After several leaks and various spy shots, the 2020 Cadillac XT5 refresh has finally been revealed in China. Although the updates are not readily apparent, the model does feature several noteworthy changes, gaining 30 enhancements over the 2019 model.
For starters, the 2020 Cadillac XT5 brings the midsize crossover in alignment with the new Cadillac Y trim level structure, with the new vehicle now being available in Luxury (base), Premium Luxury and Sport trim levels.
The XT5 Premium Luxury model introduces a new grille with a bright metallic pattern very similar to that seen on the Cadillac XT4 Premium Luxury. The Premium Luxury trim also keeps the bright exterior details, including the window surround and roof rails.
Meanwhile, the XT5 Sport features a darker grille with a design inspired by Cadillac’s high-performance V-Series models, along with black trim in various parts of the body such as the lower grille lines, the window surround trim, and roof rails. In addition, the XT5 Sport features transparent tail light housings.
As we showed you last month, the interior of the 2020 Cadillac XT5 remains mostly the same as the 2017, 2018 and 2019 models, while adding several minor yet noteworthy upgrades. The most notable change is the new rotary controller for the third-generation Infotainment System that Cadillac introduced on the Cadillac XT4. The rotary controls feature a primary rotary controller with physical buttons around it, along with a smaller volume control above it.
In addition, the 2020 Cadillac XT5 interior adds a switch/button to deactivate the automatic engine stop-start system. It also adds the second-generation Rear Camera Mirror that was introduced for the first time on the 2019 XT4 2019 and 2019 CT6. The second-gen Rear Camera Mirror features various improvements, including a frameless mirror design, increased brightness adjustments (from 3 to 5), a zoom function, tilt/position adjustment of the camera, and an increase in the screen and camera resolutions from 1280×240 pixels in the first-gen to 1440×300 in the second-gen.
Finally, there’s a small update to the gear selector, which brings the XT5’s gear selection interface in line with the all-new 2020 Cadillac CT5 and CT4.
Under the hood, the 2020 Cadillac XT5 refresh gets the brand’s newest turbo-charged 2.0L I4 engine (LSY) making 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission that replaces the 8-speed on the 2017, 2018 and 2019 models. This combination will be the only powertrain option in the Chinese market. In North America, the naturally-aspirated 3.6L V6 will be available on Premium Luxury and standard on Sport.
Since its introduction in April 2016, the XT5 has become Cadillac’s best-selling model. With the arrival of the 2020 model year refresh, the XT5 becomes aligned with Cadillac’s trim level hierarchy intended to better meet the desires of today’s luxury car buyers the world over, while joining the all-new XT4 and XT6 in the expanding Cadillac crossover portfolio.
Expect an official debut in the coming weeks, and a market launch in the third quarter of 2019.
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We're not aware of any plans to bring the updated XT6 to North America.
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