CADDIE MELDS LUXURY, UTILITY
Here’s a quick word association game: Cadillac. First thing that springs to mind for most: luxurious comfort.
“When I think Cadillac, I think about refined comfort,” said Calgary driver Andrew Lunse.
“Usually, every Cadillac I’ve ridden in has felt like a comfy sofa.”
To put that notion to the test, Lunse spent a week in the newfor-2017 Cadillac XT5 crossover utility vehicle. Launched early in 2016, the XT5 (that stands for Crossover Touring) is the replacement for Cadillac’s SRX.
With seating for five, the XT5 has a new lightweight chassis that makes it 126 kilograms lighter than the SRX CUV it replaced.
In Canada, the XT5 is available with front-wheel drive in base and Luxury trims, together with all-wheel-drive Luxury, Premium Luxury and Platinum versions.
Regardless of trim, a new 3.6-litre V-6 engine with cylinder deactivation and automatic stop/ start technology powers the XT5, and it’s paired with an eightspeed automatic transmission with electronic shift control.
Depending on driving demands, the engine will stop firing two cylinders and run as a four-cylinder to help increase fuel efficiency. The XT5 Lunse drove was the all-wheel-drive Premium Luxury model with optional 20-inch alloy wheels.
“The paint picked up light in different ways,” Lunse said of the dark granite metallic finish, a paint job that added $575 to the $66,185 price tag before taxes. “Sometimes, it had hues of purple, and sometimes brown.
“I thought Cadillac has done a good job of making the vehicle handsome, and liked the way the headlights cascade from top to bottom.” Speaking of light, Lunse also appreciated the illuminated door handles. Not only did they look good, he thought them a practical application.
Overall, Lunse said the XT5 was a well proportioned vehicle and its taller ride height allowed easy ingress and egress.
“When you open the door, you see and smell the rich leather interior,” Lunse said of the upgraded $1,695 leather seating surfaces. The colour is one Cadillac dubbed “carbon plum,” and included mini-perforated inserts and dark wood accent trim.
He was surprised, however, at how firm the eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat felt the first time he climbed in, and it didn’t get any softer as the test progressed. There was also, he felt, a lack of side bolstering.
“The seat controls were intuitively placed and easy to operate,” Lunse added.
“And I really liked the button on the driver’s door that you’d touch to open or close the rear liftgate; you could adjust the gate to open to various heights depending on how much overhead clearance was available. (Cadillac) really thought that through.”
Lunse called the dark interior stealth-like, and he commented on how vividly the illuminated controls and buttons “popped” against the dash and console surfaces.
“The instruments were easy to see,” said the 6-foot-2 tester, “but the navigation screen revealed only sharp graphics (that were difficult to see at a quick glance), so I followed the navigation by listening to the audible comments.”
Lunse said the rear-view camera system helped him back out of parking spots.
“The poor visibility due to fat window columns and high door sills was compensated for nicely by the large onscreen display of the space behind the vehicle. The superimposed trajectory lines that accurately predict my reversing vector reminded me of 1980s sci-fi movie targeting graphics.”
The engine was smooth and quiet, and while it brought the XT5 adequately up to speed, Lunse never felt the vehicle provided rapid acceleration.
“It’s hard to separate what the engine’s doing from the eightspeed transmission because it always tries to be in the highest gear possible,” he said, and noted that he drove in Touring mode for most of the test. There are also AWD and Sport modes available at the push of a button.
“Sport mode stiffened up the steering and eliminated quite a bit of body roll, but I didn’t notice a big difference in how the vehicle handled bumps between the three settings,” Lunse said, adding that the XT5 was easy to drive and park and it had good handling characteristics.
Lunse folded the 40/20/40 rear seat and hauled large cardboard boxes.
The waist-high flat cargo area made loading and unloading objects a simple chore, but he wondered what was hiding under the cargo floor, as there is no temporary spare tire supplied with the vehicle.
“The XT5, in my opinion, is a nice choice for drivers who value a refined esthetic and need a people carrier but don’t need seven seats and want the ability to haul oversized cargo but don’t need to do so with passengers in the rear,” Lunse said.
He concluded, “It would also be a good choice for those who enjoy the Cadillac badge, not only for its heritage, but also for the licence to roll on 20s (oversized rims) to the grocery store.”
DRIVER’S JOURNAL
Day 1: I was surprised by the dimensions of the XT5 but it made a nice first impression. The “crossover” designation caused me to expect something lower and longer, closer to a wagon layout, but the XT5 is taller with a shape that reminds more of the SUV set. Day 2: Put the XT5 to work running errands including the transport of some large boxes. The XM radio was a refreshing change from the usual FM bands. Bose sound system made old songs sound new again, with clarity of bass, treble and highs. The engine cuts out as the vehicle comes to rest at a red light, but the starter has no trouble having the engine ready to go by the time I can move my foot from brake to throttle. Day 3: The centre console contains the Mode button to switch from Touring (known to my mind as Comfort mode), AWD or Sport. I was surprised to find that it was selectable AWD instead of full time, and I suppose that speaks to the label of Crossover instead of SUV. Presumably the option to drive front wheels only aids in overall fuel consumption numbers. Human machine interface such as touch screen and voice commands were a mixed bag of frustrations and pleasures. Day 4: Drove to Bragg Creek for dinner and intentionally chose a longer scenic route to encounter some back roads and test out the Sport mode. While Sport mode does firm up the steering considerably, and eliminates a lot of body roll, it still leaves the computer in charge of the eight-speed transmission and it likes to stay in high gears. Engaging Manual mode was necessary to feel a direct link between throttle inputs and powertrain response. Day 5: Friday night, tickets to a show, and a Cadillac to take the four of us there in style. While I appreciated the heated steering wheel, the rear passengers enjoyed the heated seats on the autumn evening and noted the rear dual climate control. Passengers confirmed a surprising lack of comfort from the seats that look so swanky. The seats are not just firm, but hard. Day 6: Another drive out of town, this time to Cochrane and the XT5 proves that smooth sailing is it’s primary concern. It does accelerate effortlessly, and without providing much sensation. This is likely due to the amount of weight being hauled around by the V-6 engine. The 4,250-pound curb weight does highlight what I consider the most confidence-inspiring aspect of this vehicle’s performance: the brakes. With strong initial bite and a firm-feeling pedal, the brakes not only stop the XT5 effortlessly, they provide a sense of legitimate control over the vehicle. Other features such as lane-departure assist shine on the highway. Day 7: I was amused on Day 2 to find a micro-fibre cloth with an embossed Cadillac badge in the centre console and used it to wisp away a few particles of dust from the trim. By Day 7 however, I realized this supposed bonus actually forewarned the inevitable condition of the touch screen. Welcome to Smudge City; XT5 owners may be wise to heed the warning that only passengers should operate the screen while the vehicle is moving.