Cadillac beats Lexus with first full-LED headlights

rybo submitted on 01/28/2008 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 8:30 AM
from: www.motorauthority.com

[69] user comments | category: Misc News

Tags: Cadillac

Cadillac

Cadillac together with Hella has announced today that it will be launching the world’s first volume full-LED headlamp on its 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum edition. Unlike rival luxury brand Lexus, which offers single projector LED lamps on its LS600h flagship, Cadillac’s design uses the efficient diodes for the entire headlight assembly – indicators, low beam and high beam.

The benefits of LED headlamps are that they emit a greatly more precise light pattern, while emulating the characteristics of natural daylight much more closely than traditional auto lighting. They also use much less power and last more than 20 times longer than traditional halogen bulbs.

In addition to LED technology, the Escalade SUV also benefits from Magnetic Ride Control. Read Article

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drew630 - 1/28/2008 10:57:16 AM

+2 Boost

No, the European R8 only has daytime LED running lights. It has Bi-Xenon Plus headlights.

http://www.audi.co.uk/etc/medialib/cms4imp/audi2/uk/Products/R8.Par.0027.File.pdf

Look on page 8 :)

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M35MT - 1/28/2008 11:13:14 AMView My AgentSpace

-3 Boost

^ This GM guy is so proud

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drew630 - 1/28/2008 11:15:45 AM

0 Boost

Proud of headlights?? Not really.

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M35MT - 1/28/2008 11:27:51 AMView My AgentSpace

-1 Boost

No, you're proud of chevy. Look at your avatar.

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drew630 - 1/28/2008 12:20:26 PM

+4 Boost

O, that, yes. Its what I drive, an 04 Silverado z71. :)

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zorbeeze - 1/28/2008 1:49:07 PM

+4 Boost

"This GM guy is so proud"

Does he not have the right to be proud?
M35 go back to school little boy.
If he wants to put a chevy logo he has every right to.

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SevorbeupstryIsBack - 1/28/2008 3:01:24 PM

-1 Boost

Xerokool is right.

There was an article on autospies

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drew630 - 1/28/2008 5:04:09 PM

+4 Boost

^ Why would Audi's own site state that the R8 comes with Bi-Xenon Plus headlights and daytime LED running ligts only with no mention of FULL LED headlights as an option?

BTW, where did M35's posts go? I look like I am talking to myself without them.

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Porschinator - 1/30/2008 5:20:53 PM

+1 Boost

Whats wrong with liking GM? So none of you are fans of other makes? Cadillac has made numerous innovations that are being used by German and japanese Luxury makes and vise versa.

Funny how most of you do not realize how difficult it is to produce LED healights. Why do you think they were not out before?!?

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toolatetorace - 1/28/2008 9:36:28 AM

-2 Boost

Toyota will copy this shortly , just like they copied the daytime running lights that GM pioneered in 1995

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Hyundai - 1/28/2008 10:34:04 AM

0 Boost

Well you sure as hell copied somebody when you bought your keyboard that you are typing on right now.

montyz81 - 1/28/2008 10:34:11 AM

+4 Boost

Haven't day time running lights been available in Canada since the 70's. I think they were in Europe for awhile too. Also, I am not sure that I would consider "day time running lights" Pioneering!

Agent009 - 1/28/2008 11:07:57 AMView My AgentSpace

+7 Boost

Day time running lights were a Canadian mandate. No innovation there other than governmental intervention.

M35MT - 1/28/2008 11:14:39 AMView My AgentSpace

-1 Boost

Thank you 009.

"Pioneering" DRLs...ok...

Hyundai - 1/28/2008 12:11:20 PM

+3 Boost

Well I live in Canada and know that that is nothing new, so that is why I made the keyboard comment.... Nobody copied DRLs... That is like saying that Toyota copied the bumper...

autopro - 1/28/2008 1:38:09 PMView My AgentSpace

-6 Boost

As long as toyota doesn't copy their failures.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/28/2008 9:39:43 AMView My AgentSpace

-2 Boost

Full LEDs are already available on the Audi R8.

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montyz81 - 1/28/2008 10:33:06 AM

+3 Boost

Read the fine print. It says "world’s first volume full-LED headlamp on its 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum edition". R8 is not a volume vehicle.

answer - 1/28/2008 11:28:33 AMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

That is what the fine print says, but when you do factor in the fine print the "first" bragging rights are diluded.

The R8 was actually first in my book.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes Caddy to spread the tech to their other models.

zorbeeze - 1/28/2008 1:52:20 PM

+2 Boost

"Full LEDs are already available on the Audi R8."

Aren't the R8 LED daytime running lights only?
So that means the R8 does not have FULL LED lights.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/28/2008 5:34:35 PMView My AgentSpace

-3 Boost

DOES IT MATTER?

Lexus was the first brand to use LED DRLs on a production car (LS600hL), and Audi was the first to utilize it across their lineup, as well as the first to use the technology period (normal R8's "eyeliner").

zorbeeze - 1/29/2008 8:53:27 AM

+1 Boost

"DOES IT MATTER?"

