Yahoo Autos 2024 Cadillac XT6 Review: Comfortable and capable, but not a class leader
Pros: Super Cruise is great; Sport trim really is sporty; roomy interior
Cons: Uninspiring powertrains; small touchscreen; mediocre interior storage; less cargo space; bland design
Cadillac, as is the case with several other automakers, has signaled its intent to fully electrify its lineup of cars, crossovers and sport utility vehicles. Today, however, the Wreath and Crest-emblemed brand is still reliant on internal combustion vehicles like the 2024 Cadillac XT6. Back in 2020 when this three-row crossover was first introduced, we pointed out that it was quite late to the party.
Not much has changed since then — a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine was added, a Sport trim was created, and General Motors’ class-leading Super Cruise hands-free driving tech was fitted — leaving the latecomer without a whole lot to make it stand out from the rest of the premium SUV pack.
None of that, it should be pointed out, makes the Cadillac XT6 a bad vehicle, or even a poor choice for a sizable chunk of the buying public. Still, with Super Cruise being the one key exception, the XT6’s dour interior furnishings and plain-jane driving dynamics mean it isn’t going to be a top pick in the competitive segment it competes within.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy
What it's like to drive | Pricing & Trim Levels | Crash Ratings & Safety Features
What’s new for 2024?
Some colors disappear, and a few new colors take their place. That’s about it for 2024. Last year, the Luxury trim got a standard 8-inch touchscreen, the Premium Luxury and Sport got standard GPS navigation, ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats. Those changes remain in place for 2024 as well.
What are the XT6 interior and in-car technology like?
We’re going to break this into a few parts. First, the overall design and materials of the Cadillac XT6 aren’t up to the quality standards of competitors from Acura, Lexus, Lincoln or Volvo. The layout is good, most touchpoints are covered in leather or some other quality material, and it’s roomy and comfortable. But a closer look reveals that there’s a lot of black plastic with obvious moldings, and while the trim of the upper-level Sport model we tested was an interesting carbon fiber-esque pattern, the overall aesthetic wasn’t as luxurious as we’d expect given the XT6’s price (more on that below).
Technology is a mixed bag. Super Cruise impresses (read more about that in the safety section below), but rest of the XT6’s tech suite is merely decent and not the latest-and-greatest Cadillac or General Motors in general has to offer. The 8-inch touchscreen is well integrated into the dash, but it’s small by today’s standards. The Cadillac User Experience software is easy enough to use and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is nice.
Finally, interior functionality could be better. We like the damped sliding cupholder cover, but the cupholders themselves are narrow, shallow and don't hold bottles in place well. We also like the handy, angled wireless smartphone cubby hidden at the lip of the under-armrest bin, but then the bin forward of the shifter is small, oddly shaped and not grippy, meaning it's next-to-useless. There's also under-console storage, but as in other cars, is of negligible use.
How big is the XT6?
Cadillac prioritized passenger space with the XT6 – even tall adults can fit quite comfortably in the third row. It's more comfortable back there than in the Volvo XC90, Lincoln Aviator and Audi Q7, while the XT6's boxy shape makes things less claustrophobic. If there's one complaint, it's that the second row doesn't slide as far forward for access as in GM's other three-row SUVs. Space in the second row is also excellent, and our passengers back there loved the elevated, theater-like seating position that makes it easier to see out over front-seat passengers.
Unfortunately, the XT6 pays for this passenger-friendly space in terms of cargo capacity. As we discovered in our luggage test, it has one of the least useful cargo areas with all three rows raised. Things are at least more competitive when the third row is lowered, but this is something to remember if you're counting on using all rows for road trips.
What's the XT6's performance and fuel economy?
Most Cadillac XT6 models come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine good for 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. A nine-speed automatic and front-wheel drive are standard, and all-wheel drive is an option. With this powertrain, the XT6 will go from zero to 60 mph in a rather pedestrian 6.9 seconds. Fuel economy stands at 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined with FWD and 18/25/20 mpg with AWD.
