CADDY’S BACK W
Iconic brand revs up with its new XT4 SUV
HEN Cadillac gathered a team of young designers to work on its new XT4 all-new compact SUV, it was to make sure it would appeal to the next generation of luxury customers. The result is the 2019 XT4, which takes Cadillac into new territory — still premium, but smaller and more affordable. It also has its own personality without diluting the grand old brand.
The resulting vehicle has simple and sculpted lines creating powerful proportions, and the interior feels upscale and high-tech.
“The XT4 has a great presence that is confident and poised,” says Therese Pinazzo, exterior design manager. “It exudes Cadillac’s DNA, but with a new boldness that speaks to the youthfulness of its team and its customers.”
Those customers will be offered a wide range of colors, finishes, options and wheels, based on three trims: Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport, and can personalize their XT4 to make it their own. The usual arrangement of infotainment and communications tech are also offered, and the XT4 offers an embedded 4G LTE connection, wireless device charging and an in-cabin air ionizer.
The thick, three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel was developed to enhance the sporty feel of the vehicle while maintaining comfort on long drives.
Seating is also sport-inspired, with prominent bolsters which balance comfort with the kind of support typically found in sports sedans. A massage feature is available, too.
The cabin offers exceptional space for a compact luxury SUV, particularly for rearseat passengers. The XT4 is expected to lead the segment in rear-seat roominess, with 39.5 inches of legroom. The compact Caddy also offers 48.9 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume with the rear seat folded.
“It’s a great balance that delivers style and comfort on long drives such as a weekend getaway to a favorite ski slope, while still offering excellent cargo room for that trip’s skiing gear,” says Cadillac exteriordesign director Jim Fleming, who helped create the vehicle’s architecture.
All models are driven by an all-new
Cadillac 2.0L turbo engine that features new technologies to enhance efficiency and fuel consumption, including Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation), coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission with next-generation Electronic Precision Shift.
Cadillac promises the drive will live up to the athletic looks, so the XT4 will be refined but responsive and agile on the road, in the spirit of the company’s sports sedans. XT4 Sport’s available Active Sport Suspension features Continuous Damping Control and takes driving dynamics and control to a higher threshold, using electronic sensors to monitor the road in real time and making damping adjustments every 2 milliseconds.
But this is just the first in a new range of vehicles from the luxury-auto company.
“The first-ever Cadillac XT4 expands our successful SUV lineup to a segment where Cadillac has never been before,” says Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen. “And it sets off a dramatic expansion and elevation of the product range that will see a new Cadillac virtually once every six months through 2021.”
The 2019 XT4 will be priced starting at $35,790 when it goes on sale in the fall.