Cadillac’s “mid-sized-plus” SUV is aging but still dignified
Motoring up the 427, I glanced over to my left to take in the bustling goings-on at Pearson International Airport. Instantly, I felt a twinge of regret over what was clearly an opportunity lost. If I was wearing my dark suit jacket instead of a puffy, teal-hued Eddie Bauer winter coat, I could slide into the airport, pull up in the arrivals area and possibly cadge a fare. Hey, a hundred bucks or so would come handy at Christmastime.
The cabin in which my imagined fare would ensconce is old-school luxury at its finest, soft semi-aniline leather seats, leather-wrapped instrument panel, console and door trim, and micro-fibre sueded headliner, all part of the $9,545 Platinum package and all in a deep black. The only thing breaking up the monotony are bronze inserts on the dash, doors and steering wheel, along with some shiny trim bits.
What powers the 2025 Cadillac XT6?
The XT6 starts out in Luxury trim, which comes with a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine under the hood. The boosted four, which puts out 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, struggles with the Cadillac’s near-2,100-kilogram weight. Fortunately, the heavier Premium Luxury and Sport trims come with a stronger 3.6L V6 — mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission — that pushes out a far more usable 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes about seven seconds to accomplish, preferably when switching out of Touring mode — designed for everyday driving, with a nod to fuel economy — and into Sport. Doing so tightens up steering response and recalibrates the suspension’s hydraulic dampers for a slight improvement in handling dynamics.
And although both engines are hooked up to an all-wheel drivetrain, on the Sport tester it’s a twin-clutch AWD setup that can distribute torque to the left or right rear wheel for better traction and handling. The result is that despite its size and weight, the XT6 doesn’t wallow in the corners like a schooner in a nor’easter. The trade-off is a ride that, although not unpleasant, doesn’t have the cushy ride for which Cadillacs used to be known for, the tester’s P235/50R20 Michelin rubber making a clip-clop sound over humps, bumps, utility cuts and tar strips.
Super Cruise, Cadillac’s partially automated (hands-free) driving system, is also available as part of the aforementioned Platinum package. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I’ve tried it. It works, but I don’t trust it and wouldn’t use it myself. Maybe it’s an age thing. Feel free to form your own opinion.
2025 Cadillac XT6 Fuel Efficiency
With the 2.0L engine, the 2024 Cadillac XT6 is rated by NRCan at 11.2 in the city, 9.0 on the highway, and 10.2 in combined driving, for an estimated annual cost of $3,774. The V6, which has automatic stop/start, is rated at 13.1 city, 9.5 highway, and 11.5 combined, for an annual cost of $3,565. During my week with the SUV, I averaged 13.9 L/100 km in a mix of highway and in-city drives.
A deeper dive into the XT6 cabin
The XT6 has standard seven-passenger seating, but the Sport was optioned with captain’s chairs making the SUV a six-seater. The basic amenities expected in a luxury vehicle are all there — tri-zone automatic climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bose premium audio system, navigation, perforated leather upholstery, head-up display, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, etc. But the eight-inch centre display is dinky by comparison (the Escalade has a curved organic light-emitting diode [OLED] screen with 38 inches of total diagonal display, including a14.2-inch centre cluster display). Massage seats, mood lighting? No and no.
What the XT6 does very well is offer space, both for passengers and cargo. Specifics are 1,046 mm (41.2 inches) of legroom in the front row; 993 mm (39.1 inches) in the middle row and 749 mm (29.5 inches) in the third row. OK, that back row is best left to the kids. Cargo volume goes from a minuscule 356 litres (12.5 cu. ft.) behind the third row to 1,220 litres (43.1 cu. ft.) behind the second row to a commodious 2,228 litres (78.7 cu. ft.) when the third and second rows are folded. Buttons located in the cargo area power-fold the third row.
How safe is the Cadillac XT6?
Well, size helps. But the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the U.S. has no Top Safety Pick rating for the XT6. The SUV receives a “good” rating for small overlap front, moderate overlap front (original test) and side (original test) crashworthiness tests, but “poor” for updated testing of moderate overlap front, and side impacts.
However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2024 XT6 an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with five stars in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover test. In neither case has the (unchanged) 2025 model been tested.
Still, the Cadillac has no shortage of safety features. Standard items include following distance indicator, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, lane change alert, side blind-zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert. The Platinum package throws in Night Vision while the Technology package adds a rear camera mirror, Surround Vision, automatic parking assist with braking and rear pedestrian alert. Popping for the Driver Assist package gets you adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, reverse automatic braking and automatic seat belt tightening. Keep in mind that the latter two packages cost just under $5,000.
Kind of cool was the tester’s Safety Alert seat. Small motors inside the driver’s seat will generate vibration pulses on the left, right or both sides of the bottom of the seat cushion when prompted by certain driver assistance technologies. Along with visual alerts, these vibration pulses help to indicate the direction of certain detected threats or a situation that might require attention. The vibration pulses replace audible beeps if “seat pulses” in the Alert Type menu is selected.
How reliable is the XT6?
Consumer Reports is mostly positive on the XT6, lauding its responsive handling and comfortable ride but also noting that it doesn’t stand out against competitors. “The cabin is quiet and nicely finished, and the seats are comfortable. But the XT6 is short on some luxury niceties …” Overall, CR gives the XT6 a rating of 72/100 and predicts “average” reliability and owner satisfaction.
How much is the 2025 Cadillac XT6?
For a larger three-row SUV with a premium nameplate, the top trim (along with the Premium) XT6 Sport tester starts off with an MSRP of $67,499, pricey but competitive. Showing no restraint on the option boxes, though, rapidly escalates its cost. The tester ended up costing $84,594, before the A/C tax and destination charge, helped by a $9,545 Premium package, a $2,705 Technology package, a $2,275 Driver Assist package and about $2,500 worth of individual options, including $900 for the black metallic paint and $920 for the second-row captain’s chairs (six-passenger setup).
What competes with the Cadillac XT6?
Final Thoughts
Overall, if not pushed by an aggressive foot to the throttle, there’s a dignified demeanour to the XT6. The big SUV looks good, drives well, and is quiet and comfortable, imparting a feeling a confidence when one is behind the wheel.
Despite the “Sport” trim designation, there’s nothing inherently sporting about it, which is not a criticism, merely an observation. Sport doesn’t come with a larger engine or any increase in horsepower, and the Premium Luxury trim is exactly the same price. All the basics are there in terms of creature comforts, but the older Cadillac lags its newer competition — as well as its big brother Escalade — in terms of the gee-whiz features and tech that amaze and delight. It needs a redesign if it is to have a future, one that would probably benefit from a hybrid powertrain option.
Pros
✔ Solid feel
✔ Quiet
✔ Roomy
Cons
✘ Starting to look dated
✘ Lacks latest infotainment features
✘ Optional packages pricey
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