Cadillac SRX. American adrenaline
Now, like BMW and AMG — everything is three letters — all CTS, STS, XLR, BLS and SRX. You'll break your tongue. Or maybe it's because a guy from Russia, where three-letter combinations have always been loved, sneaked into the company's management? Almost guessed. The author of all the high-tech style of models after 2006 is a native of the USSR, Kip Wasenko. It was he who created 5 years ago the conceptual roadster Cadillac Evoq and SUV Cadillac Vizon, which later turned into production XLR and SRX respectively. These two cars, along with CTS and STS, now form a single whole — they are based on the Sigma platform, on which all Cadillacs will now be built.
A couple of years ago, Cadillac in Russia broke through like a dam in flood. So test drivers of Automania.ru have been testing the second car over the past six months.
This time it's a passenger station wagon (according to the technical passport) or a crossover (in their American way) or a "parketnik" (purely our way), created as a kind of clone of the CTS sedan. The show with unofficial imports of "Caddies" to Russia is over. The time of biz, that is, business, has come. "Gray" dealers are still trying to sell SRX for $94 thousand (2,350,000 rubles). At 1,962,720 rubles (in the base) — from official dealers. Feel the difference.
SRX is the first real "parketnik" in Cadillac history and the first passenger station wagon with dimensions not inferior to the Toyota Land Cruiser. 320 "horses" and, perhaps, exactly the same number of sharp body edges and image body kit. A more stylish car in all respects in Russia today, perhaps, cannot be found.
A cross between a skyscraper and an airplane
Visually, SRX is a cross between a New York skyscraper and a Stealth stealth aircraft. At the front — the monumentality of fog lights the size of a Mercedes headlight, and at the back — a real Christmas garland of vertically arranged LEDs in two rows. Such a car will not just be respected on the road for the next 2-3 years — it will be stared at like a photo model. Especially from the rear. Caddy "a la jeep" is not just a car for the elite, it's a car for those who have achieved a lot in this life. And, most importantly, realized that luxury "parketniks" can be not only Japanese and German, but also American.
Getting into the cabin, you immediately feel that you are behind the wheel of a truly American car. The front seats will give a 100-point head start to leather sofas for 3-4 thousand bucks from a furniture boutique. They are almost like sports cars, with powerful lateral support, although unusually wide. The rear seats also invite you to forget yourself, relax and get maximum pleasure. Not a limousine, of course, but the free 54 cm speak for themselves. Passengers will be not only comfortable, but also cozy. If you don't want to look forward at the road, you can calmly sleep or just stretch your legs. Even if your height is over 190 cm.
The main decoration of the front panel is a very comfortable 3-spoke steering wheel, the only small drawback of which is the limited movement of the steering column: only forward-backward, but it absolutely doesn't want to move up-down. The convenience of seating is saved by an adjustable pedal block (like most Ford SUVs). First you adjust the seats "by hand" — then the pedals "by foot".
Movie not for everyone
Unlike European/Japanese competitors, all pleasures here are exclusively for passengers. No TV on the central console for you (this is prohibited by American standards). Only a DVD player for rear riders. And even then — viewing only with headphones (we already saw a similar scheme in the Infiniti FX and Nissan Murano "parketniks"). Nothing should distract the driver from the road. If you don't want to watch a movie, just close the lid on the front seat.
Inside the cabin, everything smells of leather and "green" (in the sense of dollars). Perhaps, with the exception of the plastic door trim (plastic just doesn't go with the solid appearance, the price of the car and the ideas of many about the once great brand), which migrated here from a relative (the CTS sedan). About 30% of the total cost was invested in the interior. In addition to the mentioned sofas, video, almost hi-end music from Bose, huge space above the head and for legs, there is also a velor trunk, and retractable seats for adorable kinder surprises (though for this, the rear seats will have to be moved forward a bit with a light touch of the hand), and full electrification that even Lenin never dreamed of, and many ventilation hatches so that breathing is free.
In any car, regardless of price, drawbacks can always be found if desired. And besides the trim and the mentioned lack of height adjustments, many more can be found. The buttons on the central panel could have been made neater. As, indeed, it would be possible to simplify work with the on-board computer — on SRX it's not as complicated as on BMW 7 series, but reaching for the "CLR" handle on the right side of the console is not very convenient.
All the main things under the hood:
But still, the main trump card of SRX is not what's outside and in the cabin, but what's under the hood. Having driven to Kashira and back (on the best highway in the country so far) at speeds from 180 to 230 km/h (may the traffic police forgive us!), my colleague and I, without saying a word, came to the same conclusion. There is nothing better than American cars in this class. And all those MLs from Mercedes, X5, Porsche Cayenne and Lexus 4.7 (234 hp) with their acceleration figures of 7.7 s for ML 500 (5.0 l, 202 hp), 7.2 s for Cayenne (4.5 l, 340 hp) — are not fit to hold a candle. 7.1 s for Cadillac — a completely different feeling. On the way there and back, passenger cars Audi A8, Lexus 430 and even BMW M5 tried to compete with us. And everyone remained in the light of the rear "Christmas garland". It's just that rival owners didn't immediately realize they were dealing with a purebred American of the early 21st century, who has everything in abundance and is capable of flying like a racing car on its 18-inch wheels (235/60 — front, 255/50 — rear), despite its external resemblance to a large SUV. Only Yankees could create a car weighing nearly 2.5 tons, capable of competing with sports luxury coupes. Moreover, in the technical characteristics of the car, in the "maximum speed" column, it says — "xxx", i.e. options are possible (clearly over 240, although less than 245 for Porsche Cayenne)!
