Cadillac SRX is a luxury crossover with SUV space and off-road capabilities
The SRX, Cadillac’s first-ever luxury crossover, is a bridge between Cadillac’s premium full-size saloons and its luxury SUVs. Both the SRX Elegance and Sport Luxury models feature third row seats that enable up to seven people to enjoy travelling in the all-wheel drive crossover’s luxurious interior.
First introduced in 2004, the Cadillac SRX crossover set a new trend in combining the sporty exterior and driving dynamics of a luxury estate with the off-road capabilities and interior space of an SUV sport utility vehicle. For 2008, the right-hand drive SRX is available in the UK as a three-model range with prices starting at £28,100 (on-the-road).
The SRX expresses Cadillac's bold design vocabulary with its crisp, sharp-edged look, striking vertical headlights and taillights, bold front side sections and the V-shaped front tapering into the classic Cadillac grille.
In the UK, SRX features permanent 4-wheel drive and comes with a choice of V6 or V8 engine, Elegance or Sport Luxury equipment/trim level and a selection of 9 exterior and 3 interior colours. The SRX is built in the USA alongside its Cadillac CTS and STS stablemates at GM’s award-winning Grand River Assembly Centre in Lansing, Michigan.
While the raised front fascia, raised side-sills and command-view seating are themes expressed in luxury sport utility vehicles, the SRX follows the look of CTS with its sharp lines that cascade from front to rear, imparting a sense of motion, fluidity and dynamism.
Vertical headlamps with dual-projector lamps have a distinctive, modern, jewel-like appearance. Their corners are rounded to enhance aerodynamics. Tail lamps echo the vertical orientation of the headlamps and reinforce the height of the vehicle. The lamps are ‘instant-on’ LEDs with clear red lenses revealing the light facets.
Visual appeal of the SRX Sport Luxury model can be further enhanced by customers specifying the optional Sport Package. This adds a fresh exterior look with ‘sport’ front and rear fascias, a sport body-colour front grille with V-Series mesh backing, chrome roof rails and dual chrome exhaust tailpipes, plus (for Elegance buyers) 18-inch ultra-bright alloy wheels.
The interior design of the 2008 SRX benefits from significant changes and upgrades first introduced last year, with upscale materials, comfortable, ergonomic seats and thoughtfully placed controls and switches, plus softer surfaces, new flush-mounted switches and controls, together with enhanced storage capacity.
The SRX cabin now utilises Cadillac’s new ‘cut-and-sew’ interior process that combines advanced technology with the hand-rendered precision of expert craftsmen. Coverings for components such as the instrument panel, centre console and door trim are cut, sewn and wrapped mostly by hand. Wrap-around wood trim envelops the SRX cockpit, starting on the rear doors, continuing to the front doors and on across the instrument panel.
Elevated seating positions in SRX ensure that not only is the driver guaranteed a commanding view of the road, but the ‘command performance’ extends to the rows behind, where theatre-style seating provides excellent visibility for all occupants. The second row seats are 50 mm higher than the first row, while the third row seats rise 120 mm above the second. This arrangement allows middle and rear seats passengers to see the road or landscape – or have a better view of the rear seat entertainment system.
The open-air feeling of the SRX can be boosted even further with the optional ‘UltraView’ powered glass 450 cm2 sunroof (over the first and second row seats) and the ‘UltraView Plus’ option which adds a fixed glass roof over the third row seats for a total of 650 cm2 of sky.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the SRX interior is its generous space thanks to a 2957 mm wheelbase which is one of the longest in its class. There is an exceptional amount of legroom in the rear, and added versatility with a 100 mm fore-aft middle seat travel and class-leading 1040 mm middle-row legroom.
Cargo space is also versatile, ranging from a useful 238 up to a cavernous 1960 litres – depending on the number of seats is use. In order that the cargo bay may still be quickly and easily used whenever required, the third row seats can be power-folded into the floor at the touch of a button.
The Cadillac SRX features a choice of two high-tech powerplants – the Northstar V8 or a highly-efficient, all-aluminium V6 engine with variable timing of both the intake and exhaust valves.
For fitment in the SRX, the 4.6-litre, 32-valve V8 Northstar engine was extensively re-engineered to make its first appearance in an all-wheel drive vehicle. It is a sophisticated, technically advanced powerunit that generates 330 ps at 6400 rpm and 427 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm.
The engine incorporates a host of technically advanced features including electronic ‘drive-by-wire’ throttle control and variable valve timing for extremely accurate fuel injection and more efficient combustion. The new VVT system also eliminates the need for an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system and close coupled catalytic converters, mounted directly adjacent to the exhaust manifold, give added efficiency and rapid warm-up from cold.
The six-speed 6L50 Hydra-Matic automatic transmission provides both increased performance and fuel efficiency. It features a generous 6.04:1 overall ratio that ensures strong ‘launch’ acceleration from standstill, while also providing a ‘tall’ overdrive top gear for enhanced fuel economy (improved by 4%) and reduced noise during cruising.
The 3.6-litre V6 VVT powerplant develops 261 ps at 6500 rpm and 344 Nm of torque at 2800 rpm. This 60-degree dual overhead cam (DOHC), 24-valve engine boasts electronic throttle control, variable valve timing, multi-port fuel injection, two-stage roller chain cam drive, aluminium block and cylinder heads and a forged steel crankshaft. Up to 90 percent of peak torque is available in a wide band from just 1600 to 5800 rpm. It is coupled to a five-speed 5L40 Hyrda-Matic automatic gearbox.
Both the five- and six-speed automatic transmissions feature Driver Shift Control (which offers clutchless sequential manual shifting), electronically controlled engine braking, downgrade detection with brake assist (to help control speed during hill descents), Performance Algorithm Liftfoot (to prevent premature upshifts) and a Transmission Control Module (TCM) that detects a drop in vehicle speed prior to entering a turn, and gives up to two downshifts to provide the driver with maximum engine braking.
The high torsional rigidity of the SRX bodyshell, its near perfectly balanced 50-50% front-rear weight distribution and outstanding dynamics of GM’s Sigma chassis architecture ensure superior ride quality and excellent dynamic stability to create a sport-utility vehicle that is fun to drive. Exceptional wheel travel, with 200 mm of travel in the front and nearly 250 mm in the rear, delivers a subtle and well-controlled ride.
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Related categories: Luxury cars Saloon car Sport utility vehicle SUV
