2020 Cadillac XT5 Refresh To Add Turbo-Charged 2.0L Engine

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 is getting a midcycle refresh that delivers updated exterior, interior, and powertrain elements. We recently spied the facelifted model without any camouflage while the model was undergoing testing in North America, and the changes to both the exterior and interior are rather subtle, to say the least. What’s potentially more notable, however, are the changes to the powertrain.

That’s because the 2020 Cadillac XT5 is getting a new engine option in the form of the new turbo-charged 2.0L four-cylinder engine, Cadillac Society has exclusively uncovered. Assigned production LSY, the boosted four-banger was initially introduced on the all-new 2019 Cadillac XT4 and refreshed 2019 Cadillac CT6 before making its way into the 2020 Cadillac CT4 and CT5. Incidentally, the CT6 is dropping the engine for the 2020 model year; more on that in another story.

In the United States, the addition of the turbo 2.0L I-4 engine to the 2020 Cadillac XT5 lineup represents an entirely new engine option, since Cadillac’s midsize luxury crossover was previously available exclusively with the naturally-aspirated 3.6L V6 LGX engine, regardless of trim level/model. In China, the all-new 2.0L LSY engine will replace the last-gen 2.0L LTG in the XT5. Power has yet to be announced for turbo 2.0L LSY in the 2020 Cadillac XT5, but the engine is rated at 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in the XT4 and CT6.

2020 Cadillac XT5 Powertrain Summary

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 will adopt the brand’s Y trim level strategy, reorganizing the model’s trim levels into three trims: Luxury (base), Premium Luxury and Sport. The turbo-charged 2.0L I4 engine will be standard on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims, while the atmospheric 3.6L V6 will be optional on Premium Luxury and standard on the Sport trim. Luxury and Premium Luxury trims will come in standard FWD or optional AWD, while the Sport model will feature a more advanced all-wheel-drive system with electronic positraction and twin-clutch setup as standard.

Regardless of engine option, all 2020 Cadillac XT5 models replace the 8-speed automatic transmission with Caddy’s new 9-speed automatic gearbox. More accurately, the 9-speed transmission on models with the 3.6L V6 engine is more robust than the 9-speed on units with the turbo 2.0L I4, but the amount of forward gears, gear ratios and the overall design of the transmission is identical between both units.

The XT5 is Cadillac’s best-selling model, and the updates to the 2020 model should make it an even more attractive offering in the fact of ever-increasing competition in the luxury crossover D-segment, which is dominated by the likes of the Lexus RX, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class and BMW X3.

Expect the 2020 Cadillac XT5 refresh to surface in the very near future. In the meantime, subscribe to Cadillac Society for more Cadillac XT5 news and ongoing Cadillac news coverage.