Test drive Cadillac XT4 (generation I)

What is the image that pops into your head when you say “Cadillac”? I am sure that it will probably contain the following images: “something huge like the Grand Canyon” or something “sofa-like and devouring gasoline.” What if I show you another portrait – a small crossover with a diesel engine? Rave? No, it really exists. He’s a Cadillac XT4

Wait a minute, it’s a stretch to call this a small crossover. 4600 millimeters in length is not a little. For some visualization, I will tell you that this is more than colleagues in the class like the Range Rover Evoque. By the way, about the classes, the company is not at all shy about the size of its product, on the contrary, they are proud of the fact that the car turned out to be relatively large, thus it occupied a niche between classes, relatively speaking, between the same “Ewok” and, for example, more large Audi Q5. So our test subject, although compact, but depending on what to compare. Although, if we compare it with the older brother XT5, which, in fact, has not gone far ahead in size, the novelty really looks compact.

But the design in the car immediately determines its pedigree, more precisely, the corporate design of the brand – the geometry of broken lines on the body and optics. But, in fairness, I will note that the XT4 looks stricter than its counterparts – at least chrome, and the silhouette itself looks … more European, or something. Although, when you hear that the brand was guided by European competitors when developing, all questions disappear.

In the cabin, the feeling of Europe is enhanced. I remember the interiors of the older Caddies – a variety of textures where wood, metal, leather and plastic merge into a single quintessence; complex geometry of panels, a scattering of buttons…. Here, by American standards, almost minimalism. But I will not say that this is bad, it is simply unusual to see such “calmness”. Although the materials themselves are excellent. An interesting fact, the upholstery of the chairs is sewn by hand.

The ergonomics are also nice – there are many buttons, but they are all located on the center console. I will even say that this is a plus – fashionable sensors often “catch a glitch”, and the button is good, the button is reliable. And to control, for example, a multimedia system in as many as three ways – sensor, buttons, washer – is just nice.

What’s behind? And here it is not so simple. Let’s start with the good – the doors open at a wide angle (and they also cover the sills, like the front ones). In terms of interior space – generally a record, but here’s the convenience of landing…. I still can’t figure out why Cadillac didn’t have an adjustable backrest. Okay, I can still understand that there are ordinary glasses in the back instead of double-glazed windows in the front – savings adjusted for the class, although what savings in a premium brand … But an unregulated back is a triviality, especially since competitors have such an option. Worst of all, it interferes with the convenience of landing – you sit upright and prop up the roof with your head, but we have a panoramic view here – which means minus a couple of useful centimeters above your head, and the tilt of the back could even out this moment. I would trade, for example, a massage of the front seats for an adjustable back, but no. Although, maybe I should just be shortened by a couple of centimeters? But the front is unconditionally comfortable, especially in width.

Okay, we’ve talked about the new design, but what about the technique? There are also innovations here and there are many of them. Take, for example, the fact that the car is built on the new E2 platform, while, for example, the big brother XT5 is based on the modernized Epsilon trolley, whose roots were lost in the first decade of the 2000s. I bet you had no idea that the old Chevrolet Captiva and the current Сadillac XT5 are almost like brothers? However, we are distracted.

Our XT-4 McPherson has a multi-link in the front and a multi-link in the back, and under the hood is a diesel engine…. Is this revelation again the result of European orientation? It is difficult to answer this question, given that Cadillac, although oriented towards Europe, is more likely to rely on electric vehicles than on the development of diesel engines, adjusting to the latest environmental trends and tough regulations. Although with this there is complete order – certification for Euro-6. There are also no problems with consumption – 10 liters in the mode of a dead city traffic jam and 7 liters on the highway.

As for character, there is a slight phlegmatism here. Almost nine seconds to a hundred. Even when the pedal is pushed to the floor, the car does not fire, but accelerates gradually, and the 9-speed automatic, in my opinion, shifts gears too early – it feels like fuel economy and comfort are at the forefront here.

This is confirmed by the work of the suspension, which gently fulfills all pits and irregularities. By the way, here, as an option, you can install the adaptive CDC suspension. It is important to take into account that here the stiffness of the shock absorbers changes by changing the volume of the section on the control valves – by analogy with a French press. At the same time, the older models use the MagneRide system, where the density of the magnetic fluid changes – such a solution is more difficult to implement, therefore it was decided to leave it for older models.

But the good brakes pleased me – the response to the pedal is accurate, the very American “cottoniness” disappeared. Apparently the electro-hydraulic unit played a role.

The taxi surprised me – I want to steer the steering wheel on the car – the XT4 willingly stands on an arc and holds on tightly to it. This is partly the merit of the all-wheel drive, which is implemented here with the help of two multi-plate clutches, which provide up to 100% redistribution of torque between the rear wheels. When cornering, most of the traction goes to the outer wheel, which increases stability. And I would not check the four-wheel drive off-road. First, we at Motorpage found out that it was not meant to be a destination. Secondly, the car itself is not intended for off-road games. In general, I would be very careful to get out even on dirt roads – 171 millimeters of road space is far from a record, and even these low overhangs – entry and exit angles – 13.9 and 26 degrees, respectively. Some kind of non-crossover geometry …

What I would really like to try is a 200 horsepower two-liter turbo gasoline engine. It is interesting at least in that it (as well as older models with V-shaped engines) has a cylinder shutdown system installed. I would like to see how this will affect the “local” fuel consumption. In addition, my colleagues, who managed to get acquainted with the XT4 back in Seattle, noted the driver’s nature of the engine.

The car turned out to be interesting. Cadillac should be given credit for the fact that the brand has decided to conquer new segments where other players sit tightly. Of course, focusing on them, the brand does not stop adhering to its values, which forms its own vision of a compact crossover as a whole. Something tells me that this is not a situation when “they climb into a strange monastery with their own charter,” but rather an extension of general views on the class of compact crossovers. Variety is always good.

The Motorpage editors would like to thank Cadillac for providing the vehicle for the test.

Author

Ovchinnikov Georgy, columnist for the “MotorPage” portal

Edition

MotorPage.Ru

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