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2020 Cadillac XT5 makes its official debut, adding a new engine and improved tech

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 is here, and it’s new in some significant ways. To start, it gets a slightly revised look. We got a preview of it a month ago when Cadillac revealed the car in China, but these are official U.S.-specific photos now.  YouÂ’re looking at pictures of the XT5 Sport and Premium Luxury here. We mention this because Cadillac is continuing in its “Y” trim strategy of offering a Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport version of their cars with noticeable design differentiation between each one. The Sport gets a darker appearance package with the XT4-like grille, as opposed to the Premium Luxury that is set to emphasize bright trim (i.e. chrome).  WeÂ’re expecting a noticeable change in the driving experience for the 2020 XT5, as the new base engine is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that debuted in the XT4. ItÂ’ll be making 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in this application, just as it does in every vehicle GM is spreading it to. The 3.6-liter V6 is standard on the Sport (optional on Premium Luxury), and continues to make 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with nine-speed automatic transmissions now — the V6 was paired with an eight-speed previously.  Cadillac has also spent some time with the suspension, giving the non-Sport trims “revised front struts and driveline enhancements to improve ride comfort and road isolation.” We like the sound of that. Then, the Sport trim is legitimately sportier than the Luxury trims. Cadillac has fitted its continuous damping control adaptive suspension, given it quicker steering, standard all-wheel drive and standard 20-inch wheels. All that should make it slightly more lively through the twisties. A smattering of tech updates are coming onboard for 2020. Cadillac added its rotary controller that lets you control the updated infotainment system via that device or through the touchscreen. Available wireless phone charging, revised USB ports and USB Type-C ports come on the 2020 XT5. Then youÂ’ll notice new interior color and trim gracing the interior surfaces, as well. Cadillac says there are more “authentic materials” than before, so hopefully that means less plastic. What Cadillac made no mention of in its release, is Super Cruise. ItÂ’s going to be coming to the recently revealed CT5 and CT4-V sedans, but Cadillac doesnÂ’t seem particularly keen to get it on the crossovers yet.

2019 Autoblog Technology of the Year finalists revealed

Every fall, we line up a range of new models with the latest and most compelling automotive technology from the past year. We test everything from semi-autonomous systems like Tesla's Autopilot to trick suspension setups like the Multimatic spool-valve shocks on the Chevy Colorado ZR2. We spend months paring down the list to a small group of contenders. After testing, dinner and healthy debate, we tally up the votes and name our winner. For Autoblog's 2019 Technology of the Year Award, our three finalists are the Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise, the Infiniti QX50 with Variable Compression Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG E 53 with EQ Boost. Super Cruise is an advanced SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous system, though Cadillac (unlike some of its rivals) is reluctant to push that point. Cadillac would like you to think of this as an advanced driver assistance feature rather than a semi-autonomous system. Super Cruise allows completely hands-free highway driving. Thanks to a driver-facing camera, the system forces the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road even if hands are off the wheel. Although the CT6 is being discontinued, look for Super Cruise to make its way to other Cadillacs soon. VC Turbo is a little more complicated. Basically, Infiniti's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four can vary the compression ratio on the fly. In general, turbocharged engines are more efficient than naturally-aspirated engines when on boost, but can perform worse at low revs. VC Turbo allows for a best-of-both-worlds situation, increasing the compression at low revs and backing it off once the turbo spools up. The best part is that it does so seamlessly, with only a dash readout letting you know what's going on under the hood. Our third finalist is the EQ Boost 48-volt system in the Mercedes-AMG E 53. Like VC Turbo, EQ Boost does a lot just beneath the surface. Mercedes has developed a new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and paired it with a small electric motor. While the car can't run on electricity alone, the motor helps improve both efficiency and performance, smoothing shifts and filling in low-end torque before the turbos spool up. Think torque fill, similar to a McLaren P1. Who can complain about better fuel economy and more torque? Look for the 48-volt system to make its way into most of the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The winner will be revealed next week on Autoblog, and we'll present the award Jan. 15 at the Detroit Auto Show. Related Video:

2020 Cadillac XT6 fuel economy announced

Thanks to the EPA's fuel economy website, we finally know how frugal the 2020 Cadillac XT6, the brand's first three-row crossover, is with gasoline. The most efficient is the front-wheel-drive version, getting 18 mpg in the city, 25 on the highway and 20 in combined driving. The all-wheel-drive XT6 is just barely behind it with 17 mpg in town, 24 on the highway, and 20 combined. Both versions share the same 3.6-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque and the same nine-speed automatic transmission. These numbers put the Cadillac XT6 very much on par with the competition. Both the four-cylinder and V6 versions of the Audi Q7 get 21 mpg combined, just beating the XT6, and both feature standard all-wheel drive. The Q7 with an inline-four makes less power at 255 horses while matching the XT6's torque at 273 pound-feet. The V6's 329 horsepower and 325 pound-feet beat the Caddy, though. Both Audi and Cadillac have almost the same starting price at about $53,000. Every version of the Acura MDX tops the XT6, including the least-efficient MDX A-Spec, which manages 21 mpg in combined driving. The non-A-Spec all-wheel-drive model gets 22 mpg combined, and the front-drive MDX hits 23 mpg. But the best is the Sport Hybrid that delivers 27 mpg combined. All of the non-hybrid MDXs are less powerful and less torquey than the Cadillac, though, at 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. The Sport Hybrid is a bit more powerful and torquey than the Cadillac with 321 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque. The Acura does start at a lower price of just over $45,000. The XT6 does beat one of its three-row crossover rivals, though. Its 20 mpg combined rating is comfortably ahead of the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class's most efficient V6 version at just 18 mpg. But the Mercedes also delivers 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and there are even more powerful, but less efficient, V8s on offer. The Mercedes is much more expensive than the Cadillac with a base price of over $70,000.