The 2010 Cadillac SRX is all-new for the 2010 model year.

There’s nothing left of the original SRX but the name. Whereas the original SRX used a rear-wheel-drive platform with a longitudinal engine and a choice of V6 or V8, the new version is built on a front-wheel-drive platform with a transverse-mounted V6 engine.

Where the old SRX was a three-row, seven-seat SUV, the new one has two rows and five seats. And, although GM has been known for its global platform-sharing way of doing things, this vehicle shares its underpinnings with only one other vehicle, the Saab 9-4X, which has not been introduced yet.

The exterior design is all new, crisper and sharper than the original, with a lot less of the slab-sided look. The interior shares much of its technology and some of its design with the 2010 Cadillac CTS sedan, which we count as a good thing.

The Cadillac puts the SRX in the midsize luxury sport utility vehicle segment, one of the largest and fastest-growing segments in the industry at about 25 percent of the total sales. Cadillac counts as the SRX’s direct competitors the Acura MDX, Lexus RX 350, Mercedes-Benz GLK, Audi Q5, and BMW X3.

SRX comes standard with leatherette upholstery (vinyl), dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, multi-function tilt steering wheel, power windows, mirrors and locks, 18-inch aluminum wheels, AM/FM/CD with auxiliary plug, iPod compatibility, and four speakers.

SRX Performance gets a navigation system, rearview camera, upgraded steering, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, upgraded audio with 10 speakers, integrated fog lights, adaptive xenon HID headlights with auto-leveling.