Benefits: Super Cruise is great; The sport trim is really sporty; spacious interior
The inconvenients: Powertrains without interest; small touch screen; mediocre interior storage; less cargo space; bland design
Cadillac, like several other automakers, has signaled plans to fully electrify its lineup of cars, crossovers and sport utility vehicles. Today, however, the brand with the Wreath and Crest emblems still depends on internal combustion vehicles like the 2024 Cadillac XT6. In 2020, when this three-row crossover was first introduced, we pointed out that it was quite late for the party.
Not much has changed since then – a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been added, a Sport version has been created and General Motors’ Super Cruise hands-free driving technology has been installed – leaving the latecomer without much to do with it. stand out from the rest of the premium SUV pack.
None of this, it should be emphasized, makes the Cadillac XT6 a bad vehicle, or even a bad choice for a significant portion of the buying public. Still, with Super Cruise being the one key exception, the XT6’s austere interior furnishings and ordinary driving dynamics mean it won’t be a top pick in the competitive segment it competes in.
Interior & Technology | Passenger and cargo area | Performance and fuel economy
What’s it like to drive | Prices and trim levels | Crash Ratings and Safety Features
What’s new for 2024?
Some colors disappear, and some new colors take their place. That’s about it for 2024. Last year the Luxury trim got a standard 8-inch touchscreen, the Premium Luxury and Sport got standard GPS navigation, ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats. These changes also remain in place for 2024.
What does the XT6 interior and on-board tech look like?
We’ll break this down into a few parts. First, the overall design and materials of the Cadillac XT6 are not up to the quality standards of competitors from Acura, Lexus, Lincoln or Volvo. The layout is good, most of the touchpoints are covered in leather or another quality material, and it’s roomy and comfortable. But a closer look reveals there’s a lot of black plastic with obvious molding, and while the trim on the higher-level Sport model we tested was an interesting carbon-fiber pattern, the overall aesthetic didn’t add up. wasn’t as luxurious as we’d expect given the price of the XT6 (more on that below).
Technology is a mixed bag. Super Cruise impresses (more on that in the safety section below), but the rest of the XT6’s tech suite is merely decent and not the latest and greatest Cadillac or General Motors in general. The 8-inch touchscreen is nicely integrated into the dash, but it’s small by today’s standards. The Cadillac User Experience software is fairly easy to use and includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is nice.
Finally, the interior functionality could be better. We like the cushioned sliding cupholder lid, but the cupholders themselves are narrow, shallow, and don’t hold bottles in place well. We also like the handy, angled wireless smartphone compartment hidden at the lip of the bin under the armrest, but the bin in front of the shifter is small, oddly shaped, and non-grippy, which means it’s almost useless. There is also a storage space under the console, but as in other cars, its use is negligible.
How big is the XT6?
Cadillac prioritized passenger space with the XT6 – even tall adults can fit quite comfortably in the third row. It’s more comfortable there than in the Volvo XC90, Lincoln Aviator and Audi Q7, while the boxy shape of the XT6 makes things less claustrophobic. If there’s a complaint, it’s that the second row doesn’t slide as far forward for access as in GM’s other three-row SUVs. Second-row space is excellent, too, and our backseat passengers loved the elevated, theatre-like seating position that allows for a better view over the front passengers.
Unfortunately, the XT6 pays for this passenger-friendly space in cargo capacity. As we discovered in our luggage test, it has one of the least useful cargo areas with the three raised rows. Things are at least more competitive when the third row is down, but that’s something to remember if you’re going to use all rows for road trips.
What is the performance and fuel economy of the XT6?
Most Cadillac XT6 models are equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine developing 310 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque. A nine-speed automatic and front-wheel drive are standard, and all-wheel drive is an option. With this powertrain, the XT6 will go from zero to 60 mph in a rather pedestrian 6.9 seconds. Fuel economy is 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined with FWD and 18/25/20 mpg with AWD.
