Test drive Cadillac XT6: a lot of money, little sense?

The whole photo session

The first of the XT Cadillac introduced in 2015 was the XT5, then scaling went: in 2018, the younger XT4 was shown to the world (we have a pre-order for it), in February 2020, simultaneously with the updated XT5, sales of the older XT6 began in Russia. which we are now on the test

And when, according to the results of 9 months of 2020, the entire premium in Russia showed a drop in sales, only Cadillac grew by a record 52.9% (and another 2.4% for Porsche). It turns out that it was crossovers – and the XT6 in particular – that made the Cadillac cash register? Let’s try to figure out why – moreover, in a checklist format, without emotions: the car does not particularly indulge them.

Design

If the XT5 still retained hints of the old corporate chopping, the XT6 almost did not have them, the new style was set by the Escala concept, from the Escalade “chest of drawers” ​​only the “scimitar” of optics, both front and rear, remained. And as a result, the XT6 looks like an average large – 5.05 meters long – premium crossover. Not worse than others. But also similar to many at once.

In the cabin, the same: no worse than others. The manufacturer promises premium luxury, natural wood, real aluminum and carbon. The test version has a Sport package – the interior is black, aluminum and steel in the trim are real, but the carbon does not look too expensive. The brown version of the interior with wood trim looks much more expensive, at least in the pictures. The central touchpad is too small, today they wear more in premium. Two arrow “wells” on the dashboard are separated by a replaceable digital backing, where you can select the desired combination of data in the slide show mode. The projection of data on the windshield is also optional: speedometer, tachometer. A full range of premium electronic assistants, including night vision mode – which was not included in the test XT6.

Facilities

The chairs are wide, but a bit short. Lateral support for both back and hips is minimal. The lower back is supported by a very convincing retractable roller, but no matter how you squeeze into the back, no matter how you move the steering column back and forth, the lower thighs remain unsupported, under the knees emptiness. Sooner or later you start to crawl on the move.

A camera with streaming video in the rearview mirror isn’t new to Cadillac. As usual, the brain does not immediately compare it with the analog image in the side mirrors, but if you play with the adjustment buttons, select a similar scale and brightness, both images in your head are aligned.

A heavy door with double glazing reliably cuts off external noises, nothing is heard from the engine compartment, the Bose active noise cancellation system helps. This audio system, by the way, has excellent sound even from the tuner in the FM radio, even with the factory equalizer settings set to zero – very high quality music. Wireless charging of a smartphone, instant connection to a car using NFC technology – but as before, traditionally for Cadillac, there is no heated windshield.

Capacity

“Space for the elite” – this slogan best explains why the XT6 is good. A select few, the XT6 can seat seven. The test version is six-seater, and in order to get to the third row, the “captain’s” separate second-row seats do not even need to be reclined, the gap between them is sufficient, the floor is even, without a tunnel. The manufacturer is proud of 90 centimeters of distance from the seat to the ceiling in the third row for good reason, the spaciousness of the second and third rows is the main trump card of the XT6 and a weapon in the fight against seven-seater competitors.

Power unit

If the XT6 has any problem, it’s the engine. In Russia, the car is equipped with only a two-liter 200-horsepower in-line turbocharged “four”, which accelerates a large crossover to a hundred in 9.9 seconds. For even movement along the highway, it is enough, for complete confidence – at least 50 forces would be at least. The American 314-horsepower version obviously rides quite differently.

By the way, about uniform movement. The proprietary Active Fuel Management in the XT6 engine in a quiet highway mode turns off two of the four cylinders, saving fuel – the minimum consumption during the test was 8.6 liters per hundred, the average – 12.6 liters. In Escalade, the shutdown of half of the cylinders of its V8 is marked with a green V4 icon on the instrument panel, in the XT6 the change of modes is invisible to the eye, but it is given to us in sensations: apparently, the system tries to “halve” the engine at every opportunity, so when you need to accelerate, you press the pedal The accelerator is a little too much, all the time it is as if you spur on the car, and then let it go, and it turns out acceleration – inertia, acceleration – inertia.

But this is in the front-wheel drive Tour mode, in the other three, AWD, Sport and Offroad, the traction control is completely intelligible, if not for the lack of power and torque. So it’s better to turn on AWD or Sport right away – I rode in them most of the time. If the manual mode of the new GM 9-speed gearbox is forced to select the 5th or 4th gear, then, at 4500 rpm, a confident connection between the engine and the wheels is established and you can drive more or less actively. But then, behind the motor shield, a quiet but persistent bee wakes up and begins to itch – the motor strains.

So if some cars at 150 km / h just wake up, the XT6 at 130 km / h is already going to bed. And all this – with one driver in the cabin, but what happens if six people sit in the XT6 and put their things in the trunk?

Brakes

There is a kind of non-linearity in their behavior, as well as in traction control. Perhaps the reason for this is the XT6 electro-hydraulic brake system – there is no mechanical connection between the pedal and the master brake cylinder, the force is regulated by a digital module. Perhaps it is he who seems to be not sure of his effectiveness and is trying to immediately compensate for his uncertainty with sharpness – it is difficult to dose the pressure on the pedal, a small jolt inevitably occurs.

Drive and suspension

But it stands on the road and controls the XT6 just fine, even in the front-wheel-drive Tour mode, the active suspension, Continuous Damping Control, continuously changes the stiffness of the shock absorbers, taking into account the surface relief, so the smoothness of the ride is from the “sofa went” series. And in all-wheel drive modes, torque is transmitted to each of the XT6’s two rear axle shafts through its own multi-plate clutch – an advanced version, part of the Sport package.

Summary

A comfortable premium crossover for driving on the highway and the ability to pull down on a dirt road and light off-road. For a uniform, comfortable, without sudden acceleration, movement at an optimal speed of 110-120 km / h, further is possible without problems, but not interesting. A cross-country cruiser for a large family or for specific situations like taking a large company to a place of recreation in nature. The indisputable advantage of the XT6 is the spaciousness of the second and third rows. Price: in the Premium Luxury configuration – 4.15 million, in the Sport configuration with the Platinum package, like the one we have on the test – 4.8 million rubles.

Alternatives

This, for example, a 7-seater Volvo XC – from 4.607 million. The third row will be more modest, but acceleration – 7.9 seconds. One floor below, more compact, and therefore tighter, but not too lagging behind the XT6 in terms of equipment, is the 7-seater Hyundai Santa Fe, in the most expensive configuration – 3.119 million, with dynamics already 7.8 seconds. Lexus RX L – from 4.584 million, 8.1 seconds The closest to the XT6 in size is the 7-seater Volkswagen Teramont: 3.9 million, 8.9 seconds to hundreds. The seven-seat Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLS are already playing in another league, two to three million higher.

Loss of value: there is still no data on the XT6 and even on the XT5, the Cadillac XTS sedan that left the race has a loss of value in three years – 54.5%. So it is possible that in the aftermarket XT6 will be one of the most profitable seven-seat crossover offers. As the hero of the film “What Else Men Talk About” said – you have to wait a little.

The most accurate review, as always, is from the real owner. One of them in a comment on the forum about the XT6 wrote something like this: I bought it, I drive the whole family, I am satisfied, there are enough speakers, the consumption is small, what else do you need, leave me alone.

Author

Zotikov Alexander, columnist for the “MotorPage” portal

Edition

MotorPage.Ru

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