2020 Cadillac XT5 Gets a Makeover, Available Turbo Four [UPDATED]

I spent part of my week in the nation’s capital so I could testify in front of Congress about a report I wrote.

Uh, sorry, that’s what Robert Mueller did. But I was there, mere blocks away in Georgetown, to drive the all-new Cadillac XT6.

When we stopped at a Virginia vineyard for lunch, Cadillac took the time to show us an updated version of the XT5 crossover (formerly known as the SRX).

The biggest news here is the addition of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. This is now the base engine, while the 3.6-liter V6 that makes 310 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque remains available. Both pair with a nine-speed automatic transmission. XT5 is available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

The second-biggest piece of news is a reshuffling of trims. Now available are Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport.

(Editor’s note: I didn’t include pricing in this post because I thought it hadn’t been announced. Turns out it was in my inbox and I missed it. Here it is: Luxury is $45,090 ($47,190 with all-wheel drive), Premium Luxury is $49,790 ($55,095 with all-wheel drive), and Sport is $56,090. It is not clear if these prices include destination fees, as that was not listed.)

Buyers will get the four-cylinder in the Luxury trim, and they can opt for the V6 if they order Premium Luxury. But the V6 is standard on Sport.

Sport models also offer up a standard twin-clutch all-wheel drive system tuned for sportier driving, active damping suspension, quicker steering ratio, and different (read: more aggressive) shift calibrations for the transmission.

Other changes include a patterned grille for the Premium Luxury trim, and a darker grille for Sport models. Heated front seats are now standard and a Bose premium audio system is now available.

LED headlamps are standard across the board, and both the front and rear fascias have been tweaked. XT5 rides on 18- or 20-inch wheels (the latter are standard on Sport) and both sizes get new wheel designs.

Inside, the Cadillac User Experience gets a rotary controller, near-field communication is now available for cell-phone pairing, night vision also becomes available, the rear backup camera has higher resolution, and the center console is totally redesigned.

The Electronic Precision Shift system is updated, and you can now disable stop/start. Fuel-economy numbers have not yet been finalized.

Up close, the XT5 isn’t a huge departure from the 2019 model, with most of the changes being subtle. Even the visible changes, such as the exterior styling tweaks, are extremely easy to miss.

It’s the under-hood changes that will matter most, along with the addition of the Sport model.

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 strays slightly further from the source material than Mueller was willing to. Still, it’s recognizably an XT5, even with the new engine choice and available Sport model. The XT6 (review coming next week) will get all the hype, but the XT5 refresh, subtle as it may be, still matters to the brand.

[Images © 2019 Tim Healey/TTAC]