Cadillac SRX Turbo Killed

Cadillac SRX

It was good while it lasted. At least, this is what some Cadillac SRX fans said when hearing that the turbocharged flavor of the SUV will be pushed out of production. Speculation regarding a potential axing of the SRX Turbo emerged in late 2010 and, although nobody ever confirmed that such a move is under consideration, voices familiar with the matter hinted that the low sales the car is registering can only lead to its discontinuation.

A Cadillac PR has recently confirmed to GMI that the SRX Turbo has been killed, of course, pointing to the disappointing sales the model has posted in the first and only year of availability.

Cadillac's Robyn Henderson told the aforementioned source that 90 percent of the SRX range sales went to the 3.0-liter configuration which is the only one that remains available across the series.

Cadillac SRX

Cadillac’s SRX is a serious challenger to the best in the luxury crossover segment, and the availability of a turbocharged version only adds to its luster.

Competitors include the Lincoln MKT, Lexus RX350, Audi Q5, Acura MDX, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-class and the Infiniti FX45.

Cadillac’s styling is a strong point, and the brand has a distinctive face that is recognizable from model to model. The SRX sits tall, yet the roofline slopes nicely to create a sporty profile. The downside of the sloping roof is a slightly smaller cargo space, but for a majority of buyers, sacrificing a few inches of trunk space is not a major consideration.

Crossovers have become the utility vehicle of choice. In many ways, they’re the contemporary equivalent to the station wagons of a few years back. They offer good room for passengers, a flexible cargo space and the appeal of available all-wheel drive.

The SRX is one of Cadillac’s best products to date, and I was impressed every time I slid behind the wheel.

SRX base prices begin at $33,330 and top out at $51,360 for the test car, an all-wheel drive, turbocharged Premium model.

Many competing crossovers have larger engines, but the SRX makes up in power what it lacks in size. The base 3.0-liter engine delivers 265 horsepower, but for those who want a bit extra, the turbocharged 2.8 liter cranks out 300 horsepower.

The turbo is fun when you mash the throttle and feel a pleasant push in your back. The six-speed automatic transmission makes nice crisp shifts that enhance the feeling of acceleration.

Cadillac SRX delivers less than it promises

This latest SRX rides on a new architecture that borrows engineering elements from two other GM chassis that are quite competitive in their respective segments: the Chevy Equinox's "Theta" and the Chevy Malibu's "Epsilon." (It is not simply an Equinox with frosting, as some believe.)

In base form it uses a direct-injected 265-horsepower 3.0-litre version of GM's "High Feature" V6 family, paired with a six-speed automatic. A 300 hp, 2.8-litre turbo version is also available, but you'll have to move up to the $55,870 "Performance Collection" trim level to get it.

My $52,195 "Luxury and Performance Collection" tester – a trim level that, despite its name, ranks below the "Performance Collection" – had the 3.0-litre mill.

The SRX's available all-wheel-drive system is essentially the same Haldex unit that gives the Saab 9-3 XWD such a wonderfully balanced feel (SRXs are front-wheel drive otherwise). There's even an optional Sport Suspension that features continuously adjustable damping and a special ZF steering rack; all SRXs feature hydraulic power steering and an aluminum-intensive suspension.

2010 Cadillac SRX FWD

General Motors hopes to target the heart of the luxury crossover segment. The key competitors are the Lexus RX 350, Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes GLK. The only competitor that comes close to SRX is the Lexus 350, in my estimation. With the other brands costing more, the standard SRX price is $43,895 is hard to compete with.

The SRX is powered by a 3.0 L WT DOHC V-6 SIDI or optional 2.8L turbocharged V-6 engine ( 6-speed automatic transmission.).

Cadillac SRX is loaded with luxury conveniences: AM/FM stereo, CD/DVD player, Navigation and voice recognition, 8-inch touch screen, Bose 10-speaker system, and Bluetooth for phone.

