Cadillac seems to be doing all of the right things as of recent, especially with their latest effort to take down the BMW 3-Series. Word is now that America’s top brass is planning ahead for a competitor against the likes of the BMW X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.

“We’re looking at options there,” Kurt McNeil, Cadillac’s vice president of sales, said Tuesday in an interview at the Detroit auto show. “I think it would go a little bit more head-to-head with like the X3.”

This word comes after signs that General Motors is trying to boost sales for Cadillac to better compete with the smaller models from BMW. The Cadillac ATS is part of these efforts.

“The fact that Cadillac is becoming more of a global brand will certainly play a role in that decision,” McNeil said. “We have to be as good or better than our main competitors.”

And they are very much capable of doing so. But ultimately, the decision has not yet been made to give a baby Escalade a green light.

- By: Chris Chin

Source: AutoNews

A recall is being issued for close to 20,000 Cadillac SRX models by General Motors for potential problems with the crossover’s transmission.

A total of 8,789 units are being recalled in the U.S., while Shanghai GM is recalling 9,862 units, and the remainder are scattered amongst 20 additional countries.

Click here for more news on the Cadillac SRX.

All of the vehicles affected by the recall were made in Mexico at GM’s Ramos Arizpe plant, for model years 2010 and 2011.

Problems with the transmission that have been noted so far are unwanted movement when shifting between drive and park and improper routing of the shift cable. So far no reports of injury or accident have been reported because of this issue.

Check out our review on the 2012 Cadillac SRX.

GM also announced that another model built in the Ramos Arizpe plant, the Chevrolet Captiva, has a recall issued for 3,150 units sold to U.S. rental car agencies for problems with the power steering overheating.

By: Alexandra Koken

Source: MSNBC

Let’s take a quick trip back in time to the 1960s and early 1970s. A time when a gallon of regular hovered just around the 30-40-cent mark and its primary additive was tetra-ethyl lead. It was a time where conservation and efficiency were afterthoughts and a man’s wealth was determined by the size of their automobile rather than how much chrome it had. Foreign nameplates were just beginning to trickle their way into the world’s largest automobile market at the time with very limited success.

Typically, if you were an individual of wealth in search for a luxury automobile, you would beeline it to America’s second oldest brand—the marque whose slogan has stuck history as the “Standard of the World.” Elvis had many and so did countless other individuals of equal, prominent stature such as politicians and performers. And that’s because Cadillac was the undoubted buy word for pure luxury.

Even if you didn’t live to see this time, Cadillac’s reputation and corporate philosophy of producing cars with precision engineering and stylish luxury is indubitably embedded in history. Essentially, they were America’s Mercedes-Benz.

Now though, Cadillac isn’t the only brand you’re confronted with when in search for a luxury automobile. Much time elapsed since the brand’s last peak, even facing death for some time in the 1990s. It was not until Cadillac introduced the CTS that they began to regain some of the luxury market share, which was mostly lost to the foreign offerings. Fast forward to today, post-General Motors bailout, Cadillac has certainly come a long way.

In order to keep up with the foreign competition, Cadillac introduced their first crossover back in 2004 with the CTS-based SRX, which didn’t turn out to be so terrible, especially with its rear-wheel drive roots and 4.6l Northstar V8. It was a worthy competitor in its segment, but was still overshadowed by the foreign offerings. Plagued with General Motors’ pre-bailout shoddy build quality on top of being a quirky design, the SRX was a bit of a slow seller. It was rather unfortunate too since the rear-wheel drive SRX was scoring well across the desks of automotive publications, winning some titles such as one of Car & Driver’s Five Best Luxury SUVs for 2004, 2005, and 2006 and a nomination for the North American Truck of the Year award in 2004.

2012 Cadillac SRX Specifications:

• Style: Crossover.
• Drive Type: FWD / AWD.
• Seating Capacity: 5.
• Base Price: $35,185.
• Price As Tested: $48,245.
• Engine: 3.0 liter V6 – 308-hp / 365 lb-ft of torque.
• Transmission: 6-speed automatic.
• 0 to 60 mph: 7.0 seconds.
• Top Speed: 132 mph.
• Curb Weight: 4,277 lbs (4,442 lbs for AWD).
• Fuel-economy (city/highway/combined): 18/25 mpg (AWD model gets 17/23 mpg).

