The 2021 Cadillac XT6 received mixed reviews, so we expect to see some changes to be done in the 2022 Cadillac XT6. Since the second model year got an all-new engine, we safely conclude that Cadillac will for the 2022 MY focus on perfecting the other aspects of the car. At this juncture, without any major scoops, we can’t delve any deeper into the specific details.
Coming to the powertrain options the 2022 XT6 will get two engines on offer—a turbocharged four-cylinder and a V6 oil burner—further you can expect a Sport model with a torque-vectoring rear differential just like the one we saw the 2021 XT6. Despite all these shenanigans, the XT6 had and could lack the driving dynamics of more athletic German rivals such as the Audi Q7 and BMW X5 until and unless Cadillac decides to bamboozle all with a major update.
For the 2022 Cadillac XT6, we expect to see the same overall design being carried over from 2021 MY, which is inspired by GMC Acadia. Speaking of the looks, the SUV is already a sassy-looking car and has a commanding presence on the streets. However, it isn’t without drawbacks, especially when you compare it with the Germans, to make this more clear let's talk about 2021 MY for starters the 2021 XT6 lacked refinement and wasn’t as fun to drive. So we expect Cadillac to take a leaf or two from the past and implement a host of changes and give the 2022 Cadillac XT6 a slew of features to make it a worthy rival against the Germans. With an expected MSRP to hover around $53,000-$56,000 the car is already overpriced for what it promises to offer.
2022 Cadillac XT6 Pricing and Features
The 2022 Cadillac XT6 will be available in three trim levels i.e.- Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport. With the base Luxury trim expected to get the turbo-4 the other two trims will sport the bigger 3.6L V6. All of the trims will get a slew of features as standard and we expect more of the available features to be available as standard in the higher trims for the 2022 MY. The prices for the 2022 Cadillac XT6 is expected to start at $53,000 and could go up to roughly $56,000 for the top end Sport trim both excluding destination charges. However, the 2022 Cadillac XT6 will see no changes in the mechanical front from the outgoing 2021 Cadillac XT6 but in terms of features and design both on the inside and outside you can expect major overhaul.
2022 Cadillac XT6 Engine and Performance
For the 2022 Cadillac XT6’s powertrain, we expect to see the similar oil burners doing duty in the 2021 MY. For the 2021 MY XT6 has brought a 2.0L turbocharged four pot, which puts out 237 horsepower resulting in more efficiency without compromising on the power. Also you can expect to see the now familiar 3.6L V6 that puts out 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque to be available in the 2022 MY. Although the V6 isn’t as peppy as the turbo-4 but certainly does the job well when it comes to daily commuting but that’s all you can expect it to do well. Both the engines will come mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox.
Models
2022 Cadillac XT6*
2021 Mercedes Benz GLE
2021 BMW X5
2021 Audi Q7
MSRP
$53,790-$55,790
$57,250
$59,400
$54,950
Engine
3.6L Naturally Aspirated V6
2.0L Inline-4
2.5L Naturally Aspirated Inline-4
3.0L Turbocharged V6
Drivetrain
FWD/AWD
AWD
RWD
AWD
Transmission
9-speed automatic
9-speed automatic
8-Speed Automatic
8-Speed Automatic
Horsepower
310 hp @ 6000 rpm
221 hp @ 5,500 rpm
335 hp @ 5,500 rpm
335 hp @ 5,300 rpm
Torque
271 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
258 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
330 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm
369 lb-ft @ 2,900 rpm
0-60 mph
7.7
6.9
5.2
6.9
Quarter Mile
15.4
N/A
13.7
N/A
Top Speed
132
TBD
116
N/A
*figures of 2021 Cadillac XT6
Compared to its rivals the Cadillac XT6 doesn’t offer the best performance and for the 2022 version, we are sure that both these figures will be more or less the same. But the big 3.6L V6 oil burner in the Cadillac is the highlight with oodles of power on offer that gives it good drivability in the town or out on the highways. The BMW X5 emerges as the best performer in this comparison with a smaller 2.5L Inline-4 engine, capable of doing the 0-60 mph run in a shade above 5 seconds whereas the others manage to do it in upwards of 6 seconds. The performance figures of the Merc and the Audi are noteworthy as both manage to pull a 0-60 mph figure in under 7 seconds while the Cadillac does the same in 7.7 seconds.
