Meet the exraordinary 2017 Cadillac XT5 crossover

November 9, 2015

Cadillac yesterday unveiled the first-ever 2017 Crossover Touring 5 (XT5,) a comprehensively upgraded luxury crossover and the cornerstone of a new series of crossovers in the brand’s ongoing expansion.The first-ever Cadillac XT5 will arrive as a 2017 model year vehicle after production begins in the U.S. and China in spring 2016.

The first-ever Cadillac XT5 will arrive as a 2017 model year vehicle after production begins in the U.S. and China in spring 2016. But first, Cadillac will let drivers get a closer look when the XT5 premieres at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show and the 2015 Dubai Motor Show this month.

As a completely new model, the XT5 sits on a unique chassis and structure that allows the crossover to weigh 278 pounds less than the outgoing SRX.

Despite being seven inches longer, the XT5 is also 100 lbs less than the Audi Q5 and more than 650 lbs lighter than the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class. Also compared to the SRX it replaces, the XT5 offers 3.2 inches more rear-seat legroom.

For the U.S. market, the 2017 Cadillac XT5 will be powered by a new 3.6-liter V6 engine that debuted earlier this year on the ATS and CTS models as well as being used in the new CT6.

The powerplant features 310 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, while Cadillac’s new start/stop technology helps enhance fuel economy and reduce emissions. For the Chinese market, Cadillac will offer a standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine.

Standard for the luxury crossover will be an eight-speed automatic transmission that also debuts Electronic Precision Shift, the first electronically controlled transmission shifter for a Cadillac.

The technology helps reduce noise and vibration.

“The all-new XT5 not only enters the most popular segment in the worldwide luxury auto market, it is the first of four new crossovers from Cadillac,” said Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen.

“It’s pivotal to our ongoing growth, which is why we’ve developed XT5 from the inside out to provide customers more space, more technology, more luxury and more efficiency.”