Photo: Cadillac
General Motors just announced two major investments totaling $233 million for powertrain production facilities in Tennessee and Indiana, but along with this big news, it also managed to sneak in confirmation that production of the next-generation Cadillac SRX will move to the automaker’s Spring Hill, TN assembly plant.
There is no word as to when production of the new SRX will commence, but when it does, it will mean that over the luxury crossover’s first three generations, it will have been produced in three different North American plants. When the SRX was first introduced in 2004, it was built at GM’s Lansing Grand River assembly plant, but production of the current model moved to Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
The Spring Hill plant was originally created to be used exclusively by GM’s Saturn division, but from 2007 to 2009, it switched to building the Chevrolet Traverse crossover. Following GM’s bankruptcy, the plant was shuttered in 2009, but reopened in 2012 to help GM keep up with demand for the hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox. Last year, GM announced plans to invest a total of $350 million into the Spring Hill facility to accommodate two new mid-size crossovers, which would create or retain 1,800 jobs. With the SRX now confirmed, the second remains a mystery, but will more than likely be the next-gen Equinox.
As for the new investments, GM will upgrade its Spring Hill engine plant retaining almost 400 jobs in order to build a new family of lower-displacement Ecotec engines that will be used by five of GM’s brands in 27 different models over the next few years. These engines will be of both turbocharged and naturally aspirated variety with displacements that range from 1.0 liters to 1.5 liters to go along with horsepower ratings vary from 75 hp (56 kW) to 165 hp (123 kW), and torque ranging from 70 lb-ft (95 Nm) to 184 lb-ft (250 Nm).
In addition to Spring Hill, GM also announced a $48.4 million investment to a casting plant in Bedford, IN creating or retaining 45 jobs. This plant is responsible for producing engine blocks and transmission casings.
The Spring Hill plant was originally created to be used exclusively by GM’s Saturn division, but from 2007 to 2009, it switched to building the Chevrolet Traverse crossover. Following GM’s bankruptcy, the plant was shuttered in 2009, but reopened in 2012 to help GM keep up with demand for the hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox. Last year, GM announced plans to invest a total of $350 million into the Spring Hill facility to accommodate two new mid-size crossovers, which would create or retain 1,800 jobs. With the SRX now confirmed, the second remains a mystery, but will more than likely be the next-gen Equinox.
As for the new investments, GM will upgrade its Spring Hill engine plant retaining almost 400 jobs in order to build a new family of lower-displacement Ecotec engines that will be used by five of GM’s brands in 27 different models over the next few years. These engines will be of both turbocharged and naturally aspirated variety with displacements that range from 1.0 liters to 1.5 liters to go along with horsepower ratings vary from 75 hp (56 kW) to 165 hp (123 kW), and torque ranging from 70 lb-ft (95 Nm) to 184 lb-ft (250 Nm).
In addition to Spring Hill, GM also announced a $48.4 million investment to a casting plant in Bedford, IN creating or retaining 45 jobs. This plant is responsible for producing engine blocks and transmission casings.
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