General Motors pushed Saab out the door several months ago, yet the two are still running the block together in one model.
It’s the 2010 Cadillac SRX, which with a quick-delivery 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 borrowed from Saab has moved ahead of the European luxury compact crossovers in power and torque ratings.
The all-wheel-drive SRX turbo generates 300 horsepower, a pleasant improvement over the more mildly performing standard SRX with its naturally aspirated 3.0-liter engine. The 300 horses compare with 281 for the Volvo XC60 turbo, 270 for the Audi Q5, 268 for Mercedes GLK350 and 260 for BMW X3, and are 35 more than produced in the Lincoln MKX.
The 24-valve V-6 features a twin-scroll intercooled turbocharger, which provides more energy to the turbine and better air charge to the cylinders. Manufactured at GM’s Holden Port Melbourne, Australia, facility, the turbo was designed for Saab and is now also used in the Opel Insignia, in addition to the SRX.
GM, which had controlled Saab since 1990, split off the Swedish firm early this year shortly before it was bought by the Dutch sports car builder Spyker. After a production halt of six months, the ’10 Saab 9-5 will go on sale again in the U.S. this summer, and will offer the 2.8 turbo as an engine choice.
Strong torque comes into play quickly for the SRX V-6, which is mated to an Aisin-built 6-speed automatic transmission, performing equally well with the GM Hydra-Matic 6-speed used with the standard 3.0-liter engine.
With 20-inch wheels and sport-tuned front-strut suspension, the ride of the 4,300-pound SRX is well-balanced with quick steering, tight handling and little body roll on sharp curves. With the 2010 model, the SRX all-wheel-drive unit is based on a front-wheel chassis, while the former SRX was a rear-drive-based structure.
The turbo performance took a slight toll on fuel mileage. Even with a couple highway drives, overall average was 19.9 miles per gallon, compared with 21.3 last November with the SRX standard 3.0-liter crossover. A generous 21-gallon fuel tank gets the Cad far down the road before necessary refueling.
We drove it to Sterling early last week for the funeral of Dean Kelley. Discussion of automobiles was a subject on which Kelley often focused. As a young married family man years ago, he found to his liking the Nash Statesman, a light-bodied, good-riding, high-mpg sedan, and owned several before the company became part of American Motors and the Statesman was discontinued. He later drove full-sized Dodge cars, then switched to Oldsmobiles.
The SRX carried us north on Sunday to the Budweiser Events Center, where granddaughter Nicole Wells was one of the graduating class of 2010 for Windsor High School. Kudos were directed the way of Jeanne Findley, principal, for the smoothly conducted ceremonies – 215 graduates honored in an hour and 10 minutes.
All this driving was by Jan and me; the SRX, though, begs for added passengers to show off its rear-seat entertainment system, which includes dual LCD screens (on the back of the front-seat headrests) with wireless headphones and remote control.
The Premium version of the SRX also highlights a navigation/audio screen that, with touch of a button, rises from the dash for easy viewing. The interior is appealing with heated and cooled front leather seats, hand-cut and stitched leather coverings on the instrument panel, an accommodating center stack and a full-length sunroof overhead.
The driver, with a button on the inside door panel, can fully open or partially open the rear liftgate (29 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second-row seat).
Other amenities are rearview camera, driver information center, power adjustable pedals, trizone climate control, power heated outside mirrors, cruise control, automatic headlamps and headlamp washers, rainsense wipers and OnStar communications.
Shape of the new SRX is somewhat along that of the Lexus RX350, though while the Lexus is of soft lines, the Cadillac is more distinctive with sharp and crisp lines, large grille and stacked headlights. The Sticker price on the SRX Turbo review model was $53,480, about $3,500 higher than the standard SRX driven in November.
Sales of the SRX were strong in April; only the Lexus outsold it among luxury midsize crossovers.
Notes from e-mail
Q: Bud, a neck-warmer in the Mercedes convertible? Are you kidding me? – A.M.
A: I’m serious as can be, Alex; it’s much appreciated in the cool spring and fall.
2010 Cadillac SRX Turbo
$53,480
(price as tested)
MPG City 15 Highway 22
Vehicle type: Luxury SUV crossover
Wheelbase: 110.5 inches
Length/Width/Height: 190.3/75.2/65.7 inches
Weight: 4,307 pounds
Engine: 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 19.9 mpg
Fuel tank: 21 gallons
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic; 5/100,000 powertrain
Competitors: Mercedes GLK350, Lincoln MKX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Volvo XC60, Lexus RX350
Built at: Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
THE STICKER
$51,360 base
$1,295 Rear-seat entertainment, dual-screen DVD
$825 Destination
PLUSES
Turbo power
Entertainment system
Good handling
MINUSES
$50,000-plus cost
Fuel mileage
