2020 Cadillac XT4

The interior of the XT4 offers lots of passenger and cargo space, but the quality of the materials used is unremarkable and inferior in comparison to its rivals. Though the stylish exterior styling and the fun-to-drive experience are appreciable, the lack of sophistication at this price point may be a serious deal-breaker for the XT4. The 2020 Cadillac XT4 rivals the likes of BMW X1, Audi Q3, and Volvo XC40.

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 is available in three trims – Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport. All of them get a standard 2.0-liter turbo inline-four engine that makes 237 horses. It gets an FWD drivetrain as standard, but all variants can be equipped with an AWD system for an additional $3,000. Several additional packages are available which add features like heated seats for the front and second row, and massaging function for the front row. Adaptive cruise control is also available as an option.

Which Trim should you buy?

We recommend the Sport trim of the Cadillac XT4. This is because it gets all the bells and whistles and for nearly the same money as the Premium Luxury trim, you get Adaptive Sport-tuned suspension which is specific to the Sport trim, along with sports front seats with sporty all-black interiors. On top of that, you also get first-class safety features like Tire Pressure Monitoring System includes Tire Fill Alert, HD Rear Vision Camera, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, and a few more.

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 gets a 2.0 L turbocharged inline 4 engine under the hood, churning out a healthy 237 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. For a compact 5- seater, the power should be sufficient, but practically the XT4 fails to deliver any enthusiasm. There is a considerable turbo lag in lower RPMs and there is a quite noticeable delay between putting your foot down and the car accelerating. Most of this is due to the 9-speed automatic, which is not very quick-shifting or precise. The gear shifts produce considerable jerks and head-nods. 

Though the Caddy is lackluster in terms of performance on paper, still it manages to do 0-60 in 7.5 seconds which is pretty good in isolation. But the engine refinement is not quite top-notch and there is considerable engine noise and vibrations at higher RPMs. The XT4 gets two drive modes – Sport and Tour. In the Tour mode, the throttle response becomes very sluggish and takes its sweet time. In the sport mode, things get a little better, but the brakes become too sensitive.

With the T5 engine, the Volvo XC40 is the most powerful car on paper churning out a healthy 248 horses. However, rivals like Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 achieve peak torque at low rpm's. X1 is the fastest one to cover 0-60MPH runs in 6.6 seconds and the Caddy is not too much behind reaching 60mph at 7.5 seconds. Volvo XC40 has an underpowered T4 engine as the base; although this significantly reduces the cost of the vehicle, it is very sluggish.

How well does the 2020 Cadillac XT4 handle?

The Caddy XT4 is not as agile and spritely as one would expect considering the compact form factor. Though being considerably smaller than the XT6, the 2020 XT4 resembles the handling of the XT6. Going around corners at high speeds is something that you should not even think about while driving this crossover. The car feels unstable while cornering due to immense body roll. However, opting for the Sport trim should solve this problem.

Moreover, the traction control is intrusive, especially on the AWD variants. Straight-line acceleration is handled well, and the car remains stable on the freeway. But as you push through higher revs, the engine noise is excruciating. However, for better handling and driving dynamics, the Cadillac has equipped the XT4 with some of the sophisticated features like StabiliTrak electronic stability control system and traction control.

2020 Cadillac XT4 Braking Performance

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 comes with disc brakes on all four wheels. The brakes are hooked up to an ABS system and Automatic Emergency Braking comes as standard as well. Though the brakes have good bite and feedback, they will feel spongy with prolonged use. The braking progression is good and the Caddy might take a similar time to stop as its rivals owing to its lightweight body and structure.

The Audi is the heaviest car here, while the BMW is the lightest. And the brakes on the Audi and Volvo measure quite similarly with a microscopic difference. The Audi sports a 13.4 inches rotor in the front and 12.2 inches rotor in the rear. Whereas the Volvo gets a 13.6 inches rotor in the front and 11.9 inches rotor in the rear. Moreover, X1 stops the quickest from 60-0 MPH in just 122 feet while Q3 considerably takes more distance as it is heavy.

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 offers decent fuel economy in the city as well as on the highway. The main factor here is the turbocharged 2.0L I4 engine. Moreover, the engine comes with cylinder deactivation tech. The 2020 XT4 returns 24 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway which turns out to offer around 26 MPG combined. With a fuel tank capacity of 16.3 gallons, it translates to 359 miles of driving range in the city, and 473 miles of driving range on the highway. 

All the cars offer comparatively similar fuel economy figures in the city with the exception of Q3. The Audi gives the least fuel economy in the city as well as on the highway. Both Cadillac and BMW return the best fuel efficiency figures both in the city and on the highway. Nonetheless, the BMW X1 gets a considerably large fuel tank compared to the rest of the competition which puts its driving range close to 500 miles on the highway. 

The 2020 XT4 doesn’t perform well in the interior department. While the trims do have luxury and premium in their names, the cabin isn’t high class as one would expect from Cadillac. The materials used are below average. There are lots of hard plastics used all over the dashboard. The door panels are also made of hard plastics. As standard, you get simulated leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and dual-zone automatic climate control in the base trim. The list is quite short for a trim named ‘Luxury’ Leather upholstery is optional in the base Luxury trim. 

The 2020 XT4 can seat 5 people in two rows and it is the only car in the segment to offer decent legroom in the rear. The rear seats will be able to accommodate even three medium-sized individuals comfortably. Moreover, you get 8-way power-adjustable front seats along with driver memory settings. Opting for the Sport trim gets you an all-black interior. In short, the car is great in practicality and comfort. And the overall ride quality is plush and comfortable. 

