By Robert Farago
August 15, 2008 -
Yup it twofer Friday over at The Standard of the World, as Cadillac unveils both the CTS Medusa Sport Wagon and this, the new SRX. And once again, the brand's Global (?) Design Director Clay Dean is talking about how he's clad a Caddy in the Art and Science motif– without using that term. "The next-generation SRX is the result of the continued exploration and refining of Cadillac design language, with the goal of creating dramatic presence in the luxury crossover space." Am I the only one in the automotive space who hates the current use of the word "space" by cubicle overlords? Who killed the word "market?" Speaking of which… “The next-generation SRX, along with the new CTS Sport Wagon, showcases Cadillac taking its dramatic design into new directions," Caddy GM Jim Taylor agreed with his copywriter. "Particularly cars and crossovers that are the right size at the right time for today’s luxury consumers." Hey, if loving Vue is wrong, I don't want to be right.
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August 15th, 2008 at 9:32 am
“Space” makes me sick. I used to have manager that bracketed every second sentence with “From at ____ perspective….” and “….in that space.”. I used to keep a scorecard and we used to have bets as to which manager would use which canned phrase more often.
It’s like reading legal documents: needless perversion of the English language that serves only to make the resulting copy inaccessible to those who haven’t been speaking “Business2.0-ese” day-in and day-out.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:53 am
It is all right, but the exterior design doesnt “WOW” me like the CTS did.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:54 am
As little interest as I have in cross-overs, the current generation SRX is a very well-presented car. I love it’s styling, though I can’t speak for much else about the car. The new generation seems to have the bean-like proportions of the Ford Edge and I don’t care for it nearly as much. The good thing is that Cadillac is not letting too many of their models age.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:57 am
heh. I think this should have been the target for the “ugly” article previous.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I’m confused - Cadillac is going in new directions by being… derivative?
Fender gills ripped straight from the Vue… and pretty much every other damn car built today. If Caddy wanted to be unique, they’d get rid of them.
The greenhouse is Audi Q7-esque… not a bad thing, but hardly original.
The grille - did they fish that out of a Lincoln dumpster? Isn’t the grille supposed to be a Cadillac signature? Continuity helps with brand imaging… I thought Caddy was learning that. Maybe I’m wrong.
As a whole - not a bad looking vehicle. As a design statement - a flop.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:02 am
The world would be a much better looking place if this guy and Chris Bangle got married and retired in Tahiti.
To both: what’s wrong with good looking?
August 15th, 2008 at 10:12 am
gag me with a spoon. I also can’t stand the way he talks about design language. What’s wrong with simply saying design? Marketing people should have their speech strictly regulated.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:13 am
The existing SRX looks better. I quite like it actually. If the guy at GM wasn’t so rude, I might have one.
Ah yes, ’space’. I worked for a consulting outfit for 3 months before fleeing. The head of the practice (who drove people out of the practice at a furious pace) used ’space’ all the time. I remember in a conference call with a client he kept referring to new markets ‘white space’ and the clients had no idea what he was talking about. God, I hate it when these stupid phrases become popularized.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:33 am
It’s kind of fat and bloated looking, not good when oversized is a deterant for customers right now. What’s with the over detailing, same crap Chris Bangle does, is simplicity in design and form follows function something they don’t teach in design school anymore.
I don’t get the ’space’ lingo from a marketing perspective. In Architecture the word space actually has meaning and is used a lot, how it can mean ‘market’ I have no clue.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I never liked the srx, too wrong. dimensions were off. So I dont expect much.
However I saw a few shots of the cts wagon, its looks very nice- it might have a little too much c piller - i will have to see it in person. If not this car, there’s always the SAAB wagons for me.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I sort of liked the old SRX. It was even officially sold in Europe and I have seen a handful of them over the years (maybe 3, max 5). Competing against X5s it didn’t really have a chance but at least to me the design stood out and looked kind of appealing.
This however looks like just another generic GM product, which of course, it in fact is.
Shame.
On another note the just launched new Opel Insignia Sports tourer looks like it could possibly compete on merit with the Mondeo and Passat.
August 15th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
In a way, the old SRX never went away at all. The new CTS sports wagon is just like the old SRX but on the new CTS now. And this new SRX is more aim at the CUV/SUV from BMW, Lexus, Acura and so on and actually looks the part now.
Leaving the sport wagon to take on the other luxury wagons out there from other automakers then.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
As a current SRX owner, I can definitely say we won’t be repeat customers in ‘10.
The new one has neat details in the design (especially the tail-lamps and the subtle metal creasing on the D-pillar and tail-gates.
But beyond that, it has none of the current SRX’s sleek, understated qualities. It seems like it’s the new VUE Bling-Line more than a proper Cadillac.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Buick61- How is your current SRX? I wouldn’t call the current SRX understated.
The new SRX definitely looks like a tarted up VUE
August 15th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
After looking at more photos of this dramatic presence in the luxury crossover space, it is hard to imagine that American car design has sunk into the cheesy detailing which abounds on this car.
What’s even sadder is that they have saddled the best GM chassis ever (save Corvette) with this “dramatic presence…”
Clay - please go back to Mattel.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Whoah, that looks WAY too close to the Vue to be twice the price. If you’re going to cut costs by making things off of the same platform, please GOD try harder at differentiating them.
There is NO WAY this is going to fly as true Luxury. There will be thousands on the hood within 6 months of launch.
Yikes, this is what passes for design at GM? No wonder they’ll be following Delphi down the Ch7 black hole.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
This is a newer version of the Theta platform than the VUE rides on, so it’s not exactly the same thing.
davey49 :
August 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Buick61- How is your current SRX? I wouldn’t call the current SRX understated.
The new SRX definitely looks like a tarted up VUE
How is it not understated? No flame-surfacing, no chrome gills, no 20″ rims, no HUGE chrome grille, it has a great looking and feeling interior, and the whole thing–wrapped in black raven–is just a very cohesive, original design.
August 15th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Netrun, even though it looks a bit like the Vue mainly cuase of size, it is by no means on the same platform. The Vue is on the Theta with the Torrent and Equinox currently and the SRX and 9-4x are on the Theta cross with the Epsilon known as the Theta premium. It has a far improved suspention and other features the Theta does not have.
Its kind of like the 350Z and G35. They are on almost the same platform but one is far more modified for improved ride and quality. I cant believe I had to explain that again. Anyone else think its just a blantent GM rebadge of the Vue now.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Buick61- The old SRX definitely stood out when it was introduced. Much like the CTS. Think about it compared to a Grand Cherokee.
I don’t know what “flame surfacing” is
Give me a big chrome grill and 20″ wheels every time. I hate “understated”
I’m just happy whenever I see a car where the front grille goes straight up and down. Pointy cars suck.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Robert Farago : Am I the only one in the automotive space who hates the current use of the word “space” by cubicle overlords?
Space. The final frontier.
“Captain? Scott here. We’ve had a little accident in the transporter room here while beaming up your CTS and Uhura’s Ford Focus.”
August 15th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
David Holzman : gag me with a spoon. I also can’t stand the way he talks about design language. What’s wrong with simply saying design? Marketing people should have their speech strictly regulated.
Gag me with a backhoe.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Good design.
For ugly soap sud designs please go to Toyota/Lexus.
Or the cheese grater grille on the new Acura TL.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Yikes. Derivative, at best. And they had designers working at Opel who did that beautiful wagen/cuv for Europe, but the best Caddy could muster was this?
I hate to be a hater, but this thing puts the ugh in f-ugh-ly…