All Photos Copyright © Nikolina Kostrevski - egmCarTech.

The SRX was completely reworked in 2009 to be based off of GM’s new Theta Premium platform, internally dubbed the GM267. And its purpose was clear: to attempt to dethrone the segment-leading, proverbial Lexus RX350. So, because the current SRX has been with us for about three years now, Cadillac had sent the SRX back to the drawing board for a little mid-cycle refresh to further focus its aim on the Lexus. Over the life of the SRX, Cadillac was sure to listen very closely to the feedback given from customers and automotive journalists alike. And when egmCarTech reviewed the SRX twice (here and here) not too long ago, we liked it a lot. But there were some widely expressed concerns with the still lackluster powertrain when compared to the competition and to address those concerns, Cadillac made sure to focus on those concerns by axing the original two V6 powerplants for just one option. So, how does it fare?

Exterior:

Where as the segment-leading Lexus RX350 sacrificed its humdrum, yet subtly handsome looks for something more dramatic and equally mundane for the complete redesign in 2010, the Cadillac’s sharp, chiseled and edgy angles gives it much more presence and character that is wholly representative of the evolution of American auto design, something alone that is worth its own merit.

Interior:

The modern good looks transcend the insides as well. Forget any premonitions that this SRX is cheaply built, because it’s nearly the complete opposite of Cadllacs from the last three decades. None of the bargain-basement plastics can be found in this latest SRX. Nearly every surface inside of the Cadillac is covered in soft touch material or high-quality feeling leather. There’s a good balance between the execution of real wood and faux metal trim, contributing to a very warming and upscale ambiance to the cabin. And Cadillac’s pursuit for the “Standard of the World” can be well exhibited, holding true to the brand’s reputation for luxury.

However I could point out a hint or two that the Cadillac is still built to a budget as the interior was lacking some refinement. For instance, the vertical distance between the gas and brake pedal is completely off. The brake pedal was so high in relative to the throttle that I often found myself getting my shoe caught under the brake pedal. That’s not only bothersome, but a major safety issue as well. The next instance isn’t as dramatic, but when we decided to test out the 10-speaker Bose surround sound system, there was quite a bit of rattling whenever the subwoofer emphasized any sort of low frequencies. It’s a minor foible, yes, but it was just a little nuisance. Lastly, the seats I thought were bit too small. Though they had decent support, they were a bit hard for a luxury car and felt like they were positioned too forward, giving off the feeling that my face should always be up close and personal with the windshield.

Performance:

The biggest change for the 2012 SRX was the consolidation of the SRX’s powertrain. Before the update, buyers could choose from either a 3.0l direct-injected V6 that was good for 265hp and 223 lb-ft of torque, or a 2.8l turbocharged V6 that produced 300hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged V6 was a tough sell because it was not the most refined engine. And the 3.0l was a bit gutless, especially since it had to lug about 4,277 lbs through its front wheels, 4,442 lbs if you had all-wheel drive.

So to make things easier, they dropped the two latter for a naturally-aspirated, direct-injected 3.6L V6 that churns out 308hp and 265 torques. Although the differences in the numbers aren’t significant, the 3.6l easily sets itself as far more superior to the previous two V6s and it all comes down to the power delivery. The 3.0l V6 needed a solid thrashing in order to take full advantage of its power band; where as the turbocharged 2.8l V6 was just all over the place with its nonlinear power delivery and noticeable turbo lag. The 3.6l V6 on the other hand is a far livelier and more refined engine. Torque peaks at a low 2400 RPM while horsepower peaks at 6800 RPM. The result is a very wide and effortlessly linear power band.

