2020 Cadillac XT5 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Cadillac positions its midsize 5-passenger XT5 crossover against the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Lexus RX, BMW X5, and Lincoln Nautilus. For 2020,...

Cadillac positions its midsize 5-passenger XT5 crossover against the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Lexus RX, BMW X5, and Lincoln Nautilus. For 2020, it gets a mid-cycle revamp.

This year, the XT5 adopts Cadillac’s new “Y” trim strategy. The Luxury trim kicks that off, with the same elegant base theme as last year. The Premium Luxury and Sport grades each offer their own separate design take. In particular, the Sport comes with a unique mesh grille, 20-inch nickel-finish alloy wheels, dark exterior trim, and clear taillight lenses.

Another change for 2020 is the addition of a base engine. That comes in the form of a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine good for 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Standard on the Sport and optional on the Premium Luxury is last year’s V6, making the same 310 hp and 271 lb-ft as before. Both engines hook up to a 9-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard, but the Sport grade gives you an advanced twin-clutch all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, magnetic adaptive suspension, and quicker steering. Fuel economy for the XT5 is as low as 21 mpg city, 28 highway, and 24 combined with the 2.0-liter and FWD, and as low as 18, 25, and 20. Note that the smaller engine is rated for premium fuel.

For 2020, Cadillac treats the XT5 to a richer selection of colors and trims. Heated front seats, a new 60/40 split-folding rear seat, LED headlights, a redesigned center console, next-generation Qi wireless charging, one-touch phone pairing, and enhanced noise insulation are also new this year. Finally, the 8-inch infotainment system, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, gets an overhaul this year, replacing its touchpad with a rotary dial and redundant touchscreen functionality. Fresh optional features include a full LCD instrument cluster and a Bose Performance Series sound system.

Even the XT5’s safety arsenal is revised. New options this year include rear pedestrian alert, enhanced automated parking, and night vision. Those join the standard automatic emergency braking, forward-collision alert, and forward pedestrian alert. You can also select lane-change alert, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The XT5 achieved Good crash ratings in its 2020 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluation.