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2021 Cadillac XT5 Review | What's new, prices, fuel economy, pictures

The 2021 Cadillac XT5 plays in what’s become the most popular of all luxury segments: two-row crossovers. It does so with typical Cadillac nebulousness, straddling the line between size segments with the promise of getting more for your money than what the Germans might offer. And while it is cheaper than much of the midsized competition, you lose out in other areas. Style is always subjective, but inside and out, we find most of its competitors from Germany and elsewhere more compelling. The blacked-out Sport trim adds a bit of pizazz, but nothing about the design is memorable. WeÂ’re less than enamored with the powertrain options, too. The base four-cylinder is refined but less powerful than what competitors offer, while the V6 is hardly much of a performance upgrade and is shared with multiple non-luxury GM vehicles to boot. Some of the available tech is enticing at this price point, but an uninspired interior and lackluster drive experience would have us recommending many of the XT5Â’s rivals over it, regardless of which segment they belong. WhatÂ’s new for 2021? The XT5 sees minor updates for 2021. It gains wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto functionality. Dark Moon Blue Metallic and Infrared Tintcoat are added to the exterior color options. Finally, new 20-inch dark-painted wheels are added as optional on Sport models. Cadillac gave the XT5 a mid-cycle refresh last year, and you can find those 2020 changes here. 2021 Cadillac XT5 Sport View 21 Photos What are the XT5 interior and in-car technology like? Similar to the exterior design, the interior is rather forgettable. ItÂ’s covered in leatherette most places you look and touch (though much of it can be swapped to genuine leather with the Platinum Package). The styling comes off as old and uninspired (and has since this generation was brand new). ThereÂ’s a mix of the typical GM corporate plastic and Cadillac-specific glossy bits, but the ratio doesnÂ’t seem right. And then thereÂ’s a splash of metal tossed in for the climate controls that are frustratingly slow to respond. Done up in the right color upholstery (available on upper trims), thereÂ’s a touch of intrigue with the extensive use of leather-look or real leather facing the occupants.

GM Ultium tech can scavenge heat from everywhere, even you

GM likes to give us tidbits about its Ultium platform from time to time, and today it’s telling us about the platformÂ’s ability to capture waste heat from the propulsion system. In addition to capturing from the propulsion system, it can also capture humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle and even from passengersÂ’ body heat. Yes, you, your family and/or your friends are a usable heat source as far as GM EVs are concerned. It then deploys the heat in an advantageous way. If at this point, youÂ’re screaming, "Heat pump!" youÂ’d be right. WeÂ’re talking about an elaborate heat pump system that GM is using for its Ultium-based vehicles. Every Ultium-based GM vehicle gets this system that is covered by 11 patents and four publications. The waste heat it collects is used in a number of ways, but its primary use is to heat the cabin quickly and efficiently. GM claims it can heat the cabin of its Ultium-based vehicles quicker than vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines. Plus, when put to use, GM claims that using the heat pump provides its EVs with up to 10% more range than theyÂ’d have without. Beyond heating the cabin, the heat pump is capable of putting waste heat to use by preheating the battery prior to charging so that you can charge quicker. The system can even cool the propulsion system in preparation for Watts to Freedom (WTF) launch control starts. GM says this was vital in helping the Hummer EV achieve its bonkers 0-60 mph time of about 3 seconds. “Having a ground-up EV architecture gives us the freedom to build in standard features like UltiumÂ’s energy recovery capabilities,” said Doug Parks, GM executive VP of global product development, purchasing and supply chain. “This helps us squeeze more efficiency, performance and overall customer benefit out of our EVs.” GM says itÂ’s been developing heat pump technology since the EV1 and its heat pump. This is the modern evolution of that technology, and GM says itÂ’s going to be implemented in every Ultium-based vehicle as a standard feature. Related video: Green Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Electric Future Vehicles

Cadillac Super Cruise gets system enhancements, more compatible highways

Cadillac is updating Super Cruise to make it available to use on more highways, and it will offer better performance, too. Previously, Super Cruise worked on about 130,000 miles of highways across the continent. This update expands that to 200,000 miles. That's because GM has mapped that many more miles to be compatible with its lidar mapping system. As for the performance update, Cadillac says there will be enhancements to the driver monitoring system. That's the key feature that separates Super Cruise from all the other systems out there, making it a truly hands-free experience. It's able to quickly tell whether your eyes are on the road, and it reacts accordingly. We asked for details about the improvements, but all Cadillac would tell us is that there are "slight refinements to the driver attention system to even more accurately detect driver attention." Perhaps it's related to reports of sun-related issues plaguing the infrared monitoring camera. We can't tell you for sure. As for the extra miles, Cadillac says some added highways now include limited intersections and traffic control devices. Basically, there may be a stoplight or some cross traffic thrown into the mix now. Since GM has actually gone and mapped these areas, the car will tell you to take back control when approaching a railroad crossing, pedestrian crossing, stoplight or stop sign. Cadillac included a map (above) depicting the original and new Super Cruise compatible highways. You'll notice there are a lot more highways in the midwest and southeast, in addition to almost being able to cross the entirety of Canada now. Things are still a bit sparse in the western part of the country, but there aren't as many highways out there anyway. Owners of 2018 and 2019 Cadillac CT6s can expect to get the upgrade, but it's not as easy as you may think. Folks will have to take their CT6 in to the Cadillac dealer, where the "system enhancement" will take place. However, that enhancement doesn't include the additional miles. Cadillac says that update will be sent out over-the-air throughout the summer and fall. Updates for Super Cruise seem to be coming out with regularity. Last year Cadillac updated the system for easier activation, better lane placement (for passing large vehicles) and added gauge cluster messages for more information. We happen to love using the technology here at Autoblog, and gave it our 2019 Technology of the Year award.