Cadillac’s overhaul of both its lineup and its image continues with the 2017 XT5, which was unveiled at an event preceding the 2015 Dubai Motor Show. The vehicle has just made its U.S. debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, and will enter production next year as the replacement for the SRX.
The name, which stands for “Crossover Touring 5,” marks the first time Cadillac’s new naming scheme will be applied to a crossover. The new regime started with the CT6 sedan unveiled earlier this year, and is intended to make the Cadillac model hierarchy easier for customers to understand. It’s not adding much romance to the brand, though.
The XT5 is a lot more dynamic-looking than its name suggests. Like the SRX it replaces, there are plenty of slashes and creases on the exterior. The XT5 also sports a more traditional grille with Cadillac’s new wreath-less crest badge, and headlights with the same LED daytime running-light jowls previously seen on the CTS sedan.
Underneath the new sheetmetal, the XT5 rides on a new platform that cuts 278 pounds compared to the old SRX, Cadillac says. Like the SRX, the XT5 will be offered with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the latter using a new “twin-clutch” design that can send 100 percent of power to either the front or rear axle. The rear axle can also vector torque side to side, or decouple completely to save fuel.
In the U.S., the XT5 will be offered solely with a 3.6-liter V6, producing an estimated 310 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. It will be fitted with a start-stop system and cylinder deactivation, which shuts down two cylinders under light loads. An eight-speed automatic will be the only transmission option. In China, the XT5 will be sold with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
On the inside, the XT5 gets the Rear Camera Mirror system previously shown on the CT6. This allows the driver to stream video from a rear-mounted camera to the rearview mirror, providing a clearer view with fewer obstructions, Cadillac says. The camera view effectively “removes” obstacles, like the rear pillars, that normally limit the view through a conventional mirror.
Other tech features include integrated wireless phone charging, the built-in Wi-Fi hotspot that’s standard on most General Motors vehicles (separate data plan required), an optional head-up display, and LED interior ambient lighting. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto should both be available by the time the XT5 goes on sale. Cadillac will also offer a Platinum model with fancier exterior and interior trim, in the vein of the current Escalade Platinum.
The 2017 Cadillac XT5 will go into production in both the U.S. and China next spring.
