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2020 Cadillac XT6 Sport First Drive Review | An unexpectedly strong performer

Cadillac is in an unenviable position right now. Over the past few years, it developed some excellent driving sedans just in time for the world to demand nothing but crossovers. Now it’s working fast to get more crossovers on the market besides the XT5. Its latest is the 2020 Cadillac XT6, a large three-row luxury crossover designed to slide under the enormous Escalade and provide less truck-like driving characteristics. And while it has an underwhelming wrapper, itÂ’s actually a refined, capable and spacious luxury crossover. Still, it must be emphasized that the Cadillac XT6 does not make a strong first impression. The Escalade is brash, bold and above all, big. That's exactly what's been historically expected from Cadillac, but the XT6 just looks like any three-row crossover with some creased lights and lines that help make it look like a Cadillac. ItÂ’s not ugly, but it's not memorable, either. The interior is a mixed bag. The materials are impressive, with interior panels covered in leather and suede in a loaded Premium Luxury version we drove (we haven't had a chance to see a base version). The other trim level, the Sport, gets real carbon fiber trim thatÂ’s made more interesting with copper wires woven into the material for a metallic glint. ThereÂ’s real metal trim throughout, too, from the shift paddles to the nicely weighted infotainment and volume knobs. Unfortunately, the actual dash design looks uninspired and even a little cheap. This is something that weÂ’ve noticed on many GM vehicles, and what seems to be the culprit is that every panel is oddly chunky and blunt. There are no crisp or sharp edges, no thin details, no "wow" moments. The seats arenÂ’t particularly impressive either, as theyÂ’re flat and not very supportive. More lumbar and bolstering would help. The interior is at least spacious, with loads of head, leg and shoulder room in the first two rows. The third-row seat is even usable by adults, at least for short trips since head- and legroom are tight and the seat itself is low. It's similar to what you'd find in the more expensive BMW X7, but less than a Buick Enclave or most non-luxury three-row crossovers. Access to the third row is quite good thanks to the far-sliding second row, and it folds away into the cargo floor at the push of a button at either rear door. There are also USB outlets for every seating position, another thoughtful touch. Once the Cadillac XT6 is on the road, it has some impressive aspects.

Junkyard Gem: 1998 Cadillac Catera

Every so often, during the last few decades of the 20th century, the suits running each of the big Detroit automakers would eye their European subsidiaries and decide that some car from the other side of the Atlantic could be making dollars over here in addition to pounds or francs or Deutschmarks over there. Chrysler didn't do so well with Simca 1204s or Plymouth-badged Hillman Avengers in the American marketplace (though the Simca-based Omnirizon did very well). Ford USA moved quite a few Capris and Fiestas during the 1970s, then bombed with the Merkur Scorpio and XR4Ti. General Motors tried, over and over, to get Americans to buy Opels (some sold by Buick dealers, others actually badged as Buicks), and I still see the occasional Kadett, GT, or Manta in junkyards to this day. For the 1997 model year, still stinging from the not-so-great sales of the Turin-Hamtramck-built Cadillac Allante, GM took the Omel Omega B and applied Cadillac badges. The result was the Catera, and I found this silver '98 in a Denver self-service yard recently. The Catera had a lot going for it, with a rear-wheel-drive layout and a modern V6 engine that made more power than the BMW 528i's straight-six that year. It should have been able to compete with European luxury sedans in North America because it was a European luxury sedan. Unfortunately, you couldn't get a manual transmission in the Catera, "traditional" Cadillac shoppers thought the Catera lacked a sufficiently massive presence, and younger Cadillac buyers flocked straight to the Escalade starting in 1999. After 2001, the Catera was no more. I still find Cateras in junkyards, nearly 20 years after the last ones were sold, so they appear to have held together pretty well. This one was in nice shape until the end, with all the original manuals still in the glovebox. Even the Catera ballpoint pen remained with the car for its whole life. As we can see in the owner's manual, Cadillac marketed the Catera as "The Caddy That Zigs." The idea was that younger car shoppers would become as Cadillac-obsessed as their grandparents had been. Inspired by the ducks in the Cadillac logo, the Catera marketing team created Ziggy the Duck to pitch this car. Things didn't go so well. The Catera listed at $29,995 in 1998, about $47,600 in 2020 dollars. That made it an affordable alternative to the BMW 5-Series or Acura 3.2 TL, but total Catera sales came to fewer than 95,000 cars over five model years.

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: