Leading by Example

Cadillac’s 2010 SRX crossover shows where a reborn GM should be heading

“Business as usual is over at GM.”
So said General Motors’ president, Fritz Henderson, after the automaker’s blockbuster bailout and bankruptcy earlier this year.
Can I get a hallelujah?
“Business as usual” — a glut of products that weren’t competitive enough — was the overriding problem that sent the ‘Old GM’ to that big scrapheap in the sky. Now, the reborn General’s making all kinds of noise about being leaner and meaner.
During the shakeup, it took a bunch of in-development vehicles out behind the woodshed Old Yeller-style, but what was spared and launched thus far has been impressive: the Chevy Camaro and Equinox, the Buick LaCrosse, the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and our subject, the Cadillac SRX.
Its few flaws aside (stay tuned), the SRX is exactly the kind of vehicle the ‘New GM’ needs to be successful. In a refreshing change from convention, the 2010 model is smaller, lower and less expensive than the model it replaces. The Caddy’s been playing musical chairs too: there’s now only room for five aboard, instead of the previous seven.
The SRX now dukes it out in one of Canada’s toughest vehicle segments, taking on the likes of the Audi Q5, the Mercedes GLK, the Acura MDX, the BMW X3 and the niche’s all-star, the Canadian-built Lexus RX 350. Talk about a tough crowd...
Cadillac’s being coy about the platform that underpins its new midsize crossover. It swears on its laurelled crest that the design is all-new and unique to the SRX, but scuttlebutt has it that there are traces of the Chevy Equinox and the retired Saturn Vue under the Caddy’s cloak. Regardless, it’s a rock-solid chassis on the road, wearing an independent suspension available with a continuously variable damping system that’s always honing the crossover’s ride.
The $41,575 SRX is front-wheel drive as standard; another change from the old crossover that used the rear-drive CTS sedan as its base. All-wheel drive models start at $44,875, and the top-of-the-line trim hits $57,775. (GM says comparable SRX models will undercut key competitors by a few grand).
All swept back and sharp-cornered, the 2010 Caddy attracted a surprising amount of attention during my test drive, earning high marks for its “Art and Science” design language. A tip of the hat to GM for details like the retro-chic finned taillamps, exhaust outlets integrated into the rear bumper and the little Cadillac crests in the swiveling, xenon headlights. Eighteen-inch alloys are standard, with 20s available.
Not only has the SRX dropped its V8 option for 2010, but its duo of V6s are now the smallest-displacement engines Cadillac offers in North America. Fuel economy is the overriding motivator here, so the base engine gets a mediocre grade in the performance department.
Our pre-production tester was outfitted with the standard 3.0-litre direct injection V6. It’s a smaller version of the mill found in the CTS sedan, producing 265 horsepower and 223 lb-ft of torque. Not bad numbers on paper, but three factors spoil the party: first, the six-speed automatic transmission won’t let the engine rev enough to find any of that claimed power; second, the AWD system is always pilfering power for all four corners; and finally, there’s the somewhat hefty curb weight of 4,307 kg (1,854 lbs.). Still, that’s 200 lbs. lighter than the Lexus RX and the 3.0L returns 12.2 L/100 km (23 mpg) city and 8.8 (32) highway.
The optional engine should prove more vivacious. It’s the 2.8L turbocharged V6 seen recently in Saabs and other GM Europe products. It delivers 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque at a low 2,000 rpm. No fuel economy numbers were available at press time, but the 2.8L model does offer a driver–selectable “eco mode” that adjusts the six-speed automatic transmission to maximize fuel economy.
So, how doth this Caddy zig? Pretty well, actually. GM is making all kinds of noise about the crossover’s one million kilometres of testing across Europe and at race tracks in Italy, Spain and Germany’s famed Nürburgring.
Analogies to sportiness and athletics don’t quite apply: the SRX is more about returning planted, competent premium car ride and handling. Dare I say like an Audi… Only that active suspension is blemished, becoming harsh over larger lumps.
The SRX’s optional AWD system is a high-tech bit of kit. Co-developed with the experts at Haldex, it uses 20 sensors to figure out when and where traction is needed around the vehicle. A rear electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) allows the Caddy to move torque front-to-rear and side-to-side across the rear wheels. Four-wheel ABS disc brakes and stability control are standard.
It’s thrilling to finally report good news about a GM interior (I know, I don’t get out much). Basically, the SRX is as nicely turned out as any competitor. You can tell that real thought went into little things, like the switches and door release designs, instead of just diving blindly into the corporate parts bin for whatever fit — even the buttons are colour-matched to the interior.
The hand-cut-and-sewn covering on the instrument panel is a nice touch, as is the Cadillac crest that appears in the high-res. info-display at start-up. The front seats are covered in high-quality leather and can be heated and cooled. There’s room in the back row for three in a pinch and front, side and curtain airbags are standard.
High-tech highlights available on the SRX include a power liftgate with programmable height, a pop-up navigation screen, a 40 GB hard drive, a Bose stereo, rear DVD screens, Bluetooth compatibility and GM’s OnStar system. Features-wise, I’m barely scratching the surface here.
The rear compartment swallowed two mountain bikes during our test drive with the rear seats folded flat. It includes a U-shaped rail for different cargo management add-ons.
All in all, the 2010 SRX is leaner and more focused than the model that preceded it — a great early step from the automaker that’s trying to do much the same.