All-wheel drive is available for an additional $2,000 on Luxury and Premium Luxury models; the Sport model comes only with all-wheel drive.
Luxury and Premium Luxury models feature the turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which develops 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. EPA ratings are 21 mpg city/28 highway/24 combined with front-wheel drive, or 21/26/23 with all-wheel drive.
Sport models have the naturally aspirated V-6, with 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque.

A nine-speed automatic transmission is standard on all trims. It comes with Cadillac’s Electronic Precision Shift.
With the 2020 changes, all three trim levels received a new grille design, available in two textures. According to Cadillac, the Premium Luxury model emphasizes “bright trim and contemporary decor,” while the Sport has a darker, more aggressive appearance.
The XT5, which joined the Cadillac lineup in 2017 in place of the SRX, is a sleek, car-like premium sport utility aimed at a range of consumers, from young families to empty parents and baby boomers to the retirement.

It seats up to five passengers, just like the SRX model it replaced. At first, however, the SRX was offered with a third-row seat and room for up to seven people. But Cadillac now offers the larger XT6 with three rows of seats. There is also a smaller crossover than the XT5, called the XT4, which seats five passengers.

The XT5 comes on the same chassis as the last-generation GMC Acadia, although the Acadia is slightly longer and offers a third-row seat and room for up to seven people. It is also the base of the XT6.
For this report, we drove the XT5 Sport, with the V-6 and all-wheel drive.

The XT5 was the first in a series of three new luxury crossovers from Cadillac. Next comes the XT4, followed for 2020 by the XT6. Cadillac also still offers the luxurious full-size truck-based Escalade sport utility, which has a third-row seating option.
The V-6 engine features variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management – cylinder deactivation technology that automatically switches from six-cylinder to four-cylinder during cruise to save gas.

EPA fuel economy estimates for the XT5 Sport are 18 mpg city/25 highway/20 combined. (For the front-drive V-6, these are 18/26/21.)
This powertrain produces plenty of power for typical highway and city driving. We drove mostly with two adults on board, on a mix of highways, local streets and interesting country roads. We had no problem shifting or accelerating to highway speeds on uphill on-ramps.
The XT5 can tow trailers weighing up to 3,500 pounds with the optional tow package, but we didn’t do any towing during our test.
Automatic engine stop/start is standard, stopping the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop in traffic and restarting it instantly when the driver releases the brake. This is designed to save gasoline that would otherwise be wasted idling in traffic.

The all-wheel-drive system has a dual-clutch feature that helps automatically deliver power to the appropriate wheels to prevent wheel spin. The system can transfer all available torque to the front or rear axle.

At the rear axle, the electronically controlled rear differential can direct up to 100% of available torque to either wheel. A driver-selectable disconnect feature for all-wheel drive sends all power to the front wheels to improve fuel economy.

Although not designed for serious off-road use, the XT5’s all-wheel drive performs well on reasonably well-maintained gravel and dirt roads. However, the system lacks a low-range gear for serious climbs and descents.

The front bucket seats and rear outboard seating are comfortable enough even for long road trips. But like most vehicles these days, the rear middle position is best left to smaller adults or children.
Our tester came with the Crystal White TriCoat exterior color, which was $1,225 more. We also had the 20-inch 12-spoke diamond cut alloy wheels with dark android satin finish pockets ($600).

The Platinum Package ($3,650) added Jet Black semi-aniline leather seats to both rows, along with leather-wrapped instrument panel, console and door trim, premium carpeted floor mats upper front and rear and illuminated front door sill plates.
A Technology Package ($2,275) brought HD Surround Vision, Rear Pedestrian Alert, an eight-inch color gauge cluster, head-up display, automatic park assist with braking, and the rear-view mirror system. rear camera. It uses a camera to project an unobstructed rear view into the rear view mirror at the top of the windshield, instead of the standard rear view mirror image. It eliminates blind spots caused by headrests and body panels.

