General Motors has unexpectedly pulled the plug on its plug-in hybrid Cadillac SRX program for reasons reportedly being that the model would be selling at a substantial loss. And by the time the vehicle would be ready for production a few years from now, the SRX would be ready for a total makeover — possibly even a different platform. Another reason that influenced the vehicle’s cancellation is that GM decided to withdraw its request for $14.4 billion in low-interest loans from the United States Department Of Energy that would have gone toward building vehicles such as the SRX plug-in hybrid.
While the world still awaits a plug-in luxury crossover, we may yet still see an SRX hybrid, just not one that will charge from a 120-volt outlet anytime soon.
Source: Reuters
Comments
In a way I don’t feel bad about this news. I always thought the SRX should have been built on the Sigma platform.
Actually I think that this is good news overall. Instead of trying to retrofit the plug-in hybrid system into a platform that was never for it. Just wait until the development of the next-gen SRX so that the plug-in hybrid system can be easily designed in.
Though I think a quick fitting of the eAssist system into the current SRX could be a smart and viable alternative.
Agreed! I do, however, hope the next-gen SRX will be based on the RWD Alpha platform to be in-line with Cadillac’s performance-luxury direction.
I am sticking with what i said before, Chevrolet should be Front Wheel / All Wheel drive option and Rear Wheel Drive sports cars. Buick All Wheel Drive, and Cadillac Rear Wheel Drive / All Wheel Drive option.
Agreed. I don’t even think it matters what wheels drive Buicks — as long as they are “soft” luxury like Lexus. That’s going off the assumption that most Lexus buyers don’t care (or know) what wheels drive their car…
I understand what you are saying. I was thinking more of Audi then Lexus to be honest. Sure Buick wants to attract Lexus owners as well, why not set your benchmark higher. With permanent all-wheel drive it would distinguish Buick from Chevrolet more so. I mean let’s be honest Audi’s are all-wheel drive Volkswagen’s with nice sheet metal. Make it easy for people to understand what is what like a tier system. Chevrolet Low to Mid rang price point / Buick Mid to High / Cadillac High.
Yeah, but not quite. Audis now use totally different platforms that VWs — with the exception of the A3, Q7, and TT. Everything else (A4/A5/A6/A7/A8) is not related to a VW.
I look at it from the marketing perspective: it’s all about the buyer. And Audi is targeting the same buyer as the one who buys BMW. The sub-segment, overall, is called performance luxury, or sport luxury — focused on exhilarating driving and performance. The buyer is looking for excitement and sporty driving dynamics.
The Lexus buyer is the complete opposite: they’re looking for soft luxury that’s quiet, comfortable, and even floaty. They want to be isolated from the road. They don’t care about horsepower, 0-60, FWD/RWD (although they may want AWD for winter safety reasons).
So… Cadillac seems to be going after the performance luxury segment. RWD, driver/performance/sport-oriented vehicles and driving experience. That covers the Germans and Infiniti, which leaves Lexus the uncontested king of soft luxury. Enter Buick — with soft-riding vehicles that are still appealing and stylish. Suddenly, GM can take over the ENTIRE luxury segment with Caddy and Buick — leaving everybody else (who only have one brand to work with) to try and strike a middle ground between performance and soft luxury.
The best part here is that neither Caddy nor Buick need to compromise in the way that BMW, Benz, Audi, or Lexus need to. Caddy can be on one extreme — and truly deliver the best performance luxury experience — while Buick can be on the opposite extreme — offering the best soft luxury vehicles ever. Game. Check. Mate… to everyone else in the space!
The Audi A3 and TT have Transverse engine layouts the Q7 layout is longitudinal. If I had to guess almost all Audis are built on Front wheel drive architectures. I looked this info up on Wikipedia I would think if it was incorrect someone from the company would have changed it by now lol. When I found this info out like a few years ago I lost a lot of respect for Audi.
Yes — the A3 and TT are the only Audis today to actually share platforms with VWs. And you’re right — all Audis and VWs are built on FWD platforms to start with. These platforms are related… but much like all four-wheeled cars are related in some way.
The A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, and Q5 DO NOT share a related platform with a VW vehicle (except for the Phaeton, which is an A8 with some modifications). A few years ago (last gen A4, for example), this was not the case — and Audis were very much related to VWs… but not any more.
For instance, the platform underpinning the new A4 — the MLP — is so different from today’s Passat, that it just as well may be a totally different platform. The MLP makes way for a shorter front overhang by moving the drivetrain closer to the center of the vehicle — which results in an increased wheelbase length and a redistribution of the center of gravity to the rear. So what you get is improved handling due to a more healthy vehicle mass — something that is very rare in a front-wheel drive vehicle. Never mind the suspension geometry differences the MLP brings. This is just one of the differences between today’s Audis and VWs — the latter of which continue to use the old-school FWD platforms.
Nevertheless, like I said before — it doesn’t matter what architecture Buick uses — as long as its vehicles occupy the soft luxury space and Caddy goes after performance luxury. These are totally different driving experiences — and the differences are monumental. Lastly, if Buick competes with Lexus, they should charge Lexus-like prices. Why settle for the mid-luxury segment (which is disappearing anyway) when a clearly defined market exists — the Lexus buyer — that will pay top-dollar for these products?
Well said, I didn’t know that news about Audi Thank you
I agree with what you are said about Buick completely it makes sense to me now that you put it that way. I also understand what you are saying about the differences between Audio and VW. My beef with Audi is they are gunning for BMW, how can you mimic the drying dynamics of a rear wheel architecture with what Audi is using now. It just does not make any sense to me it would seem they would have to spending a lot more money trying to pull that off. Why not just build a new platform to do that job? Also Thank you for taking the time to reply to all my crazy comments lol
Delete the May 31, 2011 at 10:16 am post its a dup Thanks 🙂
Done! Thanks!