Channeling the power to the axle(s) is GM’s electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic, the same cog swapper mated to the original 2.8l. That means the transmission comes standard with a manual control function and the same “Eco” mode that debuted with the 2.8l. Though the shifts were smooth, the gearbox had the tendency to be downshift-happy. Any throttle pedal input greater than the growth of your toenail forced the SRX to downshift two gears, as if you were flooring it on a German car with the kickdown switch. It was rather irritating and unnecessary, especially if you just wanted to casually accelerate. It gave me the sense that Cadillac wanted to keep the SRX interesting by making the transmission react in a sportier manner, but they tried a little too hard. Shifting the selector to the right engages the SRX’s standard sport program, which just holds the gears. Hit the “Eco” button and the SRX’s Hydra-Matic upshifts just slightly earlier to give the SRX a 17/24 city/highway EPA fuel rating. Either way, if you prod the throttle above 15%, down come two gears.

On paper, it seemed they went a little backwards because the new platform changed the drive wheels from rear and all-wheel to just front or all-wheel to again, set the SRX’s aim directly at the Lexus. Where as the rear-wheel drive SRX handled well enough to satisfy the enthusiastic driver, the new SRX goes for a more neutral approach.

Our tester was equipped with Cadillac’s adaptive suspension and the results were rather surprising. Body motions are well controlled with no waft. Crank the Cadillac’s three-spoke wheel and the SRX will glide from bend to bend with poised composure. But don’t think for a minute that this is a BMW X5, because it’s far from it. The brakes, although firm and responsive, were lacking in feel. The steering is also very praise worthy when compared to the Lexus. Much like a Mercedes, it is solid, accurate, well weighted, has good feedback, but also lacking in feel. In fact, the whole driving experience mimics that of a Mercedes. Push the SRX to the limits and understeer is the name of the game. But the threshold at which understeer became truly apparent was high enough to make the enthusiasts smirk and keep the average driver safe.

And despite the optional 20-inch rims, the Cadillac’s ride was absolutely superb in nearly every way and is by far the closest to anything from Germany. Smooth, serene and most of all, solid, are the best ways to describe the SRX’s ride. Nearly ever road imperfection I encountered was completely shrugged off; and keep in mind, these were on the severely battered roads of New York City and New Jersey.

Overall:

Overall, Cadillac discovered that marketing their crossover to the enthusiast wasn’t going to yield the success that they sought. And while the SRX sacrifices its edgy-performance and commendable rear-wheel drive handling for something more serene and neutral, that’s not at all by any means a bad thing.

But if I were asked, I’d gladly walk away with the SRX.

- By: Chris Chin

All Photos Copyright © Nikolina Kostrevski - egmCarTech

“CUE will transform personal transportation by  simply and efficiently integrating luxury design and instinctive technology with unparalleled levels of customized in-vehicle connectivity,” Don Butler, Vice President, Cadillac Marketing, announced at the CTIA Wireless Association’s Enterprise and Applications conference.

To put it in simple terms, the Cadillac CUE is pairs the entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system. Based on Linux, Cadillac CUE uses natural voice recognition, fewer buttons, and larger icons to make things easier for the drive to see on a 8-inch LCD touchscreen and a 13.3 inch LCD reconfigurable gauge cluster.

The first cars get the Cadillac CUE system will be the XTS, ATS and the SRX.

Side Note: This could very well be the interior of the new Cadillac XTS.

Hit the jump for the video and the press release for more details.

———

Press Release:

• Natural voice recognition, fewer buttons, larger icons, greater customization
• Central instrument panel features fully capacitive faceplate, vibrant 8-inch LCD touch screen with proximity sensing, multi-touch hand gestures
• 3.5 times more processing power than current systems

SAN DIEGO – Cadillac CUE, a comprehensive in-vehicle experience that merges intuitive design with auto industry-first controls and commands for information and entertainment data, will benefit consumers by offering personalized, connected driving beginning in 2012.

CUE will debut in 2012 in the Cadillac XTS and ATS luxury sedans and SRX luxury crossover. CUE is designed to be unique for each consumer, from the “simple user” to the fully connected “super user.”

“For the tech-savvy, it’s everything you want it to be – a full suite of infotainment, navigation and communication tools that keeps you fully connected. For the tech-averse, its power is remarkably simple, intuitive and accessible,” Butler said.