No it does not really matter, but there is a difference. The R8 are not FULL LED.

0to60 - 1/28/2008 9:48:11 AM

-4 Boost

sounds expensive to maintain.

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M35MT - 1/28/2008 11:23:15 AMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

No

LED's last longer than Xenon bulbs, which last longer than Halogen bulbs, also, Xenon does not get as hot as halogen, and uses less energy. I'm not sure about the energy benefits of LED over Xenon but I'm assuming its better.

LED clearance lights, tailights and blinkers are awesome, but I like the blue-hue of the Xenon lights. You can also get them w/o a projector beam.

1000rrRider - 1/28/2008 9:57:09 AM

+1 Boost

Full LEDs have been avalible on the European Audi R8 for at lease a year now!

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zorbeeze - 1/28/2008 1:54:15 PM

+1 Boost

No, Lexus never had this.

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YZFracer23 - 1/28/2008 10:39:21 AM

+2 Boost

Yea, the R8 had this first. Also, didn't a version of the A8 also have this?

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zorbeeze - 1/28/2008 1:56:00 PM

0 Boost

There not full LED.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/28/2008 5:35:27 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

The A8L W12 has LED lamps! Yes, I forgot, thank you.

autopro - 1/28/2008 10:52:27 AMView My AgentSpace

+5 Boost

The LS600H does have LED.

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EL34 - 1/28/2008 10:55:18 AM

-3 Boost

lol

FENDI - 1/28/2008 11:38:13 AM

+6 Boost

Cadillac/GM definitely has stepped up their "Lexus-like" marketing. This along with their hybrid Tahoe being the "first full-size family SUV hybrid" are funny, a mouthful to say, but brilliant.

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cdoke - 1/28/2008 11:47:53 AMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

I remember when Cadillac came out with the Deville around 2000, the world's luxury car makers were dumbfounded by their use of LEDs.

To that point, the largest number on a back panel light was between 10 and 20 (and still is for the most part) and they were treating them like individual bulbs so they had reflectors. Then Cadillac manages to put a rear light assembly on a rather ugly car that is composed of a field of around 500 LEDs and there was a collective gasp when it was seen.

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MaindrianPace - 1/28/2008 12:00:14 PM

+3 Boost

I'm stunned how many people care about LED lights... seriously I don't care in the slightest!!

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carguy68 - 1/28/2008 12:39:21 PM

-3 Boost

who gives a sh*&!!!

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CaliCarGuy - 1/28/2008 12:46:27 PM

0 Boost

damn. cant u guys ever give america any credit? damn

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fuzion - 1/28/2008 12:51:40 PM

-1 Boost

Will these function like the previous LED caddy tail lights? Certain sections of your headlights will now flicker, then half of it will burn out.. teheee :)

I wonder how big the LED cluster is though

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Whelan - 1/28/2008 12:54:20 PM

+5 Boost

Just a newer technology that goes beyond HID. Halogens were poor visilibyt, HIDs were better but offered to much scatter light even in projectors and regular lamp housings.

The LED is spot on and and point the light more accurately. Essentially you will see a move to all headlights being HID and luxury cars using LED technology. Less power draw than an HID even.

I give congrats to Cadillac for making this available, it was only a matter of time. The point of this article for those throwing out the 600h and R8 is that the Escalade will be the first production car in the US that is a volume car (i.e. they sell more than 500 or so a year) to offer this new technology.

Auto manufacturers have been playing with LEDs for awhile now but no one has been able to creat a US DOT approved lamp for headlights using this technology recently except for Lexus, Audi and now Cadillac. So that is def. an achievement.

As for LEDs, they offer many benefits over conventional bulbs. Let's take the taillamp for instance. More intense light means they light up brighter and thus more noticeably by cars behind you. Faster response, a few tenths or hundreths of a second can mean the difference between someone getting on their brakes fast enough to stop before rear ending you or not. Which is why I'm confused Honda stopped putting them in the new Accord when they were in the last freshen up of the previous gen.

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I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 1/28/2008 1:24:04 PM

0 Boost

Honda stopped probably because it would seriously reduce the no of replacement Bulbs/Light Clusters it would sell {Lost Profits}

I am sure Audi sells more than 500 W12 A8s in a year and also more than 500 R8s so i think your point on the Escalade Claims are not Valid.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/28/2008 5:38:17 PMView My AgentSpace

-5 Boost

And obviously, they will be selling far more A4s and A5s every year than Cadillac sells of Escalades, both of which utilizing LEDs.

tattedtwice - 1/28/2008 7:51:17 PM

+3 Boost

Dude, you arent that thick, why is this so hard to grasp? There is a difference between LED HEADLAMPS, and LED running lights. If it's that important to you to point out Audi being a first at something, then point out them being first to use LED's as DRL's. But you just have to face facts that Caddy will be the first to offer the whole sha-bang. I know it must hurt, but facts are facts.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/28/2008 11:23:02 PMView My AgentSpace

-2 Boost

ALRIGHT, I get it.

