

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    1. Just buy a Denali with a Diesel and Screw the Cadillac. That’s what 3 of my Family members did.

      Reply
  11. “low customer demand” meaning. We only built a small number of them, and never intended to sell many of them. Hmm, no one seems to want them . Just like their cruze and small SUV diesels. It’s probably the green environmental crazies

    Reply
  12. For next year model, they are putting in a 1.4L quad turbo twin direct injection with AFM that drops it down to 1cyl and auto start stop randomly during cruise to maximize that fuel economy…

    ok maybe but you know they WANT TO. if they could get away with it

    Reply
  13. Having a diesel motor option is not the same as choosing say a rear seat entertainment option, or power running boards, or a certain kind of wheel, ect. Someone is probably looking for a diesel when they need a pickup. Its not sonething the average customer would just choose after realizing it was offered in the car they were interested in. It was a less than 1% take rate.

    Reply
  14. Saw this one coming from a mile away. It just shows how out of touch GM is. Why is there still no hybrid? Why are they still using an engine with 2014 power levels in 2025 with no improvement in MPG and slower performance/worse mileage than a V6 Ecoboost Lincoln Navigator? Killing the diesel eliminates the one advantage they did have. I’m not even going to get into other competitors

    Reply
  15. I was waiting for the 2025 Escalade with a diesel, but it looks like I’m going to buy a Denali. Bummer. The appeal of the diesel for me, besides the incredibly positive reviews about just what a great engine it is, is the extended range. So many more miles without having to stop to refuel, combined with the lower stress driving with Super Cruise.

    Reply
  16. Try to imagine all the girls running marketing. Then it all becomes clear. Mary says eat cake.

    Of course the diesel made it unique. Then we will of course get rid of the diesel and never have a good ad campaign.

    Name a good Cadillac ad campaign since the original V series ads decades ago. None. Then try to figure out all the weird numbers and letters. Then figure out the torque figures in nm. Who understands this crapola.

    Reply
  17. you talk about the engines selection , Why would anyone in their wright mind go to a diesel when you had one of THE BEST engines on the market ( the 5.3 ) what were the GM Engineers thinking or were they ?

    Reply
  18. If my experience was like other customers’ experience, most Escalades of the new generation have been built to order. We waited nearly 2 years for ours at a high-volume dealer. Our dealer had another 100 people benind us on their list. Every person put down a $2500 deposit. We specced our build like everyone else did. I’m sure the wait list is longer now with the ’25 refresh around the corner. Given this, I would be SHOCKED if this was anything other than a response to low customer demand.

    Reply
  19. My theory: Gm has been selling the diesel as a no cost option in the escalade. By cancelling this option they can divert more of the engines to vehicles that have it as an expensive option. Duramax full size SUVs seem to be selling well so I doubt it’s actually do to low demand.

    Reply
  20. Well I guess that pushes me to the nearly as well equipped but less costly Yukon Denali Ultimate, because I WANT that Diesel…

    Reply
  21. I have a 22 ESV with the diesel and love it. Really disappointed that it will no longer be an option.

    Reply
  22. Dealers would always say it was a year wait. They did not want to service them.

    Reply

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