The base Luxury model comes standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Power output is the same as the XT4 compact crossover that uses the same engine, with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to the nine-speed automatic transmission and comes standard with front-wheel drive — all-wheel-drive is a $2,000 option. We haven’t driven an XT6 with this base engine; Either way, we feel comfortable suggesting buyers stick with the V6, in part because fuel economy figures of 23 mpg combined, regardless of powertrain, don’t won’t really save you much gas.
Unlike most competitors, there’s no real performance boost or hybrid.
What does the XT6 look like to drive?
The XT6’s main engine offering is effectively shared with the Chevy Traverse and other non-luxury GM vehicles, which may not be a problem per se, but it’s relatively unrefined and produces 310 horsepower. That’s just not enough in a segment where the Lincoln Aviator produces a standard 400 horsepower, the Volvo XC90 offers several engine upgrades (including a plug-in hybrid) and the Audi Q7 can pump out 325 lb- ft. of torque from its optional twin -V6 turbo. There’s little evidence to suggest the turbocharged four-cylinder is a better choice.
The XT6, on the other hand, is quiet, and the available adaptive dampers smooth out bumps impressively, worthy of a luxury brand. Although it’s built on the same platform that underpins the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, it looks like a more sophisticated machine behind the wheel. Again, though, we have to consider the segment, and the XT6 doesn’t do enough to stand out either. Its handling doesn’t have the verve of a Cadillac CT4 or CT5 (the uncommunicative steering in particular is a real disappointment), nor does it lean into the kind of ultra-comfortable grand touring experience one might expect. of a giant Cadillac – and which Lincoln accomplished with the aviator.
What else can I read about the Cadillac XT6?
2020 Cadillac XT6 Sport Driver Ratings Review
From styling and interior to engine and handling, the big Caddy in its sportiest form left our editors divided.
What features are available and what is the price of the XT6?
The 2024 Cadillac XT6 starts at $49,940 (all prices include $1,395 for destination) for the base luxury version with front-wheel drive. Premium Luxury is the next step, and it brings with it the V6 engine and a starting price of $56,765. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option for either of those first two trims. The Sport model comes with AWD only and starts at $61,440.
While Luxury and Premium Luxury represent the usual trim levels, the latter layering on much more standard equipment, the Sport goes above and beyond in a number of ways. It’s only available with all-wheel drive and adds continuously variable dampers that stiffen in Sport mode and an upgraded all-wheel-drive system that adds dual clutches to the axles to aid in torque vectoring (good for traction in bad weather and better maneuverability). And the steering ratio is changed to 15:1, as opposed to the 16:1 ratio used on Premium Luxury trim models. In other words, Sport is more than just a looks package, which is nice.
You can find a full breakdown of the XT6’s features, specs, and local pricing here at Autoblog.
What are the safety features and crash ratings of the XT6?
Every 2024 XT6 comes standard with forward collision warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems, and the GM’s safety alert seat that buzzes your butt in response to inputs from the above safety systems. The Driver Assist package ($1,300) adds adaptive cruise control, higher-speed automatic emergency braking and reverse automatic braking. The Enhanced Visibility and Technology Package adds GM’s Rear Camera Mirror, Surround View Parking System (with a video recorder for safety purposes), Head-Up Display, and Rear Pedestrian Alert when reversing.
The $2,500 Super Cruise option (available on Premium Luxury and Sport trims) works just as well in the XT6 as it does in the rest of GM’s lineup – which is to say, it’s pretty good indeed – but unfortunately doesn’t run as many roads as some of GM’s newer vehicles with Super Cruise. If having even a limited version of the best driver assist package available is important to you, that somewhat more limited system works in your area and you’re shopping for a high-end crossover, the XT6 has to be on your list.
NHTSA gave the XT6 a five-star safety rating, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the XT6 a Top Safety Pick for its best possible performance in all crash tests as well as superior equipment performance. standard and optional. forward crash avoidance systems. Its headlights got an “Acceptable” rating – most do worse.
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