2022 Cadillac XT6 Fuel Economy
The EPA estimates the 2021 XT6 with the standard turbo-four to return up to 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. Models with the V6 engine are rated up to 19 mpg city and 26 mpg on the highway. Some scoops also suggest the probability of Cadillac introducing some form of electrification in the future but as of now, we have no concrete info of the same for the 2022 Cadillac XT6 Hybrid or something like that. But we feel it longtime now and that’s the need of the hour as the competitors even in their non-hybrid tune fairs better than this Cadillac hands down.
Model
2022 Cadillac XT6*
2021 Mercedes Benz GLE
2021 BMW X5
2021 Audi Q7
MPG (city)
19
19
21
19
MPG (highway)
26
26
26
23
MPG (combined)
22
21
23
21
Range (city/highway/combined) (miles)
327/398/370
444/562/488
460/569/503
356/475/415
Tank Capacity (gal)
19.0
20.1
21.9
19.8
*figures of 2021 Cadillac XT6
We don’t have the EPA estimates of the 2022 Cadillac XT6 but the 2021 model’s figures are available and the numbers are just about average among its competitors which we hope will continue with the 2022 model too until and unless it gets a hybrid. Other than this the Audi Q7 has abysmal fuel economy numbers since it has higher displacement and power figures. BMW X5’s 2.5L Inline-4 engine puts out phenomenal numbers either be it the mileage or the power. It surely is the best one can get in an SUV with such a level of luxury and performance on offer.
2022 Cadillac XT6 Interior
On the inside, we don’t expect bigger changes either. Therefore, you may count on the same layout, which looks good and utilizes some pretty nice materials. However, the overall quality isn’t on par with models like Audi Q7 or Mercedes-Benz GLE, which still look far more premium. This model is rather comparable with models from Lincoln and some Japanese premium brands which surely puts the car at a disadvantage in front of the German rivals.
On the other side, the NVH levels are really good and that’s something we have always liked. The driving position is good, as well as visibility. When it comes to 2022 Cadillac XT6 interior dimensions, we won’t see changes, of course. Given the wheelbase, it’s no surprise that the first two rows are pretty good in terms of passenger space, while the third one is a little bit short in terms of legroom. It offers around 29.5 inches in the third row, which doesn’t seem enough for a convenient ride on longer journeys, at least not for adults.
With all seats in use, you won’t have too much cargo space to use either, as there are only 12.5 cubic feet left. Things are much better when third-row seats fold down. Then the cargo capacity goes up to 43.1 cubic feet. The total cargo volume can go up to 78.7 cubic feet.
The notable features of the cabin are:
First- and second-row leather seating surfaces
Sport elements with carbon-fiber accents and decor
Heated front seats and steering wheel
Hands-free power liftgate
Remote power-folding third-row seats
Tri-Zone Climate Control
UltraView sunroof
Magnesium Paddle Shifters
Authentic exotic wood interior accents and decor
Remote power-folding third-row seats
Driver Memory Seat
8-way power driver seat adjuster
6-way power front-passenger seat adjuster
2022 Cadillac XT6 Exterior
Despite the potential changes, the 2022 Cadillac XT6 certainly won’t bring any particular change in terms of basic design characteristics. You may count on the same layout, which is based on GMC Acadia. This means it rides on a familiar C1 architecture and features around 112.5 inches in wheelbase. Of course, we are talking about the FWD layout, which many consider a drawback considering that premium models in this class are usually based on an RWD platform. Fortunately, AWD is available, but that still doesn’t change the character of this SUV. It definitely isn’t too engaging to drive like say the Germans but on the other side, the ride is smooth and very comfortable.
In terms of aesthetics, we don’t expect to see changes for the 2022 model. The current 2021 XT6 looks pretty good, as it follows the brand’s latest design language, established by the new Escalade.
