Cadillac filled a big hole in its SUV lineup with the launch of the 2020 XT6 SUV, which gave GM’s luxury brand its first three-row crossover SUV since 2009, the last year of the first-generation SRX.
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Like the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 SUVs, the XT6 has standard seating for seven. Optional second-row captain’s chairs add $800 to the price of the Cadillac’s base trim level and reduce seating capacity to six.
The XT6 starts at $53,690, including a $995 destination charge, and comes with front-wheel drive and a 310-horsepower, V-6 engine. We tested the top Sport trim, which starts at $58,090, including destination, and has all-wheel drive. Options, including a rearview camera mirror, a 360-degree camera system, a head-up display, navigation and a Bose premium stereo, raised the as-tested price to $62,065.
Front Row
The XT6’s front bucket seats are comfortable, and visibility forward and over the shoulder is good. Leather, seat heaters and power adjustments are standard.
The optional rearview camera mirror dramatically widens your field of view and eliminates blind spots caused by the SUV’s roof pillars and rear seats, but looking at a digital screen instead of a conventional rearview mirror is an adjustment for your eyes. The system includes a traditional mirror, too.
The Cadillac User Experience multimedia system is standard. In the XT6, CUE features an 8-inch touchscreen along with a console rotary controller that can be used to navigate on-screen menus. The system is easy to use and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. There’s one USB-A and one USB-C port in the small console storage bin under the center armrest.
The air conditioning controls below the touchscreen are less impressive; rather than traditional buttons, many of the settings, including the seat heaters, have a blister-type covering that flexes when you press it. The design gives the panel a clean, uninterrupted appearance, but the controls don’t have the premium feel you expect from a luxury vehicle. While the interior is luxurious overall, our test car also had some panel fit issues where the center console meets the dashboard and near the standard wireless charging pad.
Second Row
Our XT6 was a seven-seat model with a three-person second-row bench seat. The 60/40-split seat reclines and slides forward and backward, and there’s good legroom and headroom for taller passengers. There’s also a flat floor, which is a boon for foot room in the middle seat.
The second row has one USB-A and one USB-C charge port below the rear air conditioning controls at the back of the front center console. There are also overhead adjustable air vents and a small flip-down center armrest with two cupholders.
You can access the third row from either side of the XT6 by sliding the second row forward, but the passenger-side seat section tilts out of the way, opening a bigger walkway to the rearmost seat.
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Third Row
The XT6’s two-person third row is workable for adult passengers but is better suited for kids; the seat is close to the floor, resulting in a knees-up seating position. There is good headroom, however, and the rear-quarter windows are big enough to keep claustrophobia at bay.
Unlike the other rows, the third row has a lot of hard plastic trim. Amenities include two cupholders, overhead air vents, two USB-C charging ports and power-folding operation.
SUVs have become the vehicle of choice for many families, and the XT6 Sport is an appealing new luxury entrant. Its third row is small, which isn’t out of the ordinary for this class, but its first and second rows are spacious and comfortable. If you only need a third-row seat now and then, the XT6 is worth a look.
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