2019 Cadillac XT4: No Right Hand Drive
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The folks at Cadillac aren’t shy about the markets that the first-ever 2019 XT4 crossover SUV is meant for. Specifically, it’s all about clinical success in China, the United States, and Canada. And while luxury goods are a universal language, Cadillac still seems reluctant to speak to customers in Britain, Japan and Australia – markets where cars have the steering wheel on the right side of the car. Together, those markets amounted to over 13 million vehicle sales in 2017, with Japan making up 5.16 million of that mix, India 3.61 million, the UK 2.9 million, and Australia 1.15 million.
According to Cadillac Society, the 2019 XT4 will be exclusively left hand drive, severely limiting its appeal in these markets.
Without question, Cadillac is still targeting the bulk of the market with left-hand drive, and, more importantly, is hedging its stagnation in the US market with a rather remarkable Chinese success story. Cadillac sold 175,489 units in China in 2017, up a whopping 50.76 percent. Meanwhile, Cadillac sold 156,440 in America, but seems to be regaining footing after growth in February and March of 2018. This is of what many analysts believe will be a down year for the automotive industry. As for Europe, Cadillac is a rarely-seen boutique brand.
The 2019 XT4 will only help Cadillac’s continued sales growth. But if you’re reading this from abroad, and wanted a Cadillac XT4 with right hand drive… sorry, mate.
About 2019 Cadillac XT4
The XT4 is a new crossover from GM’s Cadillac brand that will slot under the midsize XT5 as the brand’s second crossover utility vehicle (CUV). Underpinned by the front-drive-based GM E2 platform and assembled at the GM Fairfax plant in Kansas, the vehicle will have compact proportions such as the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, Audi Q5, while being priced in the range of smaller (sub-compact) crossovers such as the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, Audi Q3. The positioning makes the Cadillac XT4 somewhat of a segment straddler, placing it in direct competition with the Lexus NX and Acura RDX.
The 2019 Cadillac XT4 launches in the fall of 2018 with a standalone powertrain – an all-new 2.0L turbocharged engine assigned RPO code LSY making an SAE-certified at 237 horsepower (177 kW) and 258 pound-feet of torque (350 Nm). It’s mated to the GM 9-speed automatic transmission (9T50). Front-wheel-drive is standard, while a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system is available. The system offers the convenience of decoupling entirely from the rear wheels when the driver chooses to do so, thereby eliminating drivetrain friction.
The XT4 also launches Cadillac’s new “Y” trim level structure that starts with the base “Luxury” model and then offers two trims – Premium Luxury and Sport, which build on the base model’s equipment and features while offering distinct personas and detailing. The Sport model, for instance, features an Active Sport Suspension with Continuous Damping Control that provides driving dynamics and control to a higher level.
Other powertrain variants, Super Cruise autonomous driving technology, and various trim levels such as XT4 V-Sport and/or XT4 Platinum are expected later in the vehicle’s lifecycle.
The 2019 XT4 exterior delivers an evolution of the Cadillac design language, which was introduced with the Cadillac Escala concept. The most prominent aspect of the design direction are new horizontal lighting elements that join the vertical signatures that have been a hallmark of Cadillac design.
Inside, the 2019 Cadillac XT4 introduces several new features, such as the second-generation Rear Camera Mirror, NFC technology for effortless Bluetooth pairing between the vehicle and the smartphone, as well as Surround Vision. Standard on all models is the CUE infotainment system with new rotary controllers that address an ongoing dissatisfaction with touchscreen-based CUE systems.
From a business standpoint, the XT4 is of significant importance for Cadillac’s global sales growth plans, since it will fill a glaring hole in the brand’s vehicle portfolio. With just a single crossover (the XT5), Cadillac’s crossover lineup has been sorely lacking compared to competing luxury makes, all of which offer three models or more. In fact, some rivals, including BMW and Mercedes-Benz, offer up to seven CUVs/SUVs in their lineup as utility vehicle sales are experiencing rampant growth in the marketplace.
Cadillac XT4 Discussions
Discuss the XT4 in our Cadillac forum or in the XT4 forum of our sister site, Cadillac Society.
Cadillac XT4 News
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The XT4 is primarily for US and Chinese markets anyway.
I say keep it that way until it’s redesigned on the Alpha 2 or VSS-R platforms along with the other Cadillac CUVs. No use in letting every market know how much has been compromised in the CUV portfolio.
What? Drew tells me JDN designs cars strictly for Europeans.
Most of the world IS LHD, so it’s not a huge impact to their sales, to be honest.
That’s still no excuse. A luxury car is still supposed to make the owners life easier and more comfortable, not harder and cumbersome.
Listen fellas, if you want a product to be a success it should be adaptable to global demands. GM seems to have this very dumb ass thing going on by just making their potential bread winners only in left hand drive.
I am not an American because the Caribbean is where I called home. Nevertheless, GM has a lot of products that people around the really like and therefore it should have the flexible platforms like Ford or FCA has in order to maximize sales.
One Example is the Ford Mustang. Look how this car has become one of the best selling sports cars in the world due to its availability in RHD. Further, those who want to own a Camaro in Australia now have to wait for them to be converted to RHD. Now tell me do you all think that LHD alone is a smart strategy, if you want to broaden product appeal or maximize sales?
Building car’s for LHD and RHD markets, what kind of sales are you taking about went it come’s too LHD market sales? How many car’s can you sale that are LHD? Do people really wanted this LHD car? How many LHD cars mustang’s do ford really sale that are LHD? There will be LHD model’s, I Think they don’t do from these started is because they feel there car’s wanted sale, even if was a LHD car in those market’s.
What?
In most cases: a *significantly* higher majority of sales are LHD. Adding the complexity of making the vehicle RHD as well is more than likely not worth the minor amount of sales you’d gain.
You can read, you know what I’m saying, LHD driving/car’s is going to be a thing of these pass. Look what is going on around the world.
I meant to say RHD going away not LHD. Like I said before don’t know why people think if a car is RHD, in a RHD market is going to appeal too a lot of people, and will sale in great number’s. Cadillac will have RHD models just like they LHD models. Went these Camaro goes too RHD, it will sale, but it will be a normal sale.
Yet more evidence of Cadillac’s disinterest in the markets outside of China and North America despite their proclamations of ever moving date of an “assault” on the European market.
Typical GM shortsightedness, much like the vehicle in question. To be honest, that interior looks like @#$%. Maybe its better since that they won’t embarrass themselves in:
Britain
Ireland
Australia
Japan
New Zealand
and
India
All places that it would likely not garner many sales in…which is exactly why they did not offer RHD.
Sales numbers are not the point. Satisfying the luxury consumer is. If the consumer lives in a RHD market, Cadillac owes it to them provide a RHD luxury product. Cadillac shouldn’t be needlessly complicating the consumer’s lives with a LHD vehicles that makes driving difficult. Such a practice reeks of stingy penny-pinching, and by extension shows that Cadillac cares little about the luxury experience and more about the cutting corners to save a dollar.
2025 at these earliest, that cadillac would go too Europe, RHD market and great car’s does not relate too great sales.
The biggest omission by far in this car is the lack of defeat switch for the auto start/stop feature that no one wants.
The switch was visible on the spy photos. It’s notably absent in all photos from NYIAS.
I won’t touch a car without that switch especially since everyone else offers one.
You mean the one that is right below the cupholder?
Lets hope that RHD will be available on the VSS platforms by the time they are build. GM needs to stop half-hearted attempts and go with full force as a global company.