- CARS, CARS, CARS. CAR AND DRIVER. OCT/2019
2020 Cadillac XT6 Sport AWD
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-/all-wheel-
drive, 6-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED: $65,940
BASE PRICE: $58,090
ENGINE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block
and heads, direct fuel injection
DISPLACEMENT: 223 cu in, 3649 cc
POWER: 310 hp @ 6600 rpm
TORQUE: 271 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 9-speed automatic with
manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE: 112.7 in
LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT: 198.8/77.3/68.9 in
PASSENGER VOLUME: 137 cu ft
CARGO VOLUME: 13 cu ft
CURB WEIGHT: 4703 lbC/D Test Results
ZERO TO 60 MPH: 6.4 sec
ZERO TO 100 MPH: 16.6 sec
ZERO TO 120 MPH: 26.6 sec
ROLLING START, 5–60 MPH: 6.6 sec
1/4-MILE: 15.1 sec @ 96 mph
TOP SPEED: 132 mph (governor limited)
BRAKING, 70–0 MPH: 171 ft
ROADHOLDING, 300-FT-DIA SKIDPAD: 0.88 g
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA COMBINED/CITY/HWY: 20/17/24 mpg
C/D OBSERVED: 16 mpgsmoothly to drop the 310 -hp V- 6 into its
sweet spot at a moment’s notice. Sixty
miles per hour arrives in 6. 4 seconds, 1.6
seconds behind the BMW X5 xDrive40i
and 0.9 behind the larger X7 xDrive40i.
The XT6 lineup starts with the $53,690
front-wheel-drive Premium Luxury trim,
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tional $2000. Add another $2400 to step
up to the all-wheel-drive-only Sport
model, which places actual substance
behind the name. Beyond the gloss-black
exterior trim, the Sport includes a quicker
steering rack, adaptive dampers, a heav y-
duty cooling package, and a twin-clutch
rear axle that varies the torque distribu-
tion between the left and right wheels.
Cadillac tunes the suspension for what
it calls “isolated precision,” which seems
accurate, although this XT6 skews more
toward isolation than apex-clipping accu-
racy. The din of the outside world barely
trickles into the cabin, and there’s none of
the hoof clopping you might expect from
the 21-inch wheels, a $1000 upgrade for
Sport models. Body motions are gracefully
restrained, and the Sport’s rear axle and
brake-based torque vectoring help pivot
the XT6 into turns willingly. It’s all well
controlled, but you won’t call it sporty.
More important, though, you won’t call it
a Buick, a Chev y, or a GMC.carry-on bags in the cargo space behind
the XT6’s back row.
The interior design shows better than
the exterior, especially if you spend $9875
or more on extras. The rich materials and
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package deftly mask the humble hardware
below. It includes upgraded leather on the
seats, a leather-wrapped dash, a suedelike
headliner, and genuine wood or carbon-
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features. The CUE infotainment system is
improved with the addition of a new rotar y
knob just aft of the shifter, although it
remains less intuitive than BMW’s iDrive
or the (outgoing) Audi MMI system.
Convincingly luxurious,
refined ride and handling,
practical third row.
Needs a turbocharger,
generic exterior design.If there’s a tell that the XT6 isn’t built
from blue-chip bits, it’s the naturally aspi-
rated 3.6-liter V- 6, which is the only avail-
able engine. We like this silky and
quick-rev ving six-cylinder in, say, a rea-
sonably priced Camaro or Colorado. But
it’s out of its element in a 4700 -pound
three-row luxury-brand crossover. The
XT6 needs a turbocharger to provide the
low-end torque that minces suburban traf-
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automatic transmission is alert and shiftsCadillac appears to be giving up on its no-button
CUE infotainment system. The XT6’s setup has a
controller knob and a few redundant buttons.