Cue the Touch Screen: Telematics Get Pride of Place in Refreshed Cadillac SRX Introduced on Thursday, April 5: 2013 Cadillac SRX. An update for the luxury crossover brings an even more deeply angled Art and Science grille, as well as technology enhancements for safety and in-dash systems. Absolutely. Revamping the dash and center stack was necessitated by the addition of the company's new connectivity system, known as Cue, for Cadillac User Experience. What they said: The SRX, Cadillac's most successful current model, needed a technology tuneup, and intrinsic to that effort was Cue. "Think about it as a tablet for the car," Don Butler, vice president for marketing at Cadillac, said in an interview here. Mr. Butler claimed that the new eight-inch touch screen with haptic feedback - it vibrates slightly when touched - is the simplest way for drivers to get access to entertainment, navigation and advanced safety settings. After its introduction later this year on the XTS full-size sedan, the SRX will also receive a driver's seat that pulses on the left or right side to warn of unintended lane departures or the threat of collision - a feature that risks becoming the butt of many jokes. What they didn't say: For all the hype about cutting-edge technology, Cadillac is comparatively more sensitive to problems of driver distraction than competing brands and is being quite cautious about the connected services it intends to bring along for the ride. Cue, for example, is preloaded with just a single smartphone-based app, the music service Pandora. There are plans to add more apps, but the focus of the system is on the basics: navigation, hands-free phone and certain information-display controls. In contrast, other automakers offer a half-dozen or more apps, in addition to scores of streaming radio stations. Notably absent was any mention of OnStar, the in-vehicle safety and connectivity system, but not to worry - the blue button is still there. The same 308-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 engine introduced on last year's model powers the 2013 SRX. Buyers have a choice between front-wheel or all-wheel drive. A 6-speed automatic transmission is the only one offered. No official pricing was announced, although the company said that when the crossover arrived this fall, it would not deviate significantly from current pricing. The base 2012 SRX starts at $36,860. One glance at the front end is all it takes to distinguish this SRX from its corporate platform-mates. This is still a Cadillac.