Cadillac XT5 Being Displaced As Luxury Brand’s Best-Seller
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Since launching for the 2017 model year to replace the aging second-generation SRX, the Cadillac XT5 has quickly become the best-seller for GM’s luxury marque – both at home and abroad. The reasoning for the XT5’s near-instant success is quite obvious: it’s an attractive and highly-competitive vehicle in a segment that has seen significant growth over the past few years. Thanks to GM completely missing forecast on the rise in popularity of luxury crossovers, the XT5 was Cadillac’s sole CUV until the arrival of the XT4 three years later, and the XT6 one year after that. And now, the former is threatening to steal the XT5’s title for Cadillac’s sales crown.
The 2019 Cadillac utility lineup. Left to right: Escalade, XT5, XT6, XT4
Sales Numbers - Cadillac SUVs - 2019 - United States
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XT4 | +17.46% | 8,895 | 7,573 | +310.88% | 31,987 | 7,785 |
| XT5 | -17.77% | 11,168 | 13,582 | -17.64% | 49,879 | 60,565 |
| XT6 | * | 7,169 | 0 | * | 11,559 | 0 |
| ESCALADE | -7.15% | 8,889 | 9,573 | -3.93% | 35,424 | 36,872 |
| TOTAL | +17.55% | 36,121 | 30,728 | +22.45% | 128,849 | 105,222 |
In the U.S., Cadillac XT5 sales fell 17 percent to 49,879 units in 2019 versus 2018. That drop is, in large part, due to the XT4 – which saw sales jump 31,987 units during the same timeframe. That’s not quite XT5 volumes yet, but one could make the argument that the XT4 could outsell the XT5 in 2020.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac SUVs - 2019 - Canada
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XT4 | +105.19% | 751 | 366 | +703.26% | 3,205 | 399 |
| XT5 | +4.91% | 1,304 | 1,243 | -17.06% | 4,928 | 5,942 |
| XT6 | * | 243 | * | * | 383 | 0 |
| ESCALADE | -14.35% | 392 | 458 | -12.95% | 1,593 | 1,830 |
| TOTAL | +30.16% | 2,690 | 2,067 | +23.72% | 10,109 | 8,171 |
2020 Cadillac crossover lineup. Left to right: XT6, XT4, XT5
A similar circumstance is taking place in Canada, where Cadillac XT5 sales fell 17 percent to 4,928 units in 2019. Meanwhile, the new XT4 saw 3,205 deliveries. Much like in the U.S., we can see the XT4 outselling the XT5 in the very near future in the Canadian market. In fact, the XT4 is already outselling the XT5 in Mexico.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac SUVs - 2019 - Mexico
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XT4 | +101.47% | 137 | 68 | +586.76% | 467 | 68 |
| XT5 | -19.59% | 78 | 97 | -37.43% | 239 | 382 |
| ESCALADE | -35.71% | 72 | 112 | -37.06% | 107 | 170 |
| TOTAL | +3.61% | 287 | 277 | +31.13% | 813 | 620 |
Cadillac XT5 sales were off 37 percent to 239 units in 2019 in Mexico. During the same time frame, XT4 sales saw 467 deliveries, outselling the perennial XT5 at an almost two-to-one clip.
The GM Authority Take
It would seem that the Cadillac XT5 is being squeezed at two ends of the spectrum: on the smaller, lower-priced end, the XT5 is seeing internal competition from the newer and more affordable XT4. On the other end of that spectrum is the Cadillac XT6, which is also cutting into XT5 sales as a result of being larger, offering an additional row of seating, and – like the XT4 – being a newer vehicle. Put all that together, and a dip in XT5 sales shouldn’t come as a shock. It also wouldn’t be all that surprising to see XT4 become Cadillac’s best-selling model in the not too distant future. And that’s not at all a knock against the XT5: it’s completely natural for lower-priced vehicles to outsell larger, higher-priced ones in the same automaker’s/brand’s lineup.
But that’s not to miss the forest for the trees: no matter which XT model is Caddy’s best seller, the fact will remain that GM’s top-most luxury brand will soon enjoy significantly higher sales of lucrative utility vehicles than it ever has before. In fact, that’s already taking place in all aforementioned markets:
- In the U.S., Cadillac SUV sales rose 22.45 percent to 128,849 units during the 2019 calendar year.
- In Canada, Cadillac utility sales rose 24 percent to 10,109 units during the 2019 calendar year.
