The new XT5 is Cadillac’s roomier, slimmer and some say, even better looking, replacement to the aging SRX, the firm’s best-selling car. GM’s luxury brand dropped new information today on the 2017 XT5 prior to next week’s LA Auto Show reveal.
Fitted with Cadillac’s new XT designation for ‘Crossover Touring’ models with the number signifying the car’s size and placement in the range, the XT5 is built on a brand new and lighter architecture tipping the scales at 3,999 lbs (1,814 kg) for the FWD model and 4,277 lbs (1,940 kg) for the AWD version.
GM says that the new XT5 is 278 pounds (126 kg) lighter than the current SRX, adding that it’s 100 pounds (45 kg) lighter than the Audi Q5, even though it’s seven inches longer, and more than 650 pounds (295 kg) lighter than the similarly-sized Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class.
It achieves these weight savings while maintaining an almost identical footprint to the SRX at 189.5 inches (4815 mm) long, 75.0 inches (1,903 mm) wide and 66.0 inches (1,675 tall), with all numbers being within an inch from Cadillac’s outgoing crossover. However, the XT5 rides on a 2.0-inch longer wheelbase at 112.5 inches (2,857 mm), which helps improve rear-seat legroom by 3.2 in. (8.1 cm) compared to the SRX.
In North America, the XT5 will be offered once again with a 3.6-liter V6, but this is the newer version used in the ATS and CTS models delivering 310hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, paired to a standard 8-speed automatic transmission with an auto start/stop instead of the SRX’s 6-speed unit. Front wheel drive comes as standard with a new “twin clutch” all-wheel drive system offered as an option.
Cadillac said the Chinese market version of the XT5 will be available with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which will not be offered in the USA or Canada.
The mid-size Cadillac features a MacPherson Strut suspension in the front and a five-link independent design at the rear, with standard 18-inch wheels, or optionally, 20-inch wheels, in which case, you also get a Continuous Damping Control system.
On the outside, the new XT5 looks like a more contemporary take on the SRX theme mixing softer edges with the brand’s latest signature styling elements such as the new grille and tear-drop headlamps.
Cadillac was bolder with the crossover’s interior that gains a simpler (and probably, more ergonomic) central console that does away with most of the clutter found in the previous model, while adding a better looking instrument panel and fresh suit of tech features such as a rear camera mirror, Apple Carplay & Android auto compatibility, and a new CUE infotainment system.
“Our focus for the interior was sophistication and simplicity, ensuring an economy of lines to reduce visual noise and clutter,” said Andrew Smith, Cadillac executive director of global design. “A feeling of space is the ultimate luxury, so we sought to emphasize that. We also use a greater variety of authentic materials and palette of colors to deliver expressive interiors in all trim levels.”
Production of the new XT5 will begin in the USA and China in spring of 2016, with pricing to be announced.
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