August 22, 1902 was the date that the Cadillac brand was founded. In many ways,

Over the river and through the woods... (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

it would become America’s premiere luxury nameplate, and one of the few automotive makes from that time period that survived to this date. If you had told Henry Leland (the company’s founder), after explaining to him what a sport utility vehicle is, that 105 years later his company would produce them in such numbers that they would outshine and outsell its cars, he’d probably look at you with a blank stare followed by a shot of nerve tonic to help this news go down a little easier. Fact is, despite a slowdown in full-size SUV sales, Escalade, Escalade EXT, Escalade ESV and SRX deliveries have been strong enough to eclipse their closer-to-the-ground brethren. So, it’s not anytime soon that Cadillac will be abandoning these vehicles and focusing back solely on cars. No, the market has spoken and Caddy is listening. After all, if they didn’t have their ears to the ground they wouldn’t have come out with their first crossover, the SRX, launched back in 2004.

Although based heavily in CTS and STS, having been engineered from the Sigma

Sport package's grille and body kit is stunning. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

architecture, the SRX has the silhouette of your typical modern crossover. It can also be had with or without all-wheel drive (the latter a bit of a rarity these days in the luxury SUV world), but those are about the only true similarities it shares with trucks. It ditches the traditional body on frame construction for a unibody setup, allowing a car like feeling when turning, accelerating and braking. That’s a good thing, although truck guys will be quick to point out that those virtues are also its weak points; it isn’t as robust as a true truck, and the towing capacity is significantly lower. Not only that, but any off roading other than over a cottage driveway is not recommended.

That said, the SRX has turned out to be a very pleasant surprise for Cadillac, winning various accolades from the automotive industry since its inception. The year that it came out it was nominated for Truck of the Year, and up until 2006 it was on Car & Driver’s Five Best Trucks list. The public

20-inch wheels are very bling, but their 7-spoke design is also quite nice to look at. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

has agreed by responding in encouraging numbers to put them in their driveways. Not wanting to disappoint its loyal followers, Cadillac has added some upgrades for 2007 in an effort to keep things fresh. The transmission now has a sixth gear and a Sport package is available on V6 and V8 models alike.

We think that SUVs with an emphasis on “sport” is a good thing, so we were quite pleased that our SRX was equipped with this newly added package. In keeping with Cadillac’s obsession with bling, it came shod with shiny 20-inch wheels complemented by an aggressive front and rear styling scheme complete with mesh grille inserts. Above, chromed roof rails add a nice, luxurious touch, while the car also gains some very bright xenon headlamps. While the SRX’s sport package makes for a real looker of a ‘ute, it also has a couple of neat mechanical additions to cement its sporty claims. For instance, it’s got a

The back end is a little on the upright side. It adds to utility and cargo space, though. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

limited slip differential whereas the regular car doesn’t, and the axle ratio is shortened to 3.91:1 from 3.23:1.

Our tester wasn’t fully loaded - it didn’t have the navigation system, for instance - but no one complained about a lack of features whatsoever. In fact, if you’re trying to save a few bucks then chances are the nav system and the other few options that would have made it fully loaded aren’t even on your radar anyway. And on that note, to say that the SRX’s cockpit is a nice place to whittle away the miles is an understatement.

Step inside and the first thing that hits the senses is the heady smell of leather that could have come from a very pricey set of gloves. The seats feel about as soft as that anyway, and are equally comfortable. They were also surprisingly firm, which struck us as a little odd given the soft and

UltraView sunroof turns the SRX into a quasi-convertible. It's very handy for interior shots too... (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

plush nature of most Cadillacs. The dash and console are accented by wood that actually looks as real and lustrous as it is, and we were impressed by the splashes of chrome on the trim as well. Instruments are legible and straightforward, and most controls are ergonomically correct and intuitive to operate.

The exception to this rule are the overhead controls. Three knobs and buttons are present; a rotary knob, and two switches at either side. Take a guess at which does what. The rotary knob doesn’t adjust the sunroof as it would in an Audi or VW, but rather it controls the fan’s speed for the second and third rows. One of the accessory switches, which looks identical to that fitted to a Chrysler 300 for the sunroof, actually operates the rear windscreen wiper. Only the switch furthest away from the driver’s hand operates the sunroof! We also noticed that the foot wells are rather cramped on the passenger’s side, but not noticeable on the driver’s side.

