All-aluminum 6.2L V-8 engine

The ’07 Escalade is powered by a new, 6.2L all-aluminum small-block V-8 with variable valve timing technology (VVT). VVT optimizes camshaft timing to improve low-rpm torque and high-rpm horsepower. The 6.2L engine is rated at 403 horsepower (301 kw)* at 5700 rpm and 417 lb.-ft. of torque (565 Nm)* at 4400 rpm; it is teamed with a new Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission with Driver Shift Control (tap up/tap down).

Escalade’s new engine represents the fourth generation of the small-block V-8 design that went into production in 1955, but has its roots in a Cadillac-developed valve-in-head V-8 introduced in 1949 – an engine that, when introduced, was lighter and more powerful than the one it replaced and established the blueprint for modern V-8 and V-6 engines for decades to come. The 2007 Gen IV V-8 engine represents the next step in technology, performance and efficiency. Highlights include:

Aluminum heads
Aluminum block
Variable valve timing (VVT)
Revised cylinder block design
Electronic throttle control
58X ignition system
New, more powerful E38 32-bit controller
Enhanced quietness and smoothness
Returnless fuel system
Gen IV Vortec engines are designed to provide improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, compared to previous-generation small-block V-8s. Compared to truck engines of a decade ago, the Gen IV Vortec engine family is approximately 90 percent cleaner. Cast iron exhaust manifolds matched with dual close-coupled catalytic converters help reduce cold-start emissions, the largest source of vehicle emissions.

Escalade’s 6.2L engine features a new aluminum block and cylinder heads. The use of an aluminum cylinder block offers reduced mass, an attribute that supports improved vehicle weight distribution and slightly improved fuel economy. The block is virtually identical to iron versions of the small-block family, including a deep skirt design that incorporates cross-bolted main bearing caps and a structural oil pan. It also features crankcase “windows” – vents that help improve bay-to-bay breathing – which reduce pumping losses and support the high horsepower output of the high-performance engine.

Variable valve timing (VVT) helps optimize camshaft timing to improve low-rpm torque and high-rpm horsepower. The introduction of variable valve timing through the unique dual-equal cam phaser is the industry’s first application of VVT on a mass-produced V-8 overhead valve engine. The unique dual-equal phaser adjusts the camshaft timing at the same rate for both the intake and exhaust valves.

New aluminum cylinder heads also contribute to Escalade’s enhanced power output. The heads are based on the racing-derived cylinder heads of the Corvette Z06’s LS7 7.0L engine, including a unique inlet port shape and offset rocker arm design. Airflow of the heads is supported by large, 55-mm-diameter intake valves and 40.4-mm-diameter exhaust valves.

Escalade’s 6.2L engine is engineered for smoothness and quietness, which contributes to the vehicle’s refinement. Engine quieting features include:

Special friction-reducing coating on piston skirts
Full floating piston pins
Damping patch on the oil pan
Timing chain tensioner
Quieter alternator
Acoustically tuned engine cover
Stronger engine cradles and mounting systems help reduce vibrations transmitted through the chassis that would otherwise be felt by passengers.