Cadillac SRX
The completely redesigned 2010 SRX crossover brings a more dynamic alternative to the luxury crossover segment. It features a dramatic design, inside and out, with more efficient engine choices offered on a new luxury crossover architecture.
The midsize SRX’s advanced V-6 engines are the smallest-displacement engines Cadillac offers in North America. A new, 3.0L direct injected V-6 engine is standard and a new, 2.8L turbocharged V-6 is optional. Both employ advanced technology that helps produce strong performance that is typical of larger-displacement engines, but with greater fuel economy and lower emissions. SRX FWD models with the 3.0L engine are EPA-rated at 25 mpg on the highway.
“The all-new SRX injects emotion into a segment previously devoid of it,” said Steve Shannon, executive director of Cadillac marketing. “With new technologies for increased efficiency and safety, the redesigned 2010 SRX crossover aims at the heart of one of the industry’s strongest categories – the luxury crossover segment.”
Performance and safety are enhanced by an available all-wheel-drive (AWD) system designed to optimize vehicle handling and stability in all driving conditions. The pre-emptive, active-on-demand system provides an extra measure of capability in wet or icy conditions.
The 2010 SRX rides on a wide track designed to deliver a nimble, responsive driving experience. It seats five, with generous occupant and cargo room, and can tow up to 3,500 pounds (1,587 kg) when properly equipped.
Distinctive design and craftsmanship
“Cadillac is known for bold design. The 2010 SRX builds on that reputation,” said Clay Dean, Cadillac global design director. “As with the 2008 CTS, we advanced our Art and Science design to create a crossover for style-conscious customers. The exterior features a dramatic diving gesture on the body side to impart the feeling of movement, even at rest.”
A multi-piece shield grille and Cadillac’s iconic vertical headlamps – with light pipe technology and available adaptive forward lighting – are the face of the SRX. They blend into a tightly wrapped, sweeping body that tapers downward at the rear, giving the vehicle a sporty profile, Dean said.
The SRX has a wide stance, minimal overhang and wheels pushed to corners. Eighteen-inch wheels are standard and 20-inch wheels are offered. A bold accent line dives across the body side and culminates at a chrome front fender vent that incorporates a side marker lamp. An integrated spoiler on the rearward edge of the roof extends the sleek lines and improves aerodynamics.
“Inside the new SRX, technical precision blends with old-world craftsmanship,” Dean said. “Hand-cut-and-sewn coverings on the instrument panel and ambient lighting details convey a finely tailored cabin.”
An integrated center stack houses controls for climate and audio systems, while the navigation system rises from the center of the instrument panel. A signature example of the SRX’s attention to detail is the Cadillac script logos in the front door sill plates that illuminate when the doors are opened.
Advanced technology and entertainment systems
The 2010 SRX features numerous advanced electronic systems. Highlights include a “pop-up” navigation screen in the dashboard with three-dimensional imaging, adaptive forward lighting that swivels the headlamps in synch with vehicle steering, power liftgate with programmable height setting, integrated hard disc drive for audio storage and a dual-screen system for rear entertainment.
Bluetooth compatibility is standard, as is OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn Navigation service for buyers who do not select the navigation system option.
Efficient performance
The interior and exterior design of the new SRX communicates that Cadillac’s new crossover is a more dynamic alternative to its competitors. Likewise, the technology and driving performance of the SRX is completely new, featuring smaller engines and the introduction of a new chassis. SRX’s new engine lineup marks a major change, with the standard 3.0L and optional 2.8L engines replacing the previous generation SRX’s 3.6L and 4.6L engines.
The SRX is powered by a new, fuel-efficient direct injected 3.0L V-6 that delivers 265 horsepower (198 kW) and has a six-speed automatic transmission. Direct injection results in more power, better fuel economy and lower emissions, all with a smaller-displacement package. As a result, the new V-6 engine may achieve a 1 0- to 15-percent fuel economy improvement over the previous standard engine.
The 3.0L direct injection V-6 is a smaller-displacement version of the 3.6L, direct injection engine featured in the CTS sport sedan and named one of the world’s 10 Best Engines for 2009 by Ward’s Automotive. Along with direct injection technology, the 3.0L engine uses variable valve timing to optimize power and fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. It is paired with a Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control.
A 2.8L turbocharged V-6, derived from a family of refined engines GM uses in luxury European models, is optional in the SRX and will be introduced at the middle of the 2010 model year. It delivers an estimated 300 horsepower (224 kW) under full boost, but the fuel economy of a smaller engine during lower-load driving conditions, such as highway cruising. An Aisin AF40 six-speed automatic transmission is matched with the 2.8L turbo and includes a driver-selectable “eco mode” that alters transmission shift points to maximize fuel economy.
Dynamic driving
The driving experience of the SRX blends the best elements of a sports sedan with the safety and excellent traction capability that crossover and SUV buyers value. One of its core elements is a new, advanced AWD system, featuring an electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD.) The eLSD enables the system to distribute torque from the front to rear axle, and also side-to-side, across the rear axle. Developed in partnership with Haldex, a leader in AWD technology, the system provides torque to the wheel with the most traction.
The advanced AWD system provides excellent traction in slippery conditions like rain, snow or ice. In all conditions, the system bolsters other driving dynamics, such as cornering. The suspension includes an available, continuously variable real-time damping system in conjunction with AWD that delivers smooth ride quality by adjusting shock damping rates in response to road conditions.
SRX features standard 18-inch wheels or optional 20-inch wheels. The rack-and-pinion steering system is hydraulic and speed-sensitive, with tuning biased for sport sedan-style driving and strong on-center feel. StabiliTrak electronic stability control is standard.
Storage and practicality
Crossovers and SUVs are sometimes best appreciated from the inside out, as their owners highly value the people- and cargo-hauling practicality they offer. The new SRX was developed with that in mind. Despite having more compact exterior dimensions than its predecessor, the cabin space is optimized for five-passenger luxury and good cargo-carrying ability.
The rear compartment includes a Cargo Management System that features a U-Rail track system. It includes an adjustable cargo fence that segments the cargo area to contain smaller items, and also retracts beneath the load floor when not in use.
Enhanced safety
The SRX is designed to protect occupants before, during and after a crash. A strong body structure and chassis that absorb crash energy are complemented by martensitic steel in the fully enclosed rocker sections. Martensitic steel is one of the strongest available. Its use in the rockers helps protect against intrusion during a side-impact crash, while also helping to maintain the structure during front and rear crashes.
Additional safety features include standard head curtain side air bags, standard front seat-mounted pelvic/thorax side air bags, front safety belts with dual pretensioners and load limiters, rollover mitigation sensors, trailer stability assist and OnStar.
The SRX was also designed to meet European pedestrian protection standards; and the front bumper is positioned for greater compatibility with car bumpers.