CUE, which stands for Cadillac User Experience, will pair entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that reduces complexity through customized information, natural voice commands and fewer buttons and larger icons

For example, most of today’s luxury cars have around 20 buttons controlling the radio and entertainment functions. CUE reduces that to just four buttons.

“CUE doesn’t replace your smartphone or your iPod™,” said Micky Bly, executive director, Global Electric Systems, Infotainment and Electrification.  “Rather it allows consumers to securely store those mobile devices while channeling the information on those devices, along with your navigation tools, weather maps with Doppler radar, AM/FM and XM radio, instant messages and emails, through a central portal in your Cadillac, keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

The heart of CUE is the 8-inch LCD touch screen, seamlessly integrated into the top of the central instrument panel and a motorized fully capacitive  faceplate at the bottom concealing a 1.8L storage area.   The vibrant LCD screen displays CUE’s home page, which resembles a smart phone’s screen by using large, easy-to-target icons to execute commands. Capacitive refers to using electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such as a finger.

“CUE is a very elegant in-vehicle hub of all the information and entertainment in your life. All of CUE’s controls use the same design vernac­ular to create a harmony unique to Cadillac,” said Dave Lyon, executive director, Cadillac Interior Design. “Vibrant colors, a piano black face plate, precision-milled buttons, intuitive touch screen placement and sculpted front console provide a spacious, fashion-forward cabin.”

To improve simplicity and connectivity for consumers, CUE will feature several auto industry firsts.

• Proximity Sensing:  As the user’s hand approaches the   LCD screen, command icons appear. Icons can be customized and arranged by consumers to improve ease of use.
• Haptic Feedback: Buttons on the fully capacitive faceplate pulse when pressed to acknowledge the driver’s commands and helps keep the driver’s eyes on the road.
• Multi-Touch Hand Gestures: interactive motions (tap, flick, swipe and spread) popularized by smartphones and tablets allow tasks on the LCD screen, such as scrolling lists, zooming maps and searching favorites to be easily accomplished.
• 12.3 in. LCD reconfigurable gauge cluster (on select models) offers four selectable displays – Simple, Enhanced, Balanced  and Performance  – that can mix traditional vehicle data such as a speedometer and fuel gauge with navigation, entertainment and 3D vehicle image.
• Natural Speech Recognition lets consumers speak logically with fewer specific commands to recall stored media or input navigation destinations. CUE’s text-to-speech feature will also allow consumers to receive text messages by system voice and to send recorded text messages in return.
• Linux operating system, “open” software platform and ARM 11 3-core processor, each operating at 400 million of instructions (mips) per second. This  hardware setup offers 3.5 times more processing power  than current infotainment systems, and allow developers to write applications to CUE that be downloaded by consumers.

“It’s processing speed and power that make CUE so capable,” said Bly.

Connectivity, Control, Convenience

CUE development began in 2008 when Cadillac designers rode with 32 consumers for six months to study driver habits. Engineers and designers then used the data to develop CUE.

CUE’s LCD screen features the driver’s five most frequently used functions stored along the top of the screen. Along the bottom of the screen, users can select up to 60 favorites from music to points of interest, addresses, maps for weather or directions, phone numbers or system commands, such as “tag song.”

Favorites can also be re-ordered and named to be easily recallable.

The steering wheel contains a five-way controller on the right side to navigate the cluster display, a vol­ume control and buttons to cycle through favorites, while the five-way controller on the left side manages cruise con­trol functions, voice recognition, phone hang-up and heated steering wheel.

CUE’s customization and control features are further enhanced through OnStar’s suite of safety, security and connectivity  services , such as Turn-by-Turn navigation, Automatic Crash Notification, hands-free calling and the OnStar RemoteLink mobile application.

Key OnStar features are available through CUE’s LCD screen, gauge cluster and steering wheel controls.

- By: Omar Rana

GM has announced the pricing details on the 2012 Cadillac SRX, which will be arriving at dealerships very shortly. Prices for the 2012 Cadillac SRX will start at $36,060 including a destination charge of $875.

