;Only a few months into the 2010 model year, the all-new Cadillac SRX has added a higher-performance engine option. Whereas the previous-generation SRX offered a choice of a V-6 or a V-8, this time the choices are V-6 or turbo V-6, which seems like the more modern solution. Unfortunately, this turbo V-6 is something of an underachiever.
;The turbo’s horsepower and torque figures are impressive enough: 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, from 2.8 liters. They easily eclipse the standard, 3.0-liter V-6’s 265 hp and 223 lb-ft. But one wonders whether some of those horses have escaped the corral. There’s a bit of a lag at take-off, and the SRX turbo never feels as lively as an Audi Q5 (despite the Q5’s power and torque deficit). Automobile Magazine’s tests confirm that the SRX is a full second slower to 60 mph (7.6 versus 6.6 seconds); that puts it about on par with the Lexus RX350, whose larger V-6 is also less potent on paper.
A relatively small displacement six boosted by a turbocharger should at least be fuel efficient, but the SRX turbo has nearly the drinking habits of a V-8. Its 15 mpg city, 22 mpg highway figures both fall short of its two major competitors, the Q5 (18/23 mpg) and the RX350 (18/24 mpg). The engine is also somewhat raspy at start-up, although it quiets down once underway.
Other aspects of the SRX are more successful—particularly chassis tuning, long a strength at General Motors. The steering is a pleasure, not overboosted (despite this car’s luxury ambitions) and very precise; I’d rate it better than the Audi and just ahead of the Lexus. The turbocharged SRX comes with a sport suspension that included continuously variable damping, and body motions are well controlled, at a cost of a slightly stiff-legged ride. It’s a similar compromise to what Audi offers in the Q5, although the Cadillac seems a bit more comfortable.
The interior is nicely finished, although as in the CTS, the dash has too many similar flat buttons. The rear seat is comfortable, only a bit shy on headroom; the flat floor helps make the center position useable. The giant (“ultraview”) sunroof is standard in all but the very base-trim SRX, and it certainly opens up the interior, particularly for rear-seat riders, but it does sometimes vibrate when closed. While other manufacturers often use a mesh screen that fails to effectively block heat or glare, Cadillac has a proper opaque screen, which will be welcome by SRX owners in the sun belt.
The SRX turbo is available only with all-wheel drive and only in the top two (of four) SRX trim levels. As such, it comes fairly well loaded with every imaginable feature. Besides the aforementioned mega-sunroof and adaptive damping, there’s navigation, a rear-view camera, twenty-inch wheels, park assist, swiveling HID headlamps, keyless ignition with remote start, heated seats, and an audio system with a 10-gig hard drive. The top-spec, Premium, version also includes ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. My test example added a rear-seat entertainment system with dual screens ($1295) and crystal red tintcoat paint ($995) for a total of $54,475. The turbo itself runs $3820 more than an equivalent all-wheel-drive 3.0-liter. And in either case, the Premium trim level is far above the starting price of the entry-level (3.0-liter, front-wheel drive) car, at $33,830.