Introduced earlier this month at the 2015 Dubai Auto Show, the 2017 Cadillac XT5 will serve as a vital piece of the Cadillac lineup until other crossovers reach the market starting in 2018. The XT5 is all-new in every sense of the word, with an all-new lightweight structure, a completely new powertrain with an advanced AWD system, completely new interior, and much, much more. But how does it compare to the second-generation Cadillac SRX that it replaces?
Based on preliminary specifications released by Cadillac so far, the XT5 is just slightly shorter (by 0.8 inch), narrower (by 0.2 inch), and taller (by 0.3 inch) than the 2016 SRX. More importantly, the Cadillac XT5 also weighs 278 pounds less than the SRX riding on a wheelbase that’s 2 inches longer. It’s produced in Tennessee rather than in Mexico (for the U.S. market) and is also just slightly more powerful than the SRX thanks to the all-new 3.6L V6 LGX engine.
| Model: | 2017 Cadillac XT5 | 2016 Cadillac SRX | + / – XT5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body style: | 5-passenger midsize luxury crossover | 5-passenger midsize luxury crossover | Same |
| Driveline: | FWD or AWD | FWD or AWD | Same |
| Manufacturing location: | Spring Hill, Tennessee, USA | Ramos Arizpe, Mexico | U.S. vs. Mexico |
| Engine (base in USA): | 3.6L V6 DI VVT LGX | 3.6L V6 DI VVT LFX | Generational change in engines |
| Power (hp / kW): | 310 / 231 | 308 / 230 | +2 / +11 |
| Torque (lb-ft / Nm): | 270 / 366 | 265 / 358 | +5 / +8 |
| Transmission : | 8-speed automatic with Electronic Precision Shift | 6-speed automatic | 2 speeds more |
| Wheelbase (in / mm): | 112.5 / 2857 | 110.5 / 2807 | +2 / +50 |
| Length (in / mm): | 189.5 / 4815 | 190.3 / 4834 | -0.8 / -19 |
| Width (in / mm): | 75.0 / 1903 | 75.2 / 1910 | -0.2 / -7 |
| Height (in / mm): | 66.0 / 1675 | 65.7 / 1669 | +0.3 / +6 |
| Est. curb weight (FWD) (lb / kg): | 3999 / 1814 | 4277 / 1940 | -278 / -126 |
| Est. curb weight (AWD) (lb / kg): | 4277 / 1940 | 4442 / 2015 | -165 / -75 |
We are looking forward to driving the all-new XT5 when it launches in the spring of 2016.
Further reading:
- Cadillac XT5 news coverage
- 2017 Cadillac XT5 info, including specs, pictures and much more
Comments
How about compare to the first gen?
Northstar baby!
First gen was more like a jacked up CTS wagon and I loved it
God I loved those first gens!
To bad there wasn’t enough gen 1 lovers, better yet, gen 1 buyers to justify keeping the layout into gen 2.
It’s not that the first-gen SRX wasn’t successful… or that not enough buyers “liked” it. Instead:
1. The crossover market was nowhere near as hot nor big (demand) than it is now.
2. There were better vehicles for the price (X5 and ML, and Q7) in the price range of the SRX
3. It lacked a lot of the luxury appointments of the segment (interior quality, materials, in-vehicle technology.
I would argue that had the second-gen been RWD and priced to market, it would be just as or even more successful than the Theta Premium-based FWD model that we got.
I agree that the first gen SRX was ahead of the current crossover craze but by your argument the current RWD based X5, GLE, Q7 and QX60 should be leading the midsized segment in sales volume, but they do not.
Have you guys stopped to consider that the X5 and ML/GLE are all $10,000 or so more expensive than the FWD midsize crossovers from Lexus, etc?
BMW and Benz make more money per unit, are far more desirable, but sell in slightly lesser volumes than the Lexus RX and Acura MDX. But don’t kid yourselves: most of those Lexus, Acura, and Lincoln buyers would buy the BMW or the Benz if they had the chance or the extra money.
And that’s not to mention other factors like reliability that could be preventing the Germans CUVs from selling in higher volumes. Lexus and Acura are always ahead in those studies than the Germans, though the results can be disputed based on the study.
Again, this is not about FWD vs. RWD. It’s about what is the better car. The FWD based crossovers aren’t bad, but they are by no means leaders in the segment in terms of driving experience, performance, towing, or overall comfort. Leave those areas to the big boys from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Also, Dave: Q7 is Quattro AWD. It never has been RWD.
I am not against RWD chassis for crossovers, in fact I hope the XT3 is based on the fantastic Alpha . I just do not think that it is imperative to making a successful midsized crossover.
PS
Good catch on the Q7 thing. should have checked a little better.
Dave — to an extent, I agree with you in saying that making any crossover rear-drive is not a prerequisite to attaining sales success. Yes, front-drive CUVs like the Lexus RX and Acura MDX win (sometimes slightly) on sales volume compared to the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class (nee ML-Class). But to base decisions solely off sales volume is to miss the forest for the trees.
