2010 Cadillac BRX Crossover Spied

After mediocre success with its midsize SRX crossover, Cadillac is refocusing its efforts on the growing compact SUV segment. The 2010 Cadillac BRX, or CTX as it may be called, is a smaller two-row SUV built on a modified version of GM's midsize sedan platform.

Caught testing in suburban Detroit, the Cadillac BRX looks as though it will borrow most of its design cues from the Provoq concept shown at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The chevron-shaped grille remains largely intact and the overall shape of the greenhouse hasn't changed. With so much camouflage over the rear end it's impossible to tell if the production version of the Cadillac BRX will get the retro tail fin lights in back like the concept; but chances are good.



One element of the concept that's guaranteed not to show up is the Provoq's hydrogen fuel-cell drivetrain. In its place will be a couple of gas-burning V6s and traditional automatic transmissions. They'll send power to the front wheels most of the time, with some power sent to the rear wheels on all-wheel-drive models.

Entry-level models will most likely come with the 2.8-liter V6 currently used as the base power plant in the European CTS sedan. With only 210 horsepower, the 2.8-liter V6 looks more like a nod to fuel economy above all else. For those who can afford the extra gas, a 3.6-liter V6 will be offered as well. It should deliver closer to 300 hp and use a six-speed automatic transmission.

By the time the 2010 Cadillac BRX goes on sale next year, it will have a formidable list of competitors. Similar compact luxury SUVs like the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class will all be competing for the same buyers. Cadillac needs to deliver more than just a more fuel-efficient SUV; it needs to have standout styling as well. Look for the introduction of the final production BRX at next year's Detroit auto show.

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2010 Cadillac BRX Caught - Spy Shots

Riding on GM’s new TE (Theta-Epsilon) chassis, this new, smaller Caddy will start production in May of 2009 at the Ramos Arizpe plant. The General will look to build about 75,000 units annually. Codenamed GMT166, Cadillac will share the TE platform with Saab for the 9-4x (GMT168) that starts production in the fall of 2009.

Powertrain choices will surely include the 300-hp, direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 found in the CTS. A 2.0-liter turbodiesel variant is also in the works, however, it remains to be seen whether that model will be sold in U.S.

Through the camouflage on this BRX prototype, we can see the production grill will follow the Provoq concept almost exactly, while the rear camouflage attempts to hide the true roofline - but we can tell the production greenhouse will swoop downward in the rear just as it does on the Provoq. Quite honestly, we don’t see many differences from the concept at all. It seems as if the tailfin taillights of the concept may even find their way to production.

Two things we did not see on the concept, but do see on the prototype, are the dual exhaust outlets integrated into the bumper. While shooting, we also noticed that the BRX will feature the same pop-up navigation screen found in the CTS sedan.

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Spied 2010 Cadillac BRX

Although Cadillac was one of the first brands to realize the notion of the luxury SUV with its tank-sized Escalade, the brand has been notably late in further populating the luxury utility market it helped popularize.Cadillac’s first compact SUV, the BRX, will be no less tardy, set as it is to appear in 2009. It will compete in a segment that includes the Acura RDX, BMW X3, and Land Rover LR2—all of which will have enjoyed between two and five years of market traction by then. By the time the BRX goes on sale, the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLK and Audi Q5 will be vying for attention.

It adds up to the fact this Caddy needs to be better than good. The BRX will be built atop a stretched version of GM’s new front- and all-wheel-drive TE platform, the same architecture used by the 2008 Saturn Vue, which is the North American version of Europe’s Opel Antara.The TE platform is a combo of the original Theta architecture found underneath the Chevy Equinox and Pontiac Torrent and the Epsilon mid-size-sedan platform that underpins the Chevrolet Malibu, Saab 9-3, and Saturn Aura.

The long-awaited Saab 9-4X crossover is also expected to be built on the TE platform. Both utes could go into production at the GM plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, starting in 2009, alongside the Chevrolet HHR and Saturn Vue. BRXs intended for export markets could also be assembled in Trollhättan, Sweden, alongside the Cadillac BLS sedan and wagon.Sources say the BRX will be powered by 2.8-liter and 3.6-liter V-6 engines similar to those found under the hoods of a litany of other GM products.

And although the BRX is expected to come with standard all-wheel drive, we’re not sure if this platform, with its pedestrian roots, will be able to sustain a luxury vehicle with BMW-grade performance, which is what the BRX needs to offer.At least it should look cool, based on these spy shots that appear to have photo-shopped backgrounds, but the vehicle cues seem genuine.

© Source: caranddriver
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