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

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

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]

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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  • SuperCarEnthusiast SuperCarEnthusiast on Jul 26, 2019

    The XT5 got to the worse looking crossover out there equal to the RX350! As they age they look even more pitiful because of its trendy design styling. offering a 4 cycler as a base model now will drop the price down but the reliability going suffer even more!

  • Conundrum Conundrum on Jul 26, 2019

    It is an ungainly looking beast from the rear three-quarter, and uninspired elsewhere. Probably styled by the same guy who came up with the stubby and awkward CT-5, They both are distinctive but not for the right reasons. I assume they're chosen by people who are oblivious but reasonably well-off, as a necessity for wheels of some perceived prestige and not because the owner has any interest in vehicles whatsoever. So long as it moves and waves a badge, its mission is complete.

  • FreedMike Off topic, but folks, this site is not working well for me from a technical standpoint, and it doesn't matter if I'm using my phone, or my computer (on two different browsers). It locks up and makes it impossible to type anything in after a certain point. Anyone else having these issues?
  • Syke Kinda liked the '57, hated the '58. Then again, I hated the entire '58 GM line except for the Chevrolet. Which I liked better than the '57's. Still remember dad's '58 Impala hardtop, in the silver blue that was used as the main advertising color.
  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
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