Cadillac is late to the premium compact SUV segment game. They know it, industry pros know it and we suspect that discerning buyers of these vehicles are aware of it as well. This segment is replete with options, from the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Jaguar E-PACE, Lincoln MKC, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Volvo XC40 and so on.
What are we trying to say? Well, although Cadillac’s stock has gone up over the last few years, it still struggles against almost everything from Germany. With the arrival of the latest entrants from the UK and Sweden, the stakes are even higher. We fear that GM may have opted to simply rebadge a Chevy Equinox or GMC Terrain, add leather and CUE, and hope for the best. Let’s hope that our concerns are not warranted.
One thing seems certain from the spy shots circulating on the web and the first officially released pictures and video ahead of the NYIAS: it will be bigger than the aforementioned competitors. This may or may not work in its favor. For the moment, we can only guess that the turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine from the Terrain/Equinox will do powertrain duty.
Pricing is not yet known but we suspect that somewhere around $40,000 should be a starting point. The 2019 Cadillac XT4 arrives this Fall. We’ll see and know more in a few weeks when we report back from the NYIAS show floor.