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.
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.