2013 Cadillac SRX - Spy Shots

Cadillac crossover due a modest makeover.

By Nick Kurczewski / Photos by Chris Doane Automotive

General Motors and, in this particular case, its luxury-themedCadillac division appear to have finally cracked the code of keeping pace with the competition. The secret: subtle but continual improvements. The Cadillac SRX is already fresh from a round of mechanical enhancements that delivered more power and better economy, thanks to a 308-bhp V-6 engine and 6-speed automatic fitted with a fuel-saving Eco mode. For the 2013 model year, Cadillac is once again fine-tuning its sharply styled, 5-passenger crossover.

Change is More Than Skin Deep

Our spy photographers managed to capture the new SRX completely free of any camouflage. Okay, the front grille badge is covered, and there’s a thin strip of black tape parallel to one headlight. Use your imagination and look past this ‘trickery,’ and you’ll notice the brand new SRX doesn’t look all that different from the old one. The front grille has been slightly revised, as has the lower half of the front fascia. Overall, the sharp lines and creases carry on into the latest version – which is fine, since the SRX is already a handsome machine.

Bigger changes are planned inside, where the SRX will be fitted with a version of the capacitive-touch center stack used on the new XTS sedan. This large touch-screen display (12.3 in. with the XTS) minimizes distracting information when the driver has both hands on the wheel. Yet the system detects input via a dash-mounted camera, and responds to smaller gestures when additional info is needed (much like the interface you’d find on a smartphone). The system also features a wide range of voice controls and, according to GM, the software can be upgraded when needed.

Look for the 2013 Cadillac SRX to make an appearance at the upcoming New York Auto Show, which opens its doors to the media on April 4-5.