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Ford C-Max spot aimed squarely at Cadillac ELR 'Poolside' hubris [UPDATE]

If we had tried to predict the first video response to the controversial Poolside video for the Cadillac ELR, we would not have thought it would center on compost. But, hey, it's always nice to be reminded that the real world is sometimes better than fiction. Instead of the chic swagger of 'Poolside,' 'Anything Is Possible' is all about getting dirty. The new short in question is called Upside: Anything Is Possible and it promotes two things: Detroit Dirt and the Ford C-Max Energi. As in the ELR ad, Ford's plug-in C-Max only makes an appearance at the tail end of the spot, but instead of the chic swagger of Poolside, Anything Is Possible is all about getting dirty. The ad stars Pashon Murray, co-founder of Detroit Dirt, which takes natural waste from around Detroit, composts it into soil and then spreads that around "forgotten parcels" of Detroit to create urban farms. Detroit Dirt gets its bio-waste from a lot of sources, including the Detroit Zoological Society (all that herbivore manure has to go somewhere), Ford and General Motors, but this particular ad was the idea of Ford's PR agency, Team Detroit. It was a frenetic shoot, filmed with an LA-based director right after a big winter storm blew through Detroit, and Murray couldn't be happier with the result. "This was Ford Motor Company pushing my story, letting me tell the story that I believe in," Murray tells AutoblogGreen. "I get to help push this car and I get to tell my story." She says that the Team Detroit and Ford had to agree on the message, "from my understanding, [YouTube] is where they wanted to start, not where they wanted to finish." The ad is already getting a positive response on Twitter, so we won't be surprised if it shows up in more places soon. "It's not saying Ford is better than GM. It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." As Detroit Dirt has off-screen support from both GM and Ford, it's unsurprising to hear Murray say that the video "is not a rivalry thing." She notes that the ad agency Team Detroit came to her and offered to tell the Detroit Dirt story using the framework of the GM ad. "It's a parody on this commercial, but it's not saying Ford is better than GM," she said. "It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." What is that story? It's about urban farming, recovery and recycling. Murray tells us that for the last seven or eight years, she's been dedicated to sustainability.

Cadillac considering more engines, Vsport model for Escalade

Want to roll in the latest Cadillac Escalade? You can get it with a 6.2-liter V8... or a 6.2-liter V8. Cadillac only offers the one engine option. But that may soon change.
According to the latest from Automotive News, Cadillac is contemplating a couple of new powertrain options for its blingin' big ute. The report suggests a twin-turbo V6 and a V6 turbodiesel could be offered, and that Cadillac could create a Vsport version of the Escalade like it offers on the new CTS sedan.
The more diverse engine offerings would help attract buyers from the new Lincoln Navigator, its prime competitor, which switched from a 5.4-liter V8 this year to a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. The turbo V6 engines (both gasoline and diesel) would also help Cadillac market the Escalade overseas - particularly in Europe, where higher fuel prices preclude the prospect of driving a big V8 SUV for many buyers. Escalade sales have dropped from 35-40k units in the mid-2000s to around 12,000 the past couple of years.

Cadillac XT5 caught uncovered during photo shoot

It's only been a few weeks since Cadillac announced that its replacement for the SRX, the new XT5, is on its way. Now, we have images of it out in the open and completely free of camouflage. Obtained by a reader at Jalopnik's Opposite Lock forum, the Caddy was spotted during what user Saw930 believes was a photo shoot in New York's trendy SoHo neighborhood. There's only a pair of images, from the front and rear three-quarters, but it's enough to give us a very thorough overview of the exterior styling on the new CUV. In short, the design language that has been seen on Escalade, CTS, and upcoming CT6 has indeed made its way to the SRX replacement. The broad, egg-crate grille is perhaps the cleanest iteration of Caddy's latest styling, while the CT6-inspired headlights look sharp, as well. Expect a similar headlight pattern to the CTS, with strong LED character accents on the outside of the headlights that integrate seamlessly with the lower DRLs. In back, the taillights curve over the rear haunches and blend into an extremely strong shoulder line. It's a dynamic and aggressive piece of design that we'll need to see in person before signing off on. The rear bumper, meanwhile, is a nicely styled piece, complete with twin, integrated, rectangular tailpipes that flank a piece of (probably faux) skid plating. There's a similar off-road treatment in the front bumper, as well. While we wait for scour for more news on the XT5, have a look at the two images Saw930 captured and posted at Oppo and let us know what you think in Comments.