2019 Cadillac XT4 First Drive: A Rare, Well-Rounded Small Luxury SUV

The first thing I’m reminded of while driving the 2019 XT4, Cadillac’s new compact SUV, is how good Cadillac has become at making vehicles that drive really nicely. While people weren’t paying attention, perhaps lulled by marketing campaigns etched into their subconscious over the course of decades, BMW started building vehicles that aren’t always ultimate in the driving sense, and companies like Alfa Romeo and Cadillac have taken the mantle. If I had forgotten this myself, it’s probably because the XT4’s big brother, the XT5, hasn’t been sprinkled with the same magic dust, as we learned in our Luxury Compact SUV Challenge. The XT4 is a different story.

Like the XT5, which competes pricewise with what we consider compact SUVs but is arguably in the middle-size class, the XT4 starts (key word starts) at the top of the subcompact price range at $35,790 including destination charges, and it’s likewise on the higher end of this class regarding size and roominess, along with the BMW X1.

Related: Don’t Let the Base Price Fool Ya: Cadillac XT4 Gets High in a Hurry

Benefitting from the rare opportunity to spec out a platform from scratch for this body style (it is not shared with the XT5 or Chevrolet Equinox), the XT4’s engineers built a model that feels tight — not in the snug sense, but rather in the solid, nimble sense. I don’t want to give the impression that the XT4 I drove is a visceral, sporty car that begs to be driven hard like Cadillac’s ATS. Its modest power and high stance are just two of the attributes holding it back, but the same can be said of competitors, in which true sportiness is hard to come by. When you do find such sportiness, it usually results from some other limitation, or at least less SUV-ness, as is the case with the BMW X2 and our most fun compact, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Should Cadillac decide to build a more powerful V-Sport or full-blown V-Series version of the XT4, the vehicles I tested felt like they can handle it.

Just the Right Amount of Road Feel

The XT4 combines admirable utility with precise steering and just the right amount of road feel, at least for the roads in and around Seattle where Cadillac held its media drive (in accordance with our ethics policy, Cars.com pays for its airfare and lodging at such manufacturer-hosted events). I drove both the Premium Luxury and Sport trim levels ($55,085 and $56,835 with destination as equipped, respectively), which are the two higher trims above the base one called simply Luxury. The main mechanical difference between the two was the Sport-exclusive Active Sport Suspension option ($1,200), which employs adaptive shock absorbers. Both had optional 20-inch wheels in place of the standard 18s.

Overall, the Premium Luxury’s standard suspension is comfortable without losing a feel for the road, and it controls body motions well in turns. The Active Sport Suspension manages to retain a similar character: It ups ride comfort a bit, but the Pacific Northwest’s forgiving pavement isn’t the hardest test. Our hometown streets in the Chicago area reveal the value of a well-executed adaptive suspension, such as the optional one on the BMW X3, though the trade-off in the BMW’s case is a more numb experience regardless of setting.

Following the current trend, there’s little to no difference in ride firmness once you switch the XT4 to Sport mode so long as you’re driving straight. The value in adaptive suspensions is how they monitor conditions and adjust automatically, such as controlling body roll in turns. Though this system uses more conventional adaptive shocks rather than the magnetic system GM uses in some models, Cadillac says they can change damping 500 times a second. The difference between these two adaptive suspension types is minimal when compared with a suspension equipped with neither.

A New Engine Is Born

Following another trend, the drivetrain implications of the XT4’s Sport mode are calibrated roughly how you want the car to drive all the time. The reason it isn’t the default is that it’s less efficient because it holds low gears longer; it also reduces steering boost. In models without the adaptive suspension, these are the only changes Sport mode makes. It doesn’t seem to change the accelerator pedal sensitivity — or at least does so minimally — to which I say hallelujah.

The XT4 marks the debut of a new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with variable-valve lift and, for limited circumstances, active fuel management (the deactivation of two cylinders). Fortunately, the tech hocus-pocus felt seamless, and the four-cylinder went about its job of providing 237 horsepower and a stout 258 pounds-feet of torque from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm. Cadillac says 97 percent of the peak torque is on tap up to 5,000 rpm.

On the road, the XT4 is no speed demon, but it’s more than adequately powered and the experience is as positive as the torque specs suggest. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound so great, especially at high revs. Some people object to artificial augmentation of engine sound through the stereo; this is yet another turbo four-cylinder that reminds me of the parlor trick’s merit.