- In Mexico, cumulative Cadillac CUV and SUV sales rose 31 percent to 813 units. Notably, these results do not include the XT6, which hasn’t yet gone on sale in the market.
These figures should grow even further in 2020. But for the time being, we’ll prognosticate that the XT4 will outsell the XT5 in 2020.
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This report was written in collaboration with our sister publication, Cadillac Society.
Additional Resources
Running Cadillac sales numbers:
- Running Cadillac XT4 sales numbers
- Running Cadillac XT5 sales numbers
- Running Cadillac XT6 sales numbers
- Running Cadillac Escalade sales numbers
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Wait how is this possible everyone said the XT6 would be a flop. Seems GM does know what they are doing and its about making money and making a product the people want not car ethusiast want. I would like to seem them take more chances but making money is the first priority.
IMO, all three (or all 4 including the Slade) are really nice looking and have a great look when seen on the road. Living in southern California, I’m not looking for anything too big, so I really like the 4/5 for that reason. I hope all of the Cadillac’s see an increase for 2020, including the cars!
so how do these numbers compare to mb, audi and lexus counterparts? is cadillac actually gaining customers or just shuffling existing ones?
car and driver came out with a ranking of compact luxury cuv/suv’s.
buick envision and cadillac xt5 came in dead last.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g15377603/luxury-small-compact-suv/
Its easy to see, all the ones they liked better are performance oriented except for the Infinity which from other review i’ve seen the Infinity is POS. 90 percent of market could care less about a CUV/SUV is performance oriented. Should GM make one sure and they might be looking into it. But again what makes money is the focus of GM of today, which is the goal of company to make money for itself and stock holders.
That did it Steve, I’m going to the closest Kia dealer today!!, mission accomplished Steve!…
you shouldn’t have a problem getting one soon. kia is going to up production for the telluride to 100,000/year due to strong demand.
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/01/24/kia-telluride-production-increase-report/
Excellent, get one for me tiger…
I’m just going to throw this out there so I can get some thumbs down votes,
So Cadillac added 2 completely new SUVs to their lineup – OK
And there was not one of these all new Cadillac SUV’s sitting on a lot in the US before this – OK
How many of these new Cadillac SUV’s are sold to dealer inventory ?
Any one
Any one
I could see the Cadillac dealers NOT adding any extra unsold XT5s to inventory, but the two closest Cadillac dealerships to me have a h3ll of a lot of the XT4 – XT5 – and XT6 sitting on the lots now !
So lets just say, half of the number of new Cadillac SUVs went to customers in the US. What is that ? 11,800 something added in sales outside of the usual Cadillac buyer, and that from TWO additional vehicles !!! that’s 5 to 8 thousand vehicles more in a year, per vehicle, is it not, sold to a true customer driving these Cadillacs around ?
Again, very few buyers want a true ” performance ” Cadillac SUV. Maybe even less than the Sedan V owner. Yet one h3ll of a lot of GM SUV buyers want a ” better ” preforming SUV ! Not a 650 HP Cadillac SUV-V, Just a ” better ” preforming Cadillac SUV.
And in my opinion, that Cadillac SUV offering ” better ” performance than the average GM blah, SUV, would sell and would have sold more than these two additions to the SAME OLD GM AVERAGE BLAH MIS-SIZED SUV LINE !!!
Honestly I don’t see the Q3 cannibalizing the Q5 or Q5 the Q7… nor do we see the GLC cannibalizing the GLE… GM needs to better position the XT5 as a great step up by giving it more value and appeal. The XT6 is a dog and over priced, it just came out and isn’t even competitive compared to the Lincoln Aviator, GLE, X5, or Q5. GM needs to take the Omega Platform and create a spectacular new XT6 but with a name, then use it for the XT5 replacement. The XT4 can be a derivative of the other GM FWD junk.
Cadillac needs to stand for fantastic styling, gorgeous interiors and strong value… currently it does none of these….
I’m amazed that since 1999 , I’ve purchased 3 Cadillacs , and at the same time Purchased 3 Hyundai’s . Also had a Lincoln a Lexus squeezed in there for good measure . I find it amazing that my wife’s new 2019 CT5 has no heated rear passenger seats , Yet my 2013 Santa Fe did ! And for less than 42K . I drove it 80000 miles in 4 years with oil changes and 1 brake job ! Just Saying Guys
The XT4 will not takeover the XT5, the XT5 is roomier , has a better ride and better performance. There are a lot of people that do not need or want a three row like the XT6. My 20109 XT5 Premium Luxury is built they way a Cadillac should be.