2022 Cadillac XT5 vs 2023 Cadillac XT5

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 presented a unique blend of styling that sat between the futuristic angularity of the Lexus NX and the more traditional aesthetics of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC. It featured Cadillac’s signature design elements, such as a bold grille, distinctive daytime running lights, and vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillacs. However, this combination resulted in an awkward mix with the XT5’s compact size and tall profile, making it unmistakably a Cadillac, albeit an ungainly one. The Premium Luxury and Sport trims offered slightly different exterior styling cues, with the former showcasing bright chrome for a traditional look and the latter featuring darker trim and a mesh grille for a sportier appearance. The interior, while luxurious, relied heavily on the optional Platinum Package to meet luxury standards, as the standard design lacked a strong thematic presence.

In contrast, the 2023 Cadillac XT5 aimed to deliver affordable luxury, though its cabin materials seemed more fitting for a Buick or a high-end Chevy than a Cadillac. Despite this, the interior layout was intuitive, offering ample space across both rows and above-average cargo capacity of 850 litres behind the second-row seats. Cadillac retained many physical controls, providing a more intuitive feel compared to rivals that leaned towards all-touch interfaces. However, this also contributed to a dated cabin feel, lacking memorable or unique elements. The XT5 offered good headroom and legroom, with a panoramic sunroof available to enhance the airy feel. Standard synthetic leather upholstery was available, with genuine leather on higher trims, and heated front seats were standard in Canada, with heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel available on upper trims.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with a standard 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims, delivering 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The XT5 Sport and optional Premium Luxury trims featured a 3.6-litre V6 engine, producing 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque, both paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6-equipped Premium Luxury model felt adequately quick, with smooth power delivery and quick shifts from the transmission. The optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, providing a comfortable ride with excellent body control. The steering was well-suited for a luxury vehicle, offering nimbleness without being overly sensitive, and the cabin remained impressively quiet.

For the 2023 model, Cadillac retained the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and available in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The base powertrain offered acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in the high-seven-second range, though the engine could sound rough under heavy throttle. The available V6 engine provided a more suitable companion, but the XT5 lacked driving excitement with either engine. Handling was decent, but ride quality suffered on rough roads, with noticeable vibration and noise in the cabin. Compared to rivals, the XT5 lagged behind in performance, with no performance variants or upgrades available. The 2023 XT5’s fuel economy was rated at 10.9 L/100 km city, 8.2 highway, and 9.7 combined for the turbo-four with FWD, while the V6 with AWD was rated at 13.1/9.5/11.5 L/100 km city/highway/combined.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered interior space that compared favourably to German luxury crossovers, with more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, though less than the BMW X3. It trailed all three in rear headroom but provided more legroom in both rows, except for less front legroom than the Lincoln Corsair. The seats were comfortable but could have used more padding, especially in the rear. The XT5 boasted 850 litres of cargo space with the rear seats up and 1,784 litres with them folded, surpassing the Q5, X3, and GLC, though the Infiniti QX50 offered more. A hands-free power liftgate was available, and a small cubbyhole below the touchscreen provided additional storage.

The 2023 XT5’s interior featured more hard plastics and cheaper materials than expected, but Cadillac incorporated useful storage spaces, including multiple places for small items and a deeper-than-expected centre console storage bin. The glove box was limited, but front-seat ergonomics were good, with easy access to controls. Rear storage was less generous, but passengers had access to large seatback pockets and a fold-down armrest with cupholders. The cargo space remained at 850 litres behind the seats and 1,784 litres with them folded, with a wide liftgate opening and low load floor for easy access. These specs were generous in the XT5’s class, with rivals like the Porsche Macan and Genesis GV70 offering less cargo capacity.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 featured a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. An 8-inch digital instrument cluster and head-up display were available with the optional Technology Package. While usability was improved over previous systems, the tech remained merely adequate compared to rivals offering larger screens and more sophisticated features. The touchscreen was easy to navigate, but secondary controls were cumbersome, with a rotary controller and poorly placed buttons. The optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system provided excellent sound quality.

In 2023, Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system offered an intuitive interface with crisp graphics and smooth navigation, running on an 8-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and more. The system could be controlled via a rotary controller, voice, or touchscreen, with a Bose premium audio system, wireless charging, and navigation available. Cadillac retained physical buttons for climate and steering wheel controls, contrasting with rivals like the Porsche Macan, which relied heavily on touch-based controls. While not as advanced as Volvo’s Google-based system, Cadillac’s CUE was more than acceptable and not overly distracting.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with standard safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, park assist, automatic high-beam headlamps, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. The Safety Alert Seat was standard, vibrating when a warning system was triggered. An optional Driver Assist Package added adaptive cruise control and enhanced braking features, while the Technology Package included rear pedestrian alert, a surround-vision camera, night vision, and automatic parking assist. The XT5 received top “Good” scores in IIHS crash tests and a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, though it had a “Marginal” headlight rating and “Acceptable” LATCH rating.

The 2023 XT5’s last full crash test results were from 2021, with top “Good” scores in crash tests, a “Marginal” headlight rating, and an “Advanced” vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention rating. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, parking sensors, lane-keep assist, and more. Blind-spot monitoring, automatic park assist, and other features were available on higher trims. The Driver Assist Package offered adaptive cruise control and enhanced braking features, with additional options for rear pedestrian braking and a rear camera mirror.