Attitude with an Edge
Cadillac's new SRX highlights crisp look and maximum performance

by Martha Hindes

Well, think again, say the folks at Cadillac, the luxury marque at General Motors. More than German or Japanese competitors can play the compact luxury utility game.

That's a promise that goes on sale later this year as Cadillac starts offering its new SRX, a sporty, driver's SUV meant to compete with the BMW X5s and Mercedes M Classes of the world in the fiercely-contended midsize performance luxury sport uility market. That's a segment Cadillac has needed to join to plug a discernible gap in its product lineup and halt competitors such as the Lexus RS 330 from continuing to chip away at its potential customer base.

Analyst David Cole, with the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research (CAR), said GM has had potential SUV buyers in a sort of mental training mode, prior to the upcoming intro. The edgy-looking SRX shares the same rear-drive Sigma architecture and family characteristics with the CTS performance automobile buyers have had a year to get used to. Now that consumers have approved of the somewhat aggressive CTS styling and reputation as a driver's car, that could transfer to the similarly styled sport utility version.

The new Cadillac "bloodline" vehicle stands midway between the CTS auto and big brother Escalade, the full-size, truck-based sport utility that was first in the Caddy truck lineup. Company product information refers to the unique SRX styling, with its "chiseled vertical tail and headlamps and V-shaped grille." Those features, it says, compete with and yet stand out from the sometimes more monochromatic feel of Japanese and European competitors. If the CTS training Cole referred to stuck, buyers will accept the bolder-look of the SRX as well.

Cadillac "bought time with the Escalade because it had a platform to work with," said Cole. "Now they are really entering the full battle with (the SRX)...It's much more civilized than the full-sized truck-based vehicle. You can't make something that big ride and drive like a car. You have to start with a car-based vehicle."

Cadillac appears to have overlooked no detail in bringing its car-based SRX, "with the heart and soul of a sport sedan," to fruition. That's a claim that seemed right on target during a brief test drive that proved it tight, responsive and aggressive, but with an easy handling touch.

At the top of the list is performance. Specs show the longest wheelbase in the class, says Cacillac. A low center of gravity and a 50-50 weight distribution between front and rear provide better stability and handling control and add to the fun-to-drive potential whether in rear- or all-wheel-drive versions.

"Road manners," is a term often bandied about in automotive circles to define a vehicle where all performance elements work together as intended, and Cadillac claims a generous portion with the SRX. It also has loaded up the vehicle wth just about every advanced technology it possesses, from four channel Stabilitrak active suspension control to the Magnetic Ride Control it calls the first in the segment and describes as the fastest-reacting suspension control system on the planet. Other available technology includes Panic Brake Assist and adjustable pedals (nice for those short in stature), all-aluminum suspension components to smooth out the ride, speed sensitive variable effort steering to make guiding the vehicle a breeze, tire pressure monitor, and Driver Shift Control -- Caddy's version of the clutchless stick shift substitute widely offered on luxury vehicles.

Power comes from two engines, with two corresponding five speed automatic transmissions. The 3.6 liter V-6 (LY7) is all new and the 4.6 liter Northstar V-8 with variable valve timing is the latest version of GM's top-of-the-line high performance engine. It's the first-ever Northstar designed for a rear-drive vehicle with "longitudinal rather than transverse application." Translated, that has something to do with smooth, refined performance and active driver involvement, credentials that fit both the CTS and auto and SRX utility.

Cadillac hasn't ignored the interior either, claiming the most generous legroom for second row seating (at 41 inches) which folds flat, third row seats that fold flat into the trunk floor with the push of a power button and even third row cupholders -- that largely American addition some imports were long reluctant to duplicate. With no optional third row seating, there's room for a cargo management system with three compartments and a removable storage bin.

Multiple storage niches are everywhere, including the glove box with an extra storage shelf.

The SRX can be flooded with daylight, thanks to its "UltraView," the largest area sunroof system available in the segment that truly does feel almost like a convertible when open. It opens over the first and second row seats when the weather is nice, and has a power sunshade to block excessive sunlight. Wood mates with leather throughout the interior, gracing steering wheel, shifter knob, and even door pulls. Available are the requisite options from DVD navigation system, XM Satellite Radio and Bose premium sound system wih rear seat entertainment, to GM's standard equipment OnStar communciations systems.

Pricing for the base model V-6 starts at a spartan
$38,690, including a $696 destination charge. Popularly equipped, a V-6 would run about $44,000 and a V-8 about $48,000, according to Cadillac spokeswoman Kelly Cusinato.

"That's a little less than a BMW X5 and a little more than an RX 330," she said.

SRX is aimed at the younger buyer, the same one it has targeted with the CTS, who's the basis of an image change for the division now shedding layers of its past. It's the same consumer who has often shown little concern for product loyalty, but that Cadillac and every other auto maker needs to lure and keep.

Cadillac hasn't been idle in subliminal efforts either, as it grooms itself to also compete with Acura, Volvo, Infiniti and Volkswagen with its new Touareg. European-style letter designations are showing up for new Cadillac models: The CTS auto, SRX utility and retractable hardtop XLR luxury roadster that also debuts as an '04 model.

With Alpha designations as part of its naming strategy, the first letter tells the series class of the vehicle, while the second and third give its attributes, said Cusinato. "A lot of other luxury manufacturers are moving to this."

And will the Cadillac SRX catch on with consumers? During a brief test drive in June, a man parked his late model red Corvette on the roadside to wave me down to check it out. His verdict? A winner, he said.

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