Press the gas
Any touch of the gas pedal is pure adrenaline. The Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, assembled in France and installed on diesel BMW X5 "made in USA" and all BMW 330i, works wonders. The engine's thrust is more than enough for quick acceleration within a single gear. After 200 km/h, the "fourth" gear of the automatic transmission absolutely doesn't want to shift to "fifth". The reserve is clearly enough to rev further and further, and the red line of the tachometer is still far away. Cadillac drives strongly, brightly and with a clear sense of its superiority, and on a "pure automatic" that works like clockwork — without delays and unnecessary jerks. If desired, you can switch to "manual". It works honestly — the gearbox doesn't shift "up" when reaching maximum revs and doesn't drop "down" in "full throttle" mode.
The brakes are tolerable, although the ABS is not the most modern. In most competitors, it is much more reliable. During intensive braking, the pedal sinks deeper and deeper, reducing confidence in braking efficiency. True, there are no hints of "nose diving" during sharp braking. In handling, another small drawback appeared — a lack of responsiveness in the steering, which its predecessor, the CT sedan, was especially known for. But the stabilization system here is purely American — it won't allow the slightest hint of sliding.
Suspension on magnets
The main and most significant feature of SRX is the suspension, in which on any road surface the car flies like an arrow. The body position above the asphalt remains, like Chicago gangsters, untouchable.
Until now, the hydraulic suspension used on some Citroen models was considered the standard of smoothness. But it seems that the emphasis will now shift towards Cadillac. My colleague and I were amazed at how the SRX crossover manages to maintain softness and elasticity on any road surface while maximizing passenger comfort. It feels like new asphalt was laid right before our passage. The higher the speed, the faster the suspension readjusts. And also, the ground clearance of 208 mm (12 mm lower than the Volvo XC90 and Lexus RX300) is maintained at any vehicle load.
It's all about the amazing property of the Magnetic Ride Control suspension. This is nothing more than electronically controlled variable stiffness shock absorbers Delphic MR. The working fluid in them is a magneto-rheological fluid that changes viscosity under the influence of the magnetic field of a solenoid in the shock absorber valve. The suspension automatically adapts to specific road conditions 1000 times per second! Simply put, the working fluid inside the shock absorbers is filled with metal microparticles, and changing the magnetic field changes its viscosity. In addition, the driver can set two modes himself — "sport" and "comfort" (as he prefers). Magnetic shock absorbers were first used on SRX, but they are also equipped on the flagship Cadillac — the STS model.
In terms of off-road capability, you shouldn't expect much from the SRX — there are no locking differentials or a low-range gear in the transmission. However, the permanent all-wheel drive with all free differentials and symmetrical torque distribution make this car a quite decent "soft-roader."
All-round visibility
In terms of visibility, there are practically no complaints about the SRX. The huge side mirrors fully cope with their functions. Even parking sensors are not needed. True, after reversing, the mirrors return to their original position rather slowly. Also, we didn't like the increasingly common trend of mounting the spare wheel under the floor. While this option might be fine for America, it's clearly not suitable for our conditions (especially in winter). Personally, I would immediately after purchase take the clean wheel off and put it in the trunk. For the safety of occupants, there are 6 airbags: front driver and passenger (with two-stage deployment), side airbags in the front seat backrests, and inflatable "curtains" along the entire length of the cabin.
The price issue
If car gourmets find the price of the car at 2,063,858 rubles too high (and it was in this configuration that we had it for the test), then it can be reduced to 1,960,2720. To do this, you'll have to give up the panoramic sunroof over the entire roof, the DVD player, and the White Diamond color that shimmers in the sun with all the colors of the rainbow. Or choose a car with a less powerful engine.
Dmitry Shavyrin
Technical specifications:
| Dimensions (mm) | 4990x1580x1722 |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 208 |
| Number of seats | 7 |
| Weight (kg) | 2015 |
| Trunk volume (l) | 920/1968 |
| Engine power (hp) | 320 V 8 NorthStar |
| Compression ratio | 10.5 |
| Max. torque (Nm/rpm) | 427/4400 |
| Tires front/rear | 235/160R 18/255/55R 18 |
| Maximum speed (km/h) | 240 |
| Acceleration time to 100 km/h (s) | 7.1 |
| Fuel consumption (l/100 km) | 18.8/16.5/13.5 |
| Fuel tank capacity (l) | 70 |
| Fuel | A-92 |
| Price (rub.) | from 1,960,2720 to 2,063,858 |
We thank the representative office of "General Motors" for providing the car for the test.
Source – AUTOMANIA.RU