Cadillac is the challenger to pretty much every established automotive luxury brand in the world. If you challenge, then you must win. And winning doesn’t mean following. Winning means being the best in all areas and facets of the business.
Simply put, Cadillac must be the best. It must be the best when it comes to product, down to the very last detail; it must be the best when it comes to marketing, sales, service, customer service and support… at every customer touch point.
So, where does RWD come into play? To start, I don’t think anyone would argue against the notion that RWD is better than FWD when it comes to higher performance, better agility, a better driving experience, and a better (more attractive) exterior design that’s afforded by a RWD chassis. Snowy regions will sells these vehicles with AWD, so the FWD vs. RWD in the snow argument is moot. So that leaves us with the fact that a luxury vehicle must be very good in the driving department, rather than just having a nicer and/or quieter cabin than a vehicle based on the same platform from the company’s mainstream brand (Chevrolet). So, RWD it is.
Today, Cadillac is positioning itself as a performance-luxury brand. The XT5’s front-drive, nose-heavy chassis runs counter to that. You can throw all kinds of technology at the car like Continuous Damping, HiPer Strut, and even Magnetic Ride Control… the XT5 only has one of those. But even if it had all three, they won’t be able to obfuscate the fact that the car is not balanced properly. And an unbalanced car that doesn’t drive as well as it could, and one that doesn’t drive as well as the competition, is simply not the future of Cadillac.
Then there’s the factor of desirability as brought up by Mr. Silent. Assemble a group of people, have them drive midsize crossovers back to back, and then ask which they would buy if money were no object. Very few would pick the front-drivers such as the Lexus RX, Acura MDX, Lincoln MKX, or the XT5 over the X5 or GLE/ML-Class. Audi is a bit different of a different animal as Silent mentioned, but I would put it in the same category as the other two CUVs from Germany.
My point is that sales volume isn’t the end-all, be-all metric of success. And if it were, there are other reasons that a front-drive Lexus is the sales leader — like the fact that it was the first luxury CUV in the world, Lexus’ perceived-to-be-stellar reliability, customer service ratings, etc. Then there’s the fact that the Lexus, Acura, and Lincoln are thousands less expensive than the BMW and Mercedes.
If people buy your luxury product because it is affordable rather than desirable, you’ll win sales and market share for some time… but you won’t win the hearts or the minds of the public. And ultimately, you will lose the sales lead, too.
As for Cadillac: people should not be buying a Cadillac because it’s affordable. They should be buying a Cadillac because they want to. Because they know, and everyone else knows, that it is the best.
A RWD setup is one of the many factors that contributes to a luxury vehicle being just that — the best.
Alex I’m so glad that you’re back!!! It’s been a while!!!! I think it just depends on people’s perception. Lexus been number 1 with RX mostly because it’s comfortable luxo boat. Now people may sway to Germans for driving dynamics and stuff. But in typical Lexus fashion, most buyers are in their upper 50s to shop for the RX. Cadillac went with sigma platform with their first gen srx but let’s face it, the quality is not really there and it’s kind of stupid to change the signal light and you have to take out the whole bumper to do that. Second gen is a little better and it is kind of a success for Cadillac for sure. The XT5 will be great I would think and it will probably more sporty than the current RX
Alex. I see your points and generally agree with you.
I am not against RWD chassis in the slightest.
There is no point in lamenting about the XT5 not having an Alpha chassis in some form. That ship has sailed.
I am simply making the point that despite being FWD the SRX will likely still be successful.
Also there is still hope for the XT3 and XT7.
Correct, Silent Electrician. Let’s not forget how poorly proportioned the Gen2 SRX (even the XT5 to a much lesser extent) is thanks to the transverse engine layout.
Hey vic1212 this is what I found.
Comparing SRX’s gen 3 to a 2009 gen 1 3.6NA RWD model;
Power (h/p)..310/254
Torque. …270/255
Wheelbase ..112.5/116.4
Length. ..189.5/194.9
Width. ..75/72.6
Height. ..66/67.8
Curb weight..3999/4164
The 1st gen SRX was low, slow, heavy, underpowered and narrow .
But compare the ones to the north star V8?
Not a fair comparison really but only difference is the power (315hp/320lb.ft).
First gen SRX would still have the same dimensions and even heavier.
I’ve driven both generations and prefer driving gen 1 but gen 2 was nicer inside and road more luxuriously in comparison.
It kind of is considering the northstar v8 has 320 hp
I had three vehicles with the Northstar. Two SRXs and an STS. Easily the best engine I’ve had in a car.
I think Cadillac should’ve never down-sized the SRX to a 5 passenger suv or stopped making the northstar V8. it seems like these days car manufactures are telling you what to buy and how to configure it instead of letting the consumer choose what they actually want.
Power (hp / kW): 310 / 231 308 / 230 +2 / +11
Just want to add, in the comparison column, the increase in kW is “+1”
I think Cadillac did good with the SRX but much BETTER with the XT5.