No Cadillac Model Planned To Bridge XT6 And Escalade

The seven-passenger Cadillac XT6 first rolled off the line for the 2020 model year as the penultimate utility vehicle in the luxury marque’s lineup, slotting above the popular XT5 and below the iconic Cadillac Escalade. However, the XT6’s positioning in the Cadillac model lineup as a three-row, midsize-plus crossover begs the question – will Caddy offer a new utility model that bridges the gap between the XT6 and Escalade? Cadillac Society has now learned that such a model is not part of the product plan.

First, a quick overview. Looking over Cadillac’s current utility lineup, we find that the Cadillac XT6 starts at $48,000, while just below it, the Cadillac XT5 starts at $44,000 – a difference of just $4,000. However, above the XT6 sits the Cadillac Escalade, which starts at just over $76,000 – a massive $28,000 difference in starting price compared to that of the XT6.

Glancing over the chart, we see a substantial blank space between the XT6 and Escalade in the Cadillac model lineup. One could imagine Cadillac offering something a bit bigger than the XT6, potentially called XT7 or XT8, priced to start around $60,000 to $65,000, that would more directly compete with the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class.

However, Cadillac Society has learned that there is currently no such model in the works, or under consideration. The news could come as a disappointment for fans looking for a three-row utility vehicle from Cadillac that isn’t an XT6 or Escalade.

To that end, the execution of the Cadillac XT6 could arguably be done better. As Cadillac Society covered in February, original plans called for the XT6 to be built on the luxury marque’s Omega platform, the same RWD-based unibody platform that underpins the Cadillac CT6 sedan.

Omega is the most advanced vehicle platform Cadillac has ever offered, and would do wonders for the XT6 thanks to its stiff, yet lightweight mixed-material construction. However, plans changed and the XT6 was later designated for production on the more commonplace C1 platform shared with the XT5, along with other vehicles in the product portfolio of Cadillac’s parent company, General Motors.

However, if the XT6 were to be built on Omega, one could imagine it offering styling more in line with that of luxury customers thanks to a longer and more imposing dash-to-axle ratio, as well as larger engine options, and a more dynamic driving experience, significantly boosting its position in the Cadillac model lineup. That would also enable Cadillac to charge more for the vehicle, allowing it to compete more directly with the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class ($54,750 starting) and the BMW X5 ($59,400 starting). Unlike the current model, an Omega-based XT6 wouldn’t be FWD-based, nor would it be limited to the corporate 3.6 atmospheric V6 with regard to uprated engine options. In short, it would have the right punch and wow factor needed for the segment.

Alas, it’s not to be, as the XT6 continues on the C1 platform, and no Cadillac model is currently planned to bridge the gap up to the Escalade, though this should all change as Cadillac migrates to electric vehicles over the course of the next decade.

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