Gm now offers a 308-hp 3.6 liter direct-injected V6 engine as standard on the 2012 SRX which includes ECO mode to help you save some bucks at the gas stations. The engine is mated to a 6-speed HydraMatic automatic transmission.

Also for the 2012 model year, the Cadillac SRX gets standard Bluetooth on all models, an optional heated steering wheel, a xenon Blue Metallic exterior paint option that will be available in fall 2011, an all-ebony interior option with contrasting stitching, and a new 20-inch wheel finish option.

Click here for more news on the Cadillac SRX.

“We’re taking a winning product in the SRX and reaching higher,” said Don Butler, Cadillac vice president of marketing. “The crossover category is one of the biggest and most important segments in the luxury market. SRX has performed very well and is the best selling Cadillac worldwide, but our approach is not to leave well enough alone.”

The Cadillac SRX is also available with HID headlamps with Adaptive Forward Lighting, Bose 5.1 surround sound with navigation, an LCD Driver Info Center, and a rear-view camera system. OnStar is standard and features myCadillac and OnStar RemoteLink mobile apps and Stolen Vehicle Assistance.

2012 Cadillac SRX:

- By: Omar Rana

General Motors is recalling more than 50,000 units of the Cadillac SRX in North America over an airbag issue. GM notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the right side head-protecting air bag won’t deploy in a crash if no one is riding in the front seat. That would take away full protection from a backseat passenger.

GM spokesman Alan Adler said no crashes or injuries have been reported.

“The air bags are programmed to turn off the right side roof rail air bag if the passenger-sensing system determines that the right front passenger seat is unoccupied,” NHTSA said.

The owner’s manual says that the front airbag will still deploy whether or not someone is riding in the front. As a result, the vehicle does not comply with federal safety requirements.

The recall affects 47,400 SRX units in the United States and about 3,100 in Canada and Mexico. To fix the issue, dealers will reprogram the sensors and GM will start notifying owners today.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

Last month, it was reported that General Motors has canceled plans to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the current Cadillac SRX.

In an interview with Detroit News, GM CEO Dan Akerson confirmed that the company killed a planned SRX plug-in hybrid even though “I was actually in favor of it,” he said.

Click here for more news on the Cadillac SRX.

“I was disappointed that the product development team wanted to kill it, (but) they came in with compelling research,” Akerson said. The plug-in “will be back, but it won’t be on the SRX.”

What will it be back as? Well, Akerson didn’t confirm that.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

Speaking to reporters today before GM’s first annual shareholders meeting since its IPO last fall, GM CEO Dan Akerson said that the company plans on building Cadillac vehicles outside the United States by the end of 2012 as a part of making the luxury brand a true global nameplate.

Akerson said that overseas Cadillac production would drop the risk of foreign-currency fluctuations and will allow GM to better manage its supply chain.

While Cadillac is currently sold in other markets, it is only produced in North America.

“We’re going to try to define a slightly different brand and product strategy by having a global premium brand, Cadillac, and a global value brand, Chevrolet,” Akerson said.

Think of Cadillac as GM’s Lexus and Chevrolet as it’s Toyota.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoWeek

Ever since the new Cadillac SRX made its debut, there have been rumors and reports of a plug-in hybrid version – think a Chevrolet Volt crossover for the Cadillac brand. In fact, prior to its production debut, the SRX was shown in concept form with the Cadillac Provoq Concept, which was powered by GM’s E-Flex propulsion system and was able to travel 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen – with 280 miles from hydrogen and 20 miles on pure battery electric energy.

It was reported before the end of 2010 that plans to do a plug-in hybrid Cadillac SRX were still on and development of the crossover is proceeding as planned. Well, it seems like GM has pulled the plug on the model.

Click here for more news on the Cadillac SRX.

A report by Reuters says that GM has canceled plans to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the current Cadillac SRX platform. Three sources with direct knowledge of the project said that it was not financially viable.

Two of the sources said that the plans could still be revived on a future platform and that engineers involved in the SRX plug-in hybrid had been reassigned to other projects.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Reuters

Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept

Joining its other luxury competitors, Cadillac plans on offering 4-cylinder engines in a number of future models, according to sources.

