Cadillac XT5: When well done is not enough

Frédéric Mercier

On Wednesday 10 January 2018 15:46

UPDATE
On Wednesday 10 January 2018 15:46

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The Cadillac SRX is dead. It is now the XT5, which defends the colors of Cadillac in niche of the compact SUV luxury. Except that the recipe has changed very little.

One might think that Cadillac would have given everything she has in the stomach for the refurbishment of this model. After all, SUV’s in this size range are selling like hotcakes hot. Talk to the vendors at Audi. This is in large part thanks to the Q5 they put bread on their table.

Cadillac, however, it has been surprisingly conservative in the development of the XT5. Admittedly, it has somewhat changed its design to differentiate it from the SRX. It has also adopted an automatic transmission with eight reports, in order to improve the fuel consumption.

In spite of everything, the Cadillac XT5 has nothing to stand out really, especially in a market where the big German players propose vehicles road manners and dynamic style, much more bold.

Cadillac XT5 2018

Frédéric Mercier

A V6, which is surprising

Unlike the majority of its competitors, the Cadillac XT5 is making a mockery of the fashion of small turbo engines and continues to call to his eternal V6 of 3.6 liters. The same that animated the SRX.

Except for a handful of purists who are allergic to turbos, the use of a V6 under the hood of the XT5 has nothing very pleasing. We will look for a good raw power of 310 horses, it is true, but it is held also by the fact even a fuel consumption ridiculously high.

With the train full, available, the consumption ratings are announced at 12.1 L/100 km city and 8.6 L/100 km on the highway.

Cadillac XT5 2018

Frédéric Mercier

On the highway, it’s going to. The V6 runs effortlessly and does not consume more than would a four-cylinder engine, or barely. If you have a lot of urban journeys to be performed, however, things get even worse. During my week of testing, the majority of my journeys were just in town, and my portfolio has tasted. At the time of returning the vehicle to the dealership, the on-board computer of the vehicle had a fuel consumption of 16.8 L/100 km. The frigid temperatures of early January have not helped, but it’s still much too high, no matter the weather.

If Cadillac wants to keep a V6 in the equation, no problem with that. But why not also offer a lower-cost model with a four-cylinder engine turbocharged? This would not, however, a big challenge. The sedans (ATS, CTS and CT6 are already using a turbo engine of 2.0 liters, which would do very much the case with the XT5. Cadillac already has all the ingredients in his court. Remains only to apply the recipe.

Cadillac XT5 2018

Frédéric Mercier

On the road

Cadillac has made great strides in the quality of finish of its products over the last decade, and the XT5 is a great example. The quality of the materials inspires the luxury, and we are not expecting anything less of a product Cadillac.

Cadillac XT5 2018

Frédéric Mercier

The only downside comes from the touch controls, which are used to adjust functions just as stupid than the volume of the radio or some of the controls of the air conditioning. For the rest, hard to complain at the edge of the XT5.

Cadillac XT5 2018

Frédéric Mercier

Must be said that the trial version, the Platinum, was fitted to the stopper. Despite a basic price to 44$ 125 for our XT5 was rather the small sum of 73 805$. It begins to be expensive, for a compact SUV.

Comfortable, the XT5 impresses with a suspension very soft and a soundproofing that is close to perfection. As for comfort, it is successful. If, however, you are looking for a vehicle dynamic behavior, skip your turn. Go take a ride in a BMW or Audi, you can find more your account.

Cadillac XT5 2018

Frédéric Mercier

In the snow, the train full of Cadillac sneaks anywhere without any hassle. However, it has been a surprise, realizing that instead of proposing a system with four-wheel-drive smart, which is activated automatically when it is needed, Cadillac opts for a system that needs to be set in motion by the driver.

Therefore, you must yourself change the mode to “AWD” to activate the four-wheel drive, and above all to think to switch it off when you don’t need it, no question of giving a chance to the consumption of gasoline. It might appeal to some, but for a vehicle of this stature, it should come with a cog full smart. This is the kind of convenience that even a Honda CR-V is equipped.

Brief

The Cadillac XT5 is a nice step forward for the prestigious american brand. Except that in a market as quota, we would have liked to see Cadillac be more innovative. Bring the package to appeal to the many consumers who are interested in this kind of vehicle.

You can bet that the manufacturer has not said its last word.

Cadillac XT5 2018

Frédéric Mercier

Technical data sheet

Name: Cadillac XT5 2018
Base price: 44 125$
Trial Version: Platinum
Price of model tested: 73 805$
Configuration : Vehicle with two or four-wheel drive with engine at the front
Engine: V6 3.6 liter
Transmission: Automatic 8-speed
Power/torque: 310 hp/ 271 lb-ft
Fuel consumption announced: 12,1 L/100 km (city) / 8.6 L/100 km (highway)
Fuel consumption, observed: 16,8 L/100 km (icy cold)
Towing capacity: 3,000 pounds
Warranty basic: 4 years/80,000 km
Competition: Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3