Some of the exterior features of the 2021 Cadillac XT6 were:
18” or 20” alloy wheels
Ruby-red tail lamp lenses
Galvano exterior accents (grille, roof rails, side-window surround, and door handles)
Body-color door handles
LED Headlamps
Rainsense Wipers
IntelliBeam, auto high-beam assist
Active Aero Shutters, upper
Windshield, acoustic laminated, windshield, and front door glass
2022 Cadillac XT6 Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2020 Cadillac XT6 the highest rating of Good in all six crash tests and the second-highest rating of Acceptable for how well the headlights illuminate the road ahead. The XT6 was named a 2020 IIHS Top Safety Pick+, the highest designation bestowed by the organization.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2020 XT6 an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with five stars in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover test. While we don’t have any ratings for the 2022 or even the 2021 Cadillac XT6 but we can say that the scores will be more or less the same or even better in the new Cadillac.
Cadillac XT6 Safety Features
Standard driver assistance features include
a rearview camera,
forward collision warning,
automatic emergency braking,
front pedestrian detection,
front and rear parking sensors,
lane keep assist,
lane departure warning,
blind-spot monitoring,
rear cross-traffic alert, and a safety alert seat that vibrates in unison with other safety warnings,
The XT6 also comes with the Teen Driver system, which lets you do things like set speed and volume limits for secondary drivers.
Available active safety features include
a rearview camera mirror,
adaptive cruise control,
automatic park assist,
rear pedestrian braking,
a surround-view parking camera system,
a recorder that lets you record surround-view images on an SD card,
a head-up display,
reverse automatic emergency braking, and Night Vision infrared pedestrian and large animal detection.
2022 Cadillac XT6 Competition
Talking of the competitors of the 2022 Cadillac XT6 we don’t see any change to our stand which we had for the 2021 MY until and unless Cadillac go bonkers and do some major changes at the last minute. Keeping that aside, the price tag of this Cadillac puts it in the luxury SUV segment currently dominated by the big three Germans. Since Cadillac is pitted against them it surely loses out on the interior opulence and overall comfort but what it does win against these is a refreshed design language which will be welcome to both the young as well as the old. So basing your judgment on these lines we believe you can make your decision on which SUV to go for if you are shopping in this price range.
2022 Cadillac XT6 Final Verdict
With expected pricing not that different from far more premium and better-built rivals, the 2022 XT6 will be a hard sell even before it arrives. Although it is spacious, has good NVH levels, and a lengthy features list makes it an intriguing option in the crowded luxury SUV class, there are just too many areas where the competition surpasses the Cadillac. With that said we still hope that the 2022 Cadillac XT6 should prove us wrong when it is launched for the public.
Pros - Wireless charging, spacious interiors, great driveability
Cons - Navigation dosen't come standard,
rear seat screens came with extra cost, there;s wireless charging and android auto integration plenty of power behind the wheels, very agile in terms of handling. $54530 including rear seat screens and navigation, inside my XT6, there's plenty of space, people don't have to struggle or quarrel for space, the cargo volume has got reduced but if the rear seats are folded down, we get plenty of that too. bulky and bold, Plenty of driver's assistance features come standard. reliable.
Pros - Roomy interiors, great handling, appealing looks
Cons - Seat trims feel dull
wireless charging, integrated apple carplay and android auto the engine is quite punchy and the ride quality is very smooth and comfortable, cornering is easy. the seat trims feel dull, it could have been abit more appealing, the 8" touchscreen is very responsive and easy to use. very distinct road appeal, 5 star rating from the NHTSA.
Pros - Sharply styled façade, high-tech features list, Roomy interior
Cons - Less-than-luxe cabin trimmings,
Cadillac provides plenty of desirable equipment in the XT6, including a host of driver-assistance features, three rows of seats, and a power-operated liftgate. The driving performance and handling of Cadillac XT6 is above average. Not that Good and not that bad. The Premium Luxury trim has a starting price of around 54 grand. Perforated leather upholstery is standard. It rides on 20-inch alloy wheels and is equipped with automatic LED headlights and heated power-adjustable side mirrors with an auto-dimming capability. Cadillac XT6 has placed its focus on technology, with many driver safety aids as standard equipment. I found the American make SUV not reliable as it was taking a toll on my savings. Pathetic
rear seat screens came with extra cost, there;s wireless charging and android auto integration
by Patricia R. Horton
9
User Overall Rating
XT6- for those who want space
wireless charging, integrated apple carplay and android auto
by Rachel A. Elliott
6
User Overall Rating
midsize luxury crossover
Cadillac provides plenty of desirable equipment in the XT6, including a host of driver-assistance features, three rows of seats, and a power-operated liftgate.
