Lead-footed drivers looking to buy a new Cadillac SRX may want to hold off just a little while. The luxury automaker is planning an engine upgrade for their midsize crossover SUV for the 2012 model year.
The new 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 engine boasts 300 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. That’s 35 more horses than was available on the old 3.0-liter V6 engine that is currently available in dealerships.
Better still, Cadillac says that it expects the new motor will consume gas at about the same rate as the old engine, though the Environmental Protection Agency has yet to release official fuel economy figures for the 2012 model. The Current SRX is rated at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway (the all-wheel drive version gets 17/23). Cadillac said it expects those numbers to stay the same for the new engine.
The SRX used to be available with an optional 2.8-liter turbocharged V6. The turbo engine provided about the same power as the new 3.6-liter V6, but could only manage 16 mpg in the city. Perhaps due to the lower fuel economy, only 10 percent of SRX buyers opted for that engine, according to Autoblog. GM ditched the turbo engine after only one year.
The 3.6-liter engine is the same as the one used in the Cadillac CTS and STS, Buick LaCrosse CXS and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as other vehicles around the globe.
The engine will give the SRX a power boost throughout the entire rev range. This means that the car will have more power available at every speed, making the SRX feel a lot more peppy than the current model.
It will also be ‘FuelFlex’ capable, meaning the 2012 SRX will be able to run on gasoline, E-85 ethanol or any ethanol/gasoline blend.
In addition to the new engine, there should be a few other cosmetic updates to the 2012 model, as well. There’s no word yet on how the updated SRX will be priced.
