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2020 Cadillac XT4 Review and Buying Guide | Competence and curb appeal

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 is a handsome little crossover distinctively sized between two segments. This allows it to boast backseat space on par with larger SUVs like the Audi Q5, while being a bit more park-able and fuel efficient like the BMW X1. There should definitely be a Goldilocks "just right" thing going on for many shoppers. Cadillac's baby SUV also impresses on the technology front, boasting loads of standard, advanced features along with a user-friendly touchscreen interface that shouldn't be too hard to figure out. There are dynamic missteps, though. The steering, throttle and brake pedals lack the driver-oriented response and feedback we've come to expect from Cadillac's sharply tuned sport sedans, while also not exactly possessing the nice-and-easy isolation of Caddy's past. In either scenario, we're not sure it "drives like a Cadillac" despite some otherwise impressive engineering going on underneath that handsome skin. The XT4 is also pretty expensive given its features, size and interior quality. Competitors both larger (Acura RDX) and smaller (Volvo XC40) provide better value. Still, as we noted in our XT4 first drive, there's enough novel tech to provide bragging rights, it's obviously a Cadillac in design (and definitely not just a rebadged Chevrolet in execution), and it's a pleasing enough place to sit while scooting around in traffic. It has competence and curb appeal, which count for a lot. What's new for 2020? After being an all-new model last year, the XT4 heads into 2020 with some noteworthy features updates: Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are now standard, while the Premium Luxury trim level gets the hands-free power liftgate as standard equipment.   What's the XT4's interior and in-car technology like? The XT4's interior design isn't as memorable as that of its exterior, nor its stylish Volvo XC40 and Lincoln Corsair competitors. It's a bit generic, which just doesn't seem right for a Cadillac. Materials quality is acceptable when closer to its base price, but begins feeling less so as options are added and the price tag rises. We've also driven multiple XT4's with an annoying rattle in the B pillar. Standard infotainment technology is abundant. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included with the standard 8-inch touchscreen and benefit from a pair of USB ports: one standard USB-A and the other a newer USB-C.

Cadillac plans upgrades to its Super Cruise hands-free system

Not content to let Tesla hog the spotlight with lofty claims about its autonomous driving capabilities, Cadillac plans major upgrades to its Super Cruise automated driving system starting next year, when the technology starts rolling out in more models. "The system that we have today, we continue to upgrade," Brandon Vivian, Cadillac's executive chief engineer, told The Verge. 'We have over-the-air re-flash capability, and you'll continue to see us add features and capabilities to Super Cruise going forward." A fellow top Cadillac engineer told the outlet they would not share specifics but said "We want to innovate" as competitors also make advances in self-driving technology. The news comes as Elon Musk says Tesla will launch a driverless robotaxi service in some U.S. cities next year, with "over a million cars with full self-driving, software, everything." The audacious claim hinges on a new Samsung microchip for self-driving vehicles. Last year, Tesla rolled out Navigate on Autopilot, which allows vehicles to change lanes, take exit ramps and choose the correct highway interchange and exit. At the New York International Auto Show, Cadillac announced that it will equip the forthcoming 2020 CT5 sedan with Super Cruise, though not initially. The brand plans to roll out a new model equipped with Super Cruise every six months starting in 2020 and going through the end of 2021, meaning four new models with the technology in two years. Super Cruise previously has been offered only on the CT6 Platinum, and as an option on other CT6 trim levels, along with a three-year OnStar package. It uses cameras, lidar mapping and radar, plus an infrared camera mounted atop the steering column to make sure the driver isn't nodding off, looking away for too long or climbing into the back seat. There's also an LED light bar on the steering wheel and Super Cruise icon on the instrument panel to let drivers know when the system is ready, not ready and ready to deactivate. But the system can't switch lanes and only works on around 130,000 miles of divided highways that GM has mapped with lidar-equipped vehicles. Vivian said the Super Cruise setup in the CT5 will be largely the same as in the CT6 and likened it to "a half step in between" a full next generation of the technology. GM also plans to eventually roll out Super Cruise to its entire U.S. lineup following its introduction in all Cadillac models. Autoblog named Super Cruise the 2019 Technology of the Year winner.

2020 Cadillac CT4-V, CT5-V revealed, less powerful than predecessors

Expectations have reached stratospheric heights for the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V and 2020 Cadillac CT5-V, and for good reason: Their ATS-V and CTS-V predecessors were potent sports sedans with gobs of power and handling and braking to match. Now the new sedans have been revealed, and they're not what we expected. They each lose two cylinders compared with the other vehicles, and on paper, they don't look as capable. But we do have hope that these won't be the end-all, be-all performance Cadillacs. First, let's look at the cars. The CT4-V will be the base of the V brand, and it's our first look at the small luxury sedan. It has a roofline and window treatment more like past Cadillacs, eschewing the C-pillar garnish of the CT5. It also naturally gets dark trim and headlights, a unique spoiler and quad tailpipes to distinguish it as a V. Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder that is based on the engine in the new Chevy Silverado. It makes 320 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, a far cry from the ATS-V's 464 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. Cadillac CT4-V View 12 Photos Power goes through a 10-speed automatic transmission only. Both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are available. It gets a mechanical limited-slip differential whereas the ATS-V had an electronically controlled limited-slip differential a la Camaro ZL1. The brakes have four-piston calipers at each corner versus six-piston front units and four-piston rear units on the ATS-V, and the rotors are smaller. Magnetic Ride Control remains standard on the rear-drive version, but the all-wheel-driver version sticks with conventional shocks. The new CT4-V is about 200 pounds lighter than the ATS-V, though, and it has 50/50 weight distribution. Additionally, both the CT4-V and the CT5-V have Super Cruise available as an option. Moving on to the CT5-V, it looks like a regular CT5 but with dark trim and lights, quad tailpipes and a unique rear diffuser. Instead of the CTS-V's 640-horsepower supercharged V8, the CT5-V uses a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 making 355 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Changes made to the 3.0 for the CT5-V include a new intake system and new exhaust, and it revs higher too. Like the CT4-V, it comes with a 10-speed automatic and either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It does get the electronically controlled limited-slip differential.