Cadillac SRX offers the creature comforts

Cadillac's redesigned 2010 SRX crossover arrived recently at American Chevrolet Cadillac of Muncie. Numerous high-tech features, as well as a comfortable and aesthetically-appealing interior, make the new SRX a luxurious and versatile vehicle, according to Jama Pippin, assistant sales manager at the dealership. Complete specifications and pricing information for the SRX and all other Cadillac models is available at driveamerican.com and at Cars.com. (Ken Wickliffe / The Star Press)

2010 Cadillac SRX

Base price range: $33,330 -- $47,540

Warranty: Five years/100,000 miles (powertrain, roadside assistance, courtesy transportation); four years/50,000 miles (bumper-to-bumper)

Fuel economy: 18 city/25 highway (front-drive); 17 city/23 highway (all-wheel drive)

Engines: Three-liter V6 with 265 horsepower; 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 with 300 horsepower

Transmission: six-speed automatic

Safety features: Driver and passenger front airbags, thorax frontal side-impact airbags, front and rear head-curtain airbags, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, tire pressure monitoring system, traction control, StabiliTrak stability control, OnStar (standard)

"The interior of the SRX is exceptionally appealing, with attractive colors and many creature comforts," said Jama Pippin, assistant sales manager at American Chevrolet Cadillac. "It's geared toward individuals and families who want a crossover that's both practical and luxurious."

High-tech electronics are behind many of the SRX's features, she said, citing adaptive forward headlamps that swivel to illuminate the road ahead in a curve and a navigation system with a pop-up screen and three-dimensional imaging. A hard disk drive linked to the Bose audio system can offer onboard storage of a music library, Pippin added, and the video display for the SRX's available rearview camera draws an onscreen diagram to illustrate the vehicle's expected path of travel while backing up.

Seats in the SRX adjust to fit people of all sizes, and optional power-adjustable pedals move forward or backward to let shorter drivers get comfortable without sitting too close to the steering wheel, Pippin said.

"As a short-legged person myself, I like the adjustable pedals because they allow me to sit back a safe distance from the airbag," she explained. "At the same time, taller people, like my husband, can have plenty of room to stretch their legs."

The SRX's design theme, which Cadillac calls "Art and Science," resembles that of other vehicles in the lineup, according to Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac.

"As with the 2008 CTS, we advanced our Art and Science design to create a crossover for style-conscious customers," he said in a press release. "The exterior features a dramatic diving gesture on the body side to impart the feeling of movement, even at rest."

Cadillac SRX gets massive makeover Improvements to interior

It may sound just a tad unbelievable and it's most certainly surprising, but the best thing about Cadillac's new SRX is its interior styling.

Long a weakness of even the latest generation of "new-and-improved" Caddys, the SRX's cabin vaults it into a leadership position -- at least in this regard -- where the previous version was the worst the upscale crossover segment had to offer.

For instance, the gauge set -- long a feature Cadillac seemed to dismiss as insignificant -- now stands out as a truly original design. Not only do the gauges feature trendy black numerals on a bright white background, but the centre of the speedometer is occupied by a little, round, full-colour thin-film-transfer display that shows all manner of vehicle/engine/trip functions in a bright and cheery manner. It even displays a short video rendition of Cadillac's new emblem upon startup.

But those aren't the only interesting new touches. All but the base SRX have a power liftgate that finally offers an adjustable height limiter (via a rotary switch mounted on the driver's door) so that those shorter of stature can reach the door-close button. The SRX also gets the CTS's pop-up LCD screen for the navigation system, which stows away when not in use.

The improvement to the SRX's interior isn't limited to gimmickry. The centre stack has been cleaned up, and there's some well-crafted aluminum-finished trim around the air conditioning controls as well as fresh new Sapele wood trim tastefully distributed throughout the door, lower console and steering wheel. The highlight, however, are the neat little door latches, ordinarily minor details that become stylistic highlights thanks to their dramatically sculpted design, ergonomic correctness and satiny finish.

The new SRX is also roomier than the previous version-- at least for five passengers.

That's because Cadillac has abandoned the minivan alternative, jack-of-all-trades positioning of the first SRX and is no longer offering seven-passenger seating, even as an option.

The result is a shorter crossover that, according to Max Wolf, Cadillac's exterior design director, led to the SRX's aggressive exterior silhouette with a more dramatically sloped rear roofline and shorter overhangs. And, despite its shorter wheelbase, the new SRX's trunk is expansive.

This downsizing also results in a more nimble SRX. Though it's no BMW X5 -- not surprising since Cadillac is targeting the Lexus RX as its direct competitor -- the new SRX is far more at home on twisty roads than was the old.

The new TE platform is admirably rigid, its track is wider and the suspension is just a little on the firm side of plush, resulting in minimal body roll without shaking the fillings out of the passengers. Even the steering, long a GM weakness, is communicative and direct. Only the brakes are found wanting. As for the switch to a front-wheel-drive rather than rear-drive platform, it affects on-road handling very little.