Almost exactly a year after revealing the Provoq Concept, Cadillac is debuting the redesigned 2010 SRX wearing essentially the same suit of clothes. At that time, the Provoq was thought to be a preview of a new smaller crossover called the BRX, but Cadillac informed us last summer that the “BRX” was actually the all-new SRX.

We’ll be seeing the new SRX in production form at the Detroit Auto Show, and while automakers often throw the term “all-new” around, in this case it really seems to apply. There is almost nothing carried over to this version of the SRX compared to the old one, although many of the greasy bits are shared with other GM vehicles. The biggest difference going from the Provoq concept to the production SRX is the powertrain. The Provoq used a Volt based E-Flex powertrain with a fuel cell range extender. The SRX is a far more conventional though fully modern luxury crossover. Read all about the details after the jump.

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Here in the U.S. market, the name Electra was used on big Buick sedans for more than four decades but it hasn’t appeared in a new car showroom since 1990. It looks like the Electra could be be making a comeback soon, but not in America. It turns out that Vauxhall, the brand that GM uses to sell right-hand drive Opels in the UK, filed a trademark application back in June for the Vauxhall Electra. GM officials have acknowledged previously that both the Chevy Volt and an Opel badged E-Flex vehicle would be offered in Europe. The Opel/Vauxhall vehicle will likely be based on the Flextreme concept that was shown at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The Electra (if that’s what it’s called) will likely debut sometime in 2011. Saturn is also expected to get a version of the Flextreme here in the U.S., and it will be interesting to see if it revives the Electra name here. Continued

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With enormous V8 land-yachts and even bigger Escalades rolling down America’s boulevards, Cadillac’s doesn’t have the most environmentally friendly of images. But that’s a perception that the premium GM division is working hard to combat. After unveiling the Escalade two-mode hybrid, reports have begun to surface that Cadillac is considering a four-cylinder model for the American market like the Saab-based BLS it offers in Europe.

New emerging reports now suggest that Cadillac might get its own version of the highly-anticipated Volt plug-in hybrid from its sister-company Chevrolet. No telling at this point if the Cadillac version would be based on the Volt, transplant the Volt’s powertrain into an existing Cadillac model, or breed an entirely new Caddy – or for that matter if there’s any substance to the rumors – but sources suggest a higher sticker price than the Volt’s anticipated $40k.

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First off is the idea of the E-Flex platform operating entirely free of batteries, with the engine/generator simply running continuously and feeding electricity to motor. While this is certainly technically possible, the current E-Flex system is not architected for that possibility. The generator has no direct connection to the motor, rather it feeds the battery. The engine is designed to run at constant speed and wouldn’t achieve anywhere near the efficiency if it had to provide transient operation. Because the motor requires more power on demand for acceleration, the engine would have to speed up. In this usage scenario, the efficiency losses of converting mechanical to electrical and back to mechanical power would come in to play as described by Toyota and others when they criticize the whole concept. A conventional parallel hybrid would actually be preferable in this case. The whole premise of improved efficiency from E-Flex is built on the idea that the vehicle will run off grid energy the majority of the time.

The other possibility that Lutz mentions is eliminating the engine/generator and going battery only. This is actually not a new idea and was discussed as a long-term possibility back in late 2006 when GM held the first background briefings on the Volt prior to its auto show debut. The idea is that if battery technology progresses to the point that a Volt type vehicle could provide a reasonable electric range without a range extender just by using a bigger battery, it could easily be done. The idea is mentioned in the first E-Flex technical description I wrote here. Finally, Lutz indicated that within the next two weeks he will be taking an initial test drive in a real Volt prototype. According to Scott this is an actual Volt prototype not a Malibu-based mule. I find that unlikely at this stage. A mule drive is almost a certainty though.

Update: Rob Peterson at GM confirmed that it is only a mule that Lutz will be driving. Actual Volt prototypes are still many months away.

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