GM Unveils Cadillac Crossover, Chevy Pickup Truck

General Motors Corp. last week pulled the lid off two upcoming vehicles--cementing the design directions for two of its divisions--by releasing sketches of the all-new Cadillac “crossover,” a mix between a passenger car and a sport utility vehicle, and the successor to Chevrolet’s S-10 pickup truck.

The low-slung Cadillac SRX is like a muscular station wagon, with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, that can carry up to seven people in three rows of seats. Its striking, chiseled looks are in line with the angular stealth bomber design that Cadillac has chosen as the hallmark of its styling.

With its first crossover, Cadillac will enter what has become the fastest-growing segment in the automobile business today. Chrysler, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and others have announced upscale crossovers that have not yet gone into production.

The SRX sits 3 inches higher than a luxury sedan but 4 inches lower than a typical SUV. It will be built at the Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan starting in the middle of next year as a 2004 model.

The next Chevy compact pickup truck will have a name GM hopes will evoke an image of hardy toughness and the rugged outdoors: the Colorado.

GM unveiled a sketch last week of the Colorado, which replaces the venerable S-10 pickup, introduced in 1982.

“We wanted a name that would fit within the Chevy truck portfolio and stand out in the marketplace,” Russ Clark, Chevrolet marketing director for mid-size trucks, said. “With the development of an all-new truck, it is crucial to select a new name that resonates well with customers and has a strong presence.”

The Colorado bears the thick horizontal grille bar and trapezoidal headlights that now are the trademark of Chevy trucks. GM would not release additional details but said the Colorado would be built at its Shreveport, La., plant starting in the fourth quarter of next year.

The S-10 has a sister compact pickup, the GMC Sonoma. GMC will sell a version of the Colorado in Canada and is expected to follow up with a GMC for American customers as well.