With this system, the driver always sees everything behind the car in the rear view mirror, rather than having that unobstructed view that a reversing camera system only provides when the vehicle is backing up. The driver can switch back to the standard mirror by flipping the lever under the mirror.
Other extras included Night Vision ($2,000); the Driver Assist Package ($1,300), with adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, automatic reverse braking and automatic tightening of seat belts; the Comfort and Air Quality Package ($1,200), with three-zone automatic climate control, ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats and air ionizer.
The Cadillac User Experience infotainment system with navigation ($1,025), featuring an eight-inch color screen and a 14-speaker Bose surround sound system, was also added to our tester.

Other standard features of the XT5 Sport include MacPherson strut front suspension and five-link rear suspension; Electric power steering; four-wheel disc brakes with GM Duralife rotors; and an electronic parking brake.
Also included are heated front seats with eight-way power adjustment on the driver’s side and six-way power adjustment on the passenger side, with two-way power lumbar adjustment on both sides; Apple Car Play; an ultra-wide sunroof with electric blind; IntelliBeam LED headlights (standard on all trims); cornering lights; wireless phone charging system; keyless entry and push-button start; and heated power tilt/telescoping steering wheel.

Wireless phone charging is done inside a vertical slot in front of the center console housing, behind the gear lever. Just drop the phone into the slot and it starts charging. There’s also a handy shelf/slot in the center lower dash that can hold two smartphones stacked together.
The cargo area has 30 cubic feet of space with the rear seatback in place, or 63 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. The tailgate is electrically operated and has a hands-free operation feature.

Standard safety features include the rear view camera system which displays on the dashboard screen; blind zone alert for both sides, with lane change alert (beep if you start changing lanes with traffic in the adjacent lane); rear cross traffic alert; forward collision warning, with front pedestrian detection; lane keeping assist with lane departure warning; forward low speed automatic braking and following distance indicator; and front and rear parking aid.

Other standard features include 4G LTE connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi; OnStar and satellite radio (subscription required for each); a driver’s side memory system; rain sensing wipers; dual-zone automatic climate control; and a conventional auto-dimming rear view mirror.
With freight and options, the list price on our vehicle was $70,365.
G. Chambers Williams III’s automotive chronicles have appeared regularly in the Express-News since 2000. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @gchambers3.

Cadillac XT5 2022

The Package: Five-passenger, five-door, front- or all-wheel-drive, four-cylinder turbocharged or V6 compact crossover utility vehicle.
Highlights: Cadillac’s compact crossover arrived for 2017, replacing the SRX. It has bold styling, plus plenty of standard and optional equipment. All-wheel drive is available on all models (standard on Sport).
Cons: No third row seat offered.
Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four (Luxury, Premium Luxury models); 3.6-liter V6 (Sport model; optional on Premium Luxury for $1,000).
Transmission: nine-speed automatic.
Power/Torque: 237 HP./258 ft-lbs (2.0); 310 HP./271 ft-lbs (V-6).
Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, anti-lock.
Length: 189.5 inches.
Base Curb Weight: 3,915 lbs. (2WD); 4,257 pounds (AWD).
Cargo volume: 30.2 cubic feet (behind rear seat); 63 cubic feet (rear seat folded down).
Towing capacity: 3,500 pounds (V-6 only, with trailer tow package).
EPA Fuel Economy: 18 mpg city/26 highway/21 combined (V-6, 2WD); 18/25/20 (V-6, all-wheel drive); 21/28/24 (2.0 liters, 2WD); 21/26/23 (2.0, AWD).
Fuel Capacity/Type: 19.4 Gallons (2WD) / 21.7 Gallons (AWD), Regular Unleaded.
Base price range: $43,995 to $55,895 plus $1,195 freight.
Price as tested: $70,365, including freight and options (Sport model).
Main competitors: Lincoln Nautilus, Lexus NX, BMW X3, Infiniti QX50, Volvo XC60, Acura RDX.
Road rating: 8.7 (out of a possible 10).
Prices shown are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices; actual selling price may vary.