Even though the SRX is selling well, Cadillac has a replacement for the aging luxury crossover in the works: the 2017 XT5.
It won’t be the only CUV from Cadillac with “XT” in its name, but it will be the first one to land in wreath-and-crest dealerships. They’ll have to make room for XT5s in seven exterior colors/seven interior combinations and four different trim levels, including Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum at the top of the heap with special interior and exterior accents and materials. Prices will range from $38,995 to $62,500.
According to Cadillac, an optional twin-clutch all-wheel drive system is “capable of transferring up to 100 percent of available torque to either the front or rear axle. Also, across the rear axle, the electronically controlled rear differential can direct up to 100 percent of available torque to either wheel laterally.” XT5s with the Platinum package will come standard with the driver-controlled tech, which has a “disconnect” feature that disengages the rear drive unit for better fuel economy and lower emissions.
The 2017 XT5 will be powered by a 3.6-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers will be routed through an eight-speed automatic. In the interest of more MPG, the XT5’s engine will feature Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology, which can effectively turn the engine into a four-cylinder power plant, and Start/Stop functionality.
Dealers are currently taking orders for 2017 Cadillac XT5s and will have them in stock in early April.
*Prices exclude a $995 destination charge, tax, title, license, dealer fees, and optional equipment.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
