Will The Cadillac XT5 Remain The Luxury Brand’s Best-Seller?

Having initially launched for the 2017 model year as a replacement for the SRX, the Cadillac XT5 has been a hit for the luxury automaker. In its four years on the market, the midsize crossover has risen to become Cadillac’s best-selling model around the globe. That turn of events makes sense, considering that the XT5 is a highly-competitive product in the fastest-growing segment in the global luxury car space. But with the introduction of the new Cadillac XT4, the XT5 looks as though it will lose its best-seller title.

Cadillac XT5 sales have dropped off in the recent past. Take, for example, U.S. sales for the 2019 calendar year.

Sales Numbers - Cadillac SUVs - 2019 - United States

Cadillac XT5 sales in the U.S. decreased 17 percent in 2019, dropping to 49,879 units compared to the 60,565 units sold in 2018. Meanwhile, total sales for Cadillac SUV models rose 22.45 percent to 128,849 units, for which the new XT4 accounted for 31,987 units. In other words, as XT5 sales decrease, XT4 sales increase. And while the XT4 has not overtaken the XT5 as Cadillac’s best-selling model in the United States, that could very well take place in 2020.

We see a similar chain of events in Canada.

Sales Numbers - Cadillac SUVs - 2019 - Canada

Canadian Cadillac XT5 sales dropped in 2019, falling 17 percent to 4,928 units versus 5,942 units in 2018. Meanwhile, the new XT4 saw 3,205 deliveries, propelling Cadillac utility sales to increase nearly 24 percent to 10,109 units. Much like in the U.S., we can see the XT4 outselling the XT5 in 2020 in Canada.

In fact, the new XT4 is already outselling the Cadillac XT5 in Mexico.

Sales Numbers - Cadillac SUVs - 2019 - Mexico

In Mexico, we see a 37 percent decline in Cadillac XT5 sales to 239 units in calendar year 2019 versus 382 units in 2018. However, the XT4 saw 467 sales in 2019, single-handedly causing Cadillac utilities to see a 31 percent improvement in sales volume. Note that the Cadillac XT6 has yet to go on sale in the Mexican market.

It’s not difficult to pinpoint what’s going on with Cadillac XT5 sales. On one side, there’s the XT4 – a smaller crossover that’s not only less expensive, but also a newer product. On the other side is the Cadillac XT6 – a larger model that features another row of seats. And, like the XT4, it’s also a newer product.

So it should come as no surprise that Cadillac XT5 sales are dropping, calling into question whether or not it can maintain its position as the automaker’s top-selling model.

But perhaps that question misses the bigger picture, which is that the XT4, XT5 and XT6 will cumulatively result in higher sales volume for Cadillac, which is ultimately the whole point of new models. But for the time being, we fully expect the XT4 to become the luxury brand’s best-selling crossover and, by association, its best-selling vehicle, which is not at all a demerit for the XT5, since it’s perfectly normal for lower-priced vehicles to outsell larger, higher-priced models in the same lineup. 

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