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BIRMINGHAM, MI – Proving some forms of downsizing can be a good thing, General Motors Co. slims down the ’10 Cadillac SRX to a leaner, sassier cross/utility vehicle intended for broader appeal.
Not that the previous-generation SRX misfired so terribly. Although its optional, hulking Northstar V-8 in today’s political climate would border on scandalous, the previous generation’s available Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) turned in superb car-like handling for a CUV.
And after its ’07 refresh, the interior easily was competitive in the large luxury CUV segment, earning Ward’s Interior of the Year honors.
But the big, boxy rear end of the old SRX turned many people off, while the third-row seating it enabled was awfully cramped for anyone graduated from grammar school.
Consumers said the older model was too wagon-like, even if it was the least expensive entry in its segment.
For proof of their sentiment, look no further than sales of the popular Lexus RX 330 and RX 350 middle luxury CUVs over the lifespan of the first SRX, which launched in 2004.
Between 2004 and 2008, the RX line, which always stood as the SRX’s primary competitor despite occupying separate segments, outsold the Cadillac CUV by a margin of 5-to-1, according to Ward’s data.
Whether consumers gravitate to the new model’s much sportier but still hewn-from-stone exterior styling remains to be seen. However, it definitely stands out in a sea of vanilla-flavored 5-passenger luxury CUVs.