All the Crossovers can seat 5 people comfortably. The rear seat space on the Caddy is the best amongst the competitors. The BMW X1 has the maximum amount of boot space on offer at 27.1 cu ft, while the Volvo gets the least amount of boot space at 20.7 cu ft. Speaking of Audi, it gets a modestly sized cabin as well as cargo space. Some other Standout interior features are:

• Power driver and passenger seat
• Simulated-leather upholstery
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Ambient lighting

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen with a Cadillac user experience infotainment system in the center of the dashboard. The screen size is comparatively small in today’s standard, but it is crisp and has great visibility even while driving in broad daylight. The system comes equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The system also supports in-built navigation. Moreover, the car is also wired for SiriusXM satellite radio. 

 The system is lag-free and is very intuitive to use, with lots of physical shortcut buttons. But the instrument cluster is not exciting. It gets an analog instrument cluster with a 4.5-inch driver information display. The XT4 gets a 7-speaker audio system with the option of a Bose Centerpoint 13-speaker audio system. Standout infotainment features are:

• 8.0-inch touchscreen with CUE infotainment system
• Bose Centerpoint 13-speaker audio system
• Bluetooth
• Satellite radio
• WiFi hotspot
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 will surely turn heads with its exterior styling. With prominent cuts and creases and a straight line boxy design philosophy, the XT4 shares a lot with its elder brother -The XT6. With the signature crest grille, sleek headlamps, and vertical LED turn signals, this compact crossover looks like a typical Caddy. But once you look from the side you will notice that the XT4 has a much lower roofline and window line than the XT6. 

 The car gets gorgeous 18" 10-Spoke alloy wheels with Polished finish as standard with the option of 20" Split 7-spoke alloy wheels with Polished finish. The rear also gets the distinguished Caddy look, with vertical straight LED tail lamps. Overall the 2020 XT4 looks aggressive but not in an outrageous way. It gets a subtle executive appearance.

The Caddy XT4 has the longest wheelbase amongst the competition and is also the longest car measuring 109.4 inches and 181.1 inches respectively. The XC40 on the other hand has a maximum ground clearance of 8.3 inches. The X1 has the shortest wheelbase, which resonates in its fun-to-drive character and agile handling. Standout exterior features are:

• Signature LED lighting
• Sport grille
• Roof rails
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED tail lamps

On the safety front, NHTSA has given the Cadillac XT4 a five-star rating with 4-star in the overall front crash test, a 5-star rating in the overall side crash test, and a 4-star rating in the rollover crash test. However, IIHS hasn't fully tested the vehicle yet. The Cadillac XT4 also incorporates some of the advanced safety features to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers as well. Let’s check out some of the paramount safety features you can find in this crossover. Some of the safety features in the 2020 Cadillac XT4 are:

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System includes Tire Fill Alert
• Automatic Emergency Braking
• StabiliTrak, stability control system 
• Forward Collision Alert
• Front Pedestrian Braking
• Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Automatic Parking Assist with braking 
• Intelligent Brake Assist
• HD Rear Vision Camera 

2020 Cadillac XT4 vs 2020 Audi Q3

Both the Cadillac XT4 and the Audi Q3 are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, but the Caddy makes more power and torque. But, the turbo lag on the XT4 is considerably more. As a result, the Q3 is much faster. Added to that, is the Quattro AWD system which makes it great even when the road ends. However, the XT4 offers much better fuel efficiency. In terms of practicality, the Q3 is better because it has greater amounts of space, for both passengers as well as luggage. The Q3 also has much more premium and luxurious interiors along with a futuristic dashboard layout. The Q3 is also more value for money because it is around $2,000 cheaper than the XT4. So, the Q3 is the winner over here.

2020 Cadillac XT4 vs 2020 BMW X1

The 2020 BMW X1 may produce less hp than the XT4, but it is absolutely bonkers in terms of performance. The BMW X1 leaves the Cadillac XT4 in dust in the quarter-mile. The BMW also has truly luxurious and premium, tanned leather upholstery along with loads of space in both the front and the rear rows. It also has a trunk large enough to swallow anything you can throw at it. The nicely laid out, sophisticated dashboard design with the futuristic floating infotainment system is pleasing to the eyes. The X1 is also incredibly fun to drive due to its liveliness, agility, and bang-on throttle response. All of this at a price that is lower than the XT4 by around $1,000 means the X1 is the absolute winner over here.

2020 Cadillac XT4 vs 2020 Volvo XC40

The Volvo XC40 has a more stunning interior design with a futuristic dashboard layout and infotainment system. The power and torque from the engine are also linear, unlike the XT4. The XC40 also has a good ground clearance and it also promises top-notch build quality, comfort, and safety. All this, and still it undercuts the XT4’s price tag by around $3,000 means that the Volvo is much more value for money and the winner over here.

The Cadillac XT4 is an excellent vehicle in the compact crossover segment but its underpinnings don’t exactly define luxury. You get plenty of safety features but the creature comforts on offer are low. Considering these, the 2020 BMW X1 makes a lot more sense than the XT4. It comes at a cheaper price point while offering more of everything- a futuristic dashboard, more premium interiors, and better driving dynamics. All these make the BMW X1 tremendous value for money and our number one recommendation in this category. However, the Cadillac has its own niche in the American market.