Speculations suggests that the upcoming Cadillac XTS and the entry-level ATS sedan will offer turbocharged Ecotec 4-cylinder engines. The engine is also being considered on the SRX crossover and the next-generation lineup of Cadillac CTS.

Speculation says that the 4-cylinder units could produce between 220-hp and 260-hp.

Mercedes-Benz recently starting offering the 2012 C-Class with a 4-cylinder turbo and later this year BMW will offer the Z4 with its new 2.0L TwinPower turbocharged inline 4-cylinder making 240-hp/260 lb-ft.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: CARandDRIVER

2011 New York: Cadillac's Jim Vurpillat

What’s going on with the entry-level Cadillac ATS? Is there going to be a BMW 7-Series or BMW X5 competitor? These are just some of the questions we’ve wanted to ask Cadillac. Luckily at the 2011 New York Auto Show, our host Anna Tarasova had the chance to speak with Cadillac Global Marketing head Jim Vurpillat.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

• Cadillac ATS: It is currently in development and will be built at GM’s Lansing plant starting late 2012. Will it be called ATS? Nothing confirmed as of yet. Will it come in a sedan, coupe or convertible? Sedan and coupe are most likely but again, nothing confirmed yet.
• Cadillac BMW 7-Series rival: The Cadillac XTS Concept is a hint at a Caddy that is larger than the CTS. However, will the production Cadillac XTS be a direct rival to the BMW 7-Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class in terms of size? Probably not. Vurpillat says that the production XTS may not get into the price category of a 7-Series or an S-Class.
• Cadillac BMW X5 rival: Vurpillat says that the SRX is selling really well for the brand. In terms of sales, the SRX comes in right behind the Lexus RX, which is No. 1. Vurpillat says that with the SRX, Cadillac has a two-row SUV in its portfolio and a full-size SUV with the Escalade – so there is definitely some room in between the two models for another SUV.
• Cadillac V-Series outselling BMW M: Vurpillat also told us that Cadillac’s V-Series has been outselling the BMW M lineup from Sept. 2010 to March 2011.

Hit the jump for the video for more details.

- By: Omar Rana

2012 Cadillac SRX

Earlier this year, GM said that it will discontinue sales of the 2.8L V6 turbocharged Cadillac SRX due to sluggish sales, since most of the sales came from the 3.0 L V6 model. Now that was sad new for some since the 2.8L V6 turbo made 300-hp and the 3.0L V6 made 265-hp. Well, GM is here to make things better for new SRX buyers while angering some old SRX 3.0L buyers.

The company announced today that the Cadillac SRX will get a new, more powerful engine for the 2012 model year. The 2012 Cadillac SRX will now get a 3.6L direct-injected V6 engine that will deliver 300-hp with a maximum torque of 260 lb-ft. The new engine also is FlexFuel capable, meaning it can use either gasoline, E85 ethanol or any combination of the two.

Click here for more news on the Cadillac SRX.

The 2012 Cadillac SRX models with the new engine are expected to arrive at dealerships this summer. Pricing will be announced closer to launch date.

The Cadillac SRX is an important model for the brand as its total U.S. sales rose 153 percent last year to 51,094, outselling the Acura MDX, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK350, and second only to the Lexus RX350.

Oh on a side note, the 2012 Cadillac SRX will also get standard Bluetooth phone connectivity on all models and a heated steering wheel on the luxury, performance and premium trim levels.

Review: 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L V6 Turbo:

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

- By: Omar Rana

Jewel Tweets About Her Cadillac SRX

Remember country singer Jewel? Well, the pregnant singer was involved in a accident this past week and was hit at a rural crossroads near Stephenville, Texas, by a volunteer fire department truck. The mom-to-be was then taken to the hospital, and was released – she and her baby are fine, her spokesperson told the Associated Press.