One feature that our SRX did have was the UltraView sunroof that would

French stitching on the dashboard is a nice, high-end detail. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

better be described as a skylight because of its sheer size. Surely amongst the biggest in the industry, it spans most of the passenger compartment. It definitely lent a convertible-like feel to driving when we’d open it on warm summer nights. The only problem with it appears when it’s completely closed; it creaks and groans the same way a beleaguered hardwood floor does after years of traffic. Our Caddy only had about three thousand kilometers on it, and it still suffered from this affliction. We can only see this getting worse with age, or at least worse when the temperature drops.

But all of these minor details don’t matter so much when you get behind the wheel, because of the way that it drives. Most of us are suckers for eight cylinder powerplants, and our top-line SRX didn’t disappoint the power junkies in our midst. Its 4.6-litre Northstar engine is a real smoothie, making 320 dulcet horsepower. Like other engines from the marque, we marveled at its muted, refined disposition at low revs around town, and gawked at the way its character changed when we got aggressive on the throttle. It made all the right noises while delivering the power in a linear rush. The transmission's extra gear was appreciated, making acceleration slightly snappier and increasing fuel economy marginally. Show some restrain with the go pedal and you’ll get decent mileage, although you won't confuse it with an economy car. Historically speaking, GM transmissions have been a hallmark of smoothness and refinement, and this one is no different.

Because the CTS and STS’s Sigma platform on which the SRX is based was flogged relentlessly on the famed Nurburgring, you’d expect the crossover to be blessed with sharp handling characteristics. You’d be right,

Silky-smooth Northstar V8 is one of the SRX's strong points. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

but this dynamic acuity doesn’t come at the expense of comfort whatsoever. The SRX still pays homage to its Cadillac roots by feeling right at home in cruise mode, whether or not that’s on a long highway trip or a quick jaunt to the grocery store. In fact, with the optional third row of seats, you can take more people with you to enjoy all of the virtues the SRX has to offer; just make sure they’re kids or really short adults if stuck in towards the rear.

We really have to commend GM on moving forward in what seems to be a time of transition for the automaker. Products leaving the factory are ramping up their “gotta have it” cachet and customers are starting to take notice. The SRX is a shining example of this, boasting clean modern styling on the exterior and one of the best put together interiors we’ve seen out of Detroit in a long time. Panel gaps are uniformly tight and the French stitching on the dashboard is simply beautiful. With the SRX V8 being as good as it is, we began to wonder aloud what would happen to sales if GM begins to offer its new direct injection V6 in the SRX, as its doing for other models. With over 300 horsepower, this engine is sure to blur the lines between the 6- and 8-cylinder power options.

Cadillac’s foray into the luxury crossover segment has been a resounding success, and we think the 2007 model continues Cadillac's trend back to greatness, important considering that its segment is filled with the likes of the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Lexus RX 350, Mercedes-Benz ML, and many others. In the face of seriously accomplished rivals, the updated Caddy finally looks poised to take on all comers.

Specifications (SRX4 V8):

• Price Range (MSRP): $62,730 – $78,200
• Price as Tested (MSRP): $80,950
• Body Type: 5-door SUV
• Layout: front engine, AWD
• Engine: 320 hp, 315 lb-ft of torque, 4.6L, 32-valve, DOHC V8
• Transmission: 6-spd auto w/ manual mode
• Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS
• Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,950 / 1,844 / 1,722 / 2,957 mm (195.0 / 72.6 / 67.8 / 116.0 in)
• Curb Weight: 2,015 kg (4,442 lbs)
• Tires: 255/50R20
• Capacity (behind 3rd, 2nd and front rows): 238 / 918 / 1,968 L (8.4 / 32.4 / 69.5 cu ft)
• Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 14.7 / 11.8 L/100 km
• Warranty (mo/km): 48/80,000 comprehensive; 60/160,000 powertrain
• Competitors: Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Chrysler Pacifica, Infiniti FX35/FX45, Lexus RX 350, Lincoln MKX, Porsche Cayenne, Saab 9-7X, Volkswagen Touareg 2, Volvo XC90
• Web Site: www.gmcanada.com