Earlier this year, General Motors decided to drop the 2011 Cadillac SRX turbo model due to a lack of sales, leaving the 3.0-liter V-6 as the sole engine offering. This may change for the 2012 model year, when the 3.0-liter itself may be dropped in favor of an updated version of GM's 3.6-liter V-6.
Having experienced a number of SRX crossovers, we can't say we'd be opposed to a full powertrain rethink as we found that to be the weak point of the whole vehicle. The 3.0-liter V-6s 265 horsepower is merely adequate to propel a two-ton crossover, but lacks the power to provide class-competitive acceleration. And the recently killed turbo V-6, even though it had 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, was no rocket in its class either.
We've had good experiences with GM's 3.6-liter V-6 in the Lambda crossover vehicles -- the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave. We found that the 288 horsepower offered by that engine was well-suited to moving a 5000 pound Traverse. The 3.6-liter reportedly slated for SRX duty, though, is an updated and more powerful version of that engine. Exactly what's new about the engine and just how much more power remains to be seen, but an engineer told GM Inside News that the engine is turning out to be a "perfect match" for the luxury crossover.
We called Cadillac spokesman Nick Twork for confirmation on the 3.6-liter engine offering, but he simply told us he can't comment on future product speculation. Twork did note however, that even when the turbo V-6 was offered, the majority (over 90 percent) of SRXs sold had the 3.0-liter V-6. The SRX has also become the second best-selling luxury crossover, only behind Lexus' bread-and-butter, the RX.
For now, GM seems content with the 3.0-liter engine, but this doesn't mean the company isn't potentially looking at trying to take the number one sales spot with a new engine offering.