Over the weekend, Jewel decided to tweet about her Cadillac SRX and the tweet is the type of celebrity endorsement that GM could only dream of:

1 thing I do know is my car saved my & my baby’s life. Definitely going to get another Cadillac SRX! It absorbed all the damage and kept me safe.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Twitter, USAToday

2011 Cadillac SRX

General Motors announced today that it is recalling 10,179 units of the 2011 Buick LaCrosse sedans and Cadillac SRX crossovers in the United States to address a software glitch in the climate control system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the glitch could prevent the defroster from clearing the windshield, which would decrease the driver’s visibility and could result in a crash.

GM said it knows of no crashes or injuries related to the issue.

Dealers will fix the issue by reprogramming the software. More than 8,000 units in the recall are SRX models.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

De Tomaso SLC (Early Look)

A brand by the name of De Tomaso, once known for its exotic supercars, is planning to make a comeback with a new crossover that will debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Known as the De Tomaso SLC, the model is something like the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo.

No technical specs have been released but it is said that the model may be based on the Cadillac SRX, as the interior is almost the same.

A General Motors spokesman said that he has no knowledge of De Tomaso entering into a supply agreement with the company and that it is likely that De Tomaso bought the car through normal retail channels. If that is true, the De Tomaso is powered by the Cadillac SRX’s 3.0L V6 unit making 265-hp.

We’ll have more details from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show next month.

Click through for a video.

De Tomaso SLC (Early Look):

- By: Omar Rana

Source: CARandDRIVER

Cadillac CTS Coupe AWD

There is no doubt (especially if you live in the Northeast) that snow fall this year was a huge pain in the – you know what. The move has probably forced many citizens that live in cold weather areas to purchase all-wheel-drive vehicles.

According to General Motors, more luxury buyers are turning to Cadillac for its AWD models.

“Cadillac retail sales of AWD versions of the SRX, CTS and Escalade have increased a combined 38 percent in the past two years,” Cadillac said in a statement. “AWD models now account for one-third of SRX, almost half of CTS and three-quarters of Escalade retail sales.”

“Cadillac’s investment in advanced AWD systems across the line-up is enhancing the brand’s reputation for performance,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “We’re able to offer luxury buyers exceptional ride, handling and control on a wide range of road conditions.”

- By: Omar Rana

2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L V6 Turbo

Ever since its official debut in 2009, the Cadillac SRX has posted the largest gains in its segment for sales and projected resale value. However, most of the sales came from the 3.0 L V6 model. General Motors confirmed today that it has discontinued the 2.8L V6 turbocharged unit due to sluggish sales.

Cadillac spokesman Robyn Henderson confirmed that low sales resulted in the decision and said that over 90 percent of the SRX sales came from the 3.0L model. Henderson said that the SRX continues to be a leader in the luxury crossover segment and has a larger market share than the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK.

The Cadillac SRX Turbo is powered by a 2.8L V6 unit making 300-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The model was criticized for having a fuel-economy rating of 15/22 mpg (city/highway).

The 3.0L V6 Cadillac SRX makes 265-hp and 223 lb-ft of torque.

Click here for our review of the 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L V6 Turbo.

Review: 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L V6 Turbo:

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: GMI

Cadillac Provoq Concept

When the Cadillac Converj made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, there was a lot of debate on whether the car will enter production or just be a study car. After going back-and-forth for a while, General Motors finally confirmed earlier this year that the Converj will not enter production… yes, it really broke our hearts.

Well, the General is now working to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the Cadillac SRX crossover, according to two people with direct knowledge that spoke with Reuters.

The sources said that the SRX plug-in hybrid crossovers will feature some of the technology the automaker uses in the Chevrolet Volt, allowing it to bring down the cost of engineering a completely new powertrain. One of the sources said that Cadillac will also take some research done from an abandoned project to launch a rechargeable crossover that was considered for Buick and Saturn in 2008 and 2009.

Cadillac spokesman Nick Twork decline to comment, saying that the brand does not talk about future vehicle development due to competitive reasons.

We’re pretty sure that engineers will also take some ques from the Cadillac Provoq Concept that made its debut at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The concept featured GM’s E-Flex propulsion system and was able to travel 300 miles on a single fill of hydrogen – with 280 miles from hydrogen and 20 miles on pure battery electric energy.

- By: Zain Haq

Source: Reuters