Seeing the presence of a nine-speed automatic transmission struck terror initially because I associate the number with a nine-speed transmission supplied by Germany’s ZF that I’ve declared irredeemable when paired with small engines in everything from Jeeps to Land Rovers, but this transmission is GM’s and it behaves much better, with reasonable responsiveness and minimal hunting. I can’t say it’s a favorite because it isn’t as quick as Alfa’s eight-speed, and it freewheels for too long between gears when downshifting manually with the paddles. On the flip side, I’ll take it over any continuously variable automatic transmission — and certainly the ZF nine-speed.

All-Wheel Drive — or Not

Both of my test vehicles had optional all-wheel drive ($2,500), which is designed to decouple completely when the Touring drive mode is selected, reverting to front-wheel drive and staying that way even if the wheels slip. The selectable AWD and Sport modes both activate the system, which employs two additional clutches in the rear differential to send all available torque to one or the other rear wheel when needed. I wasn’t able to push the limits, but my impression is that the XT4 feels more balanced with AWD activated. What’s the cost of keeping it on? Engineers say as much as 1 mpg, presumably in the AWD mode. The Sport mode’s transmission programming is likely to sacrifice efficiency as well, which is why it’s deactivated each time you turn off the XT4, unlike the other drive modes.

My only objection to the drive modes so far is that one button cycles through them, and the change isn’t as obvious in the instrument panel or optional head-up display as it could be. An up/down rocker or separate buttons for each mode is a better approach.

The EPA-estimated ratings are 24/30/26 mpg city/highway/combined for front-wheel-drive-only models and 22/29/24 mpg with all-wheel drive equipped.

Hit the Brakes

Efforts to maximize efficiency extended beyond the drivetrain to the brakes, which mark the debut on a Cadillac of electro-hydraulic brake assist in place of the usual vacuum assist — a design that remains rare. Cadillac says this approach cuts down on parasitic losses and has other benefits, including consistency, extended hill holding and stronger pressure for panic-braking assist.

In practice, the braking proved merely OK. The pedal is hard and a bit difficult to modulate smoothly, but in my experience, the average driver doesn’t pay much attention to pedal feel; what else would explain the acceptance of regenerative braking in hybrids and electric vehicles?

Buttons, Buttons

Speaking of buttons, I’m happy to have them. Cadillac ditched the touch-sensitive panels long associated with the Cadillac User Experience and went with a generous selection of conventional, mechanical buttons. There’s also an 8-inch touchscreen that’s pretty well laid out, has quality maps and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — answering one of our lingering questions from the New York auto show debut.

I’d rather it be on the dashboard, but at least there’s a volume knob on the center console. It doubles as a track-skip joystick and is accompanied by direct-access buttons for the audio, navigation and phone menus and rotary knob that lets you move around the display if you don’t want to, uh, touch the touchscreen. Given the display’s relatively low placement and the fact that it’s a touchscreen, these controls simply aren’t necessary, but they do no harm. My main criticism regarding this system, and the XT4 overall, is the touchscreen’s angle — tilted away from the occupants rather than facing them directly. It might look neater this way, but it results in too many reflections. I know some people object to a floating display that they say looks like it was added after the fact, so I’m guessing the form-follows-function warriors lost this battle.

Highlights and Lowlights

We’ll be diving deeper into the XT4 in a future full review, but my first impression is very positive. Highlights of my two test vehicles include the drivability and good interior quality. Both were equipped with leather upholstery, though leatherette (imitation leather) is standard on the Sport and base trim levels. The optional giant glass moonroof ($1,550) gives an open feel and is equipped with a powered shade that’s opaque and feels thick enough to absorb sound effectively. I particularly like the optional 15-watt wireless smartphone charging pad because of its placement and an adjustable bottom rest that allows you to use the phone in place by raising the armrest (when the vehicle’s not in motion, of course).

Rather than projecting a logo on the ground on either side just to show off, the XT4 uses its discreet Cadillac crest to mark where to kick your foot at the rear corner to operate the power liftgate.

Overall, my complaints are few so far. Outward visibility to the rear isn’t great due to giant D-pillars, but it’s mitigated by the optional Rear Camera Mirror and its perspective from the top of the rear window. It’s adjustable for height and zoom. I found the occupant space comfortable and roomy, though I wouldn’t mind a little more thigh support from the front seats; a cushion extension would be great. And though the backseat is reasonably roomy, the backrest is a little too upright and isn’t reclinable. The front cupholders aren’t very large, which becomes more frustrating once you find the front door pockets don’t have integral bottle holders.

We’ll keep an eye out for more substantive shortcomings when we put the XT4 through a more detailed evaluation at home and report back in the coming months. The XT4 hits dealerships this fall.

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