Even so, the new R8 LED package (coming very soon) has the ENTIRE headlight in LEDs.

Whelan - 1/28/2008 3:44:54 PM

+3 Boost

The A8 uses LED headlamps? I know it has those LED DRL accent things.

This could also be pointing to either just a domestic US manufactured car creating them, or the first SUV to use them. Or even the fact that I am sure the Escalade and W12 A8 does not sells as many models as the Escalade. The 500 was an off the head number to point. If Escalades sell 50,000 a year, and the A8W12 and R8 sell 2,000 a piece, big difference in sales.

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zorbeeze - 1/29/2008 8:58:09 AM

+1 Boost

The volume has nothing to do with this.
They are FULL LED.

Anthony - 1/28/2008 4:05:37 PM

+5 Boost

It is interesting how the marketing is portraying this as the "first full LEDs on a volume car" when this is the "Platinum Edition" which basically means "low volume." Also, the producer of these headlights, "Hella", is already very well-known for their headlight work in the aftermarket world.

Of course I do not mean to sound totally critical. I cannot wait to see more full LED lighting on even more "volume" cars, like the next Prius, maybe.

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bigTYME - 1/30/2008 7:23:57 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Right on. This is an Escalade Platinum. I would guess that this won't even account for 10% of Escalade sales. And by the looks of it, Im guessing that its gonna reach 80 grand, which is a stupid move to throw out that much money on an Escalade. I'll pay max 50 grand for an SUV. I'd rather get an LS460 or an M5 for that money.

ThierryHenry14 - 1/28/2008 5:29:58 PM

0 Boost

Why does it matter who has the first LED headlights? everyone is going to have it in the next 3 years. its not like its something that only Cadillac or Lexus thought of.

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2JZSoarer - 1/28/2008 11:29:52 PM

+1 Boost

Full LED headlights or not the Escalade still looks like crap!!Hey GM,Land Rover is calling and they want their front fenders back!!!

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Lexus - 1/28/2008 11:59:51 PM

+3 Boost

I want to congratulation Cadillac for keeping improving their design especially the new CTS, just gorgeous.

As for this article saying Cadillac beat Lexus to full LED lights, who cares. When they beat Lexus in realiability, quality, customer service and sales than we talk.

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Hyundai - 1/29/2008 12:21:17 AM

+4 Boost

This is such a sad, sad argument.

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Chaos29 - 1/29/2008 2:48:00 AM

+1 Boost

Make the light come on when it rains... some people just don't know how to turn on their headlights.

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Designer1 - 1/29/2008 7:47:49 AM

-1 Boost

wow, so Cadillac considers this an accomplishment? crap!

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bmwfan1513 - 1/29/2008 3:44:45 PM

+2 Boost

They are only headlights. WHO CARES!!!!!

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toolatetorace - 1/29/2008 10:28:33 PM

+1 Boost

case closed

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krackerhatesme - 1/30/2008 11:54:15 AM

0 Boost

Wow headlights! I think the LS460's ability to park itself is much more impressive.

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henbmw - 1/30/2008 3:29:39 PM

-1 Boost

Too bad the car is a waste of metal

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mrchallenger - 1/30/2008 8:29:06 PM

+1 Boost

Cadillac had the first truly interchangeable parts, first electric starters, first design team, first synchronized manual tranny, production wishbone suspension, early V8s, early automatics... so basically, every car company is just copying Cadillac. When you're driving your BMW/Lexus/whatever it's really just a Cadillac.

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XYZZ - 1/31/2008 3:35:24 AM

0 Boost

i give cadillac props for those HISTORICAL firsts.

but what have they done for us lately?

how about the one time so-called "standard of the world" come up to lexus standards of reliability? or at the LEAST, toyota corolla standards of reliability?

leather seats, fancy trim and gizmos are one thing. having the last continue to WORK RELIABLY after the warranty runs out is another. (on this last point, audis and mb ALSO still need to catch up to toyota corollas.)

mrchallenger - 1/31/2008 11:19:27 AM

+1 Boost

I believe Cadillac is well on its way to be Buick's level of reliability... err Lexus. Reliability is fast changing. American cars are catching up or surpassing Japanese cars. Although, I do believe that Cadillac is making some of the most beautiful cars on the road today .

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XYZZ - 2/2/2008 5:58:24 AM

+1 Boost

on its way, but not there yet.

lexus AND toyota are still ahead of buick. which is still ahead of caddy. according to CR's 6 YEAR records. (and the 6-yr records of 10 years ago as well!)

90-day records reflect build quality but are not of much significance for owners.

huu76 - 1/31/2008 8:29:50 PM

+1 Boost

Yup, the Germans know its over when everyone's benchmarking Lexus.

Can't wait for LED headlights to become more mainstream.

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