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Cadillac SRX production moving to TN, next-gen Equinox going to Mexico

It's a good week for the town of Spring Hill, TN, as General Motors has announced that its factory in the city of 31,000 will receive a $185 million contract to produce engines. On top of that, the next-generation Cadillac SRX crossover will be built at the factory (NA models are presently built in Ramos, Arizpe Mexico), which was once famous for being the home of GM's now-defunct Saturn brand.
The factory is one of GM's six facilities around the globe that will screw together the company's new line of three- and four-cylinder Ecotec engines. Spring Hill currently builds the 2.0-liter, turbocharged Ecotec, as well as the naturally aspirated 2.4 and 2.5-liter variants.
Spring Hill's vehicle assembly lines were idled in 2009, but were reactivated in 2011. The SRX is just one of the products meant to benefit from last year's $350-million investment, and should have a positive impact, creating or retaining around 1,800 positions at the factory.

New Takata problem results in recall of 414 GM vehicles

An airbag-inflator rupture discovered by Takata during testing has resulted in a new recall affecting 414 vehicles from General Motors, including 395 of them in the US. This latest campaign covers 2015 model-year examples of the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain. There are no reported breaks in any of these vehicles on the road, and the company estimates only one percent of them actually have the faulty parts. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), one side-airbag inflator failed a cold test at -40 Fahrenheit "releasing high pressure gas and propelling the separated components apart." The supplier told GM about the failure the next day. In these vehicles, the safety device might not only burst but the bag could inflate incorrectly, as well. GM and Takata say that a cause is not yet known, but they are "conducting an investigation." GM will begin notifying affected owners via overnight mail on Oct. 19. Dealers will replace the side airbag modules on all of the affected vehicles with new components outside of the suspect lot. All of the removed parts will also be collected for further study. Takata's faulty front airbag inflators have resulted in a serious scandal for the supplier. Initial figures indicated 34 million US vehicles are need of repair, though more recent figures have knocked that down to 23.4 million bad parts in 19.2 million automobiles. GM was already among the dozen automakers with models to fix, and some of its pickups were affected, along with the Saab 9-2X and Pontiac Vibe. GM Statement: General Motors is recalling 395 cars and crossovers in the U.S. because one of the front seat side air bags inflators may be defective. In the event of a deployment, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. GM is unaware of any incidents involving vehicles with these components, which were part of a lot in which one inflator failed acceptance testing at the supplier. Dealers will replace the side air bag module or modules in affected vehicles. Including Canada, Mexico and exports, the total population of the recall is 414, GM estimates 1 percent of the recalled vehicles may have the defect.

2018 Cadillac XT7 three-row crossover spied [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Upon further consideration, and after speaking to some industry insiders, it appears this might not actually be a new Cadillac, but instead just a mule of the new Chevy Traverse. One source points out that the foglights are fixed, round units, which would be production spec and would not suggest Cadillac. Another source says the Cadillac version of the Traverse/Acadia/Enclave was cancelled, and development has stopped. Yes, a Cadillac of this size is expected to arrive – and elements of this prototype sure do look Cadillac to us – but it might be too early for this to be it. Cadillac is expanding its portfolio with a three-row crossover. This is it. Expected to be called the XT7, the new vehicle will give Cadillac an entry above the XT5 and below the hulking Escalade. Though the XT7 is heavily covered, we can see Cadillac's (?) bold grille and what looks like strong proportions. It'll probably look like a larger XT5, and you can sort of (maybe) see a similar roofline if you squint. Spy shooters caught it testing with the new Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave, and they're all expected to use the new General Motors 3.6-liter V6 engine, like the recently revealed GMC Acadia. The XT7 could show up as soon as late this year or early in 2017. Its part of GM's push to capitalize on the red-hot crossover segment that has been fueled by low gas prices and Americans' thirst for utility. The XT7 would likely represent GM's most profitable play in this segment. Simply affixing the Cadillac badge on the front adds thousands of dollars to the sticker compared to a Chevy or Buick product. The XT7 will also give Cadillac a significant opportunity for growth – and perhaps allow it to gain on Mercedes and BMW on the sales charts. While the CTS and ATS have had mixed success, Americans have continued to show a willingness to buy Cadillac utility vehicles. The XT7 is the latest in Cadillac's product blitz following the XT5 and the CT6 range-topping sedan. Those two are the most critical Caddys, but the XT7 isn't far off. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Cadillac XT7 View 11 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams / SpiedBilde Spy Photos Cadillac SUV