The 2020 Cadillac XT6: better than an Escalade in every way

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  This is the 2020 Cadillac XT6, the brand's new three-row SUV. [credit: Jonathan Gitlin ]

The Cadillac Escalade has much to answer for. Would the luxury SUV have become quite such a thing absent that body-on-frame behemoth? Few vehicles have been such cash cows for their makers, either; consider how long ago the R&D for that platform must have been amortized.

But great name recognition and high profit margins will only get you so far. The market for luxury three-row SUVs is a hot one, and Cadillac wants more of it, with a plan to tempt people away from vehicles like the Acura MDX and Infiniti QX60. That plan is the XT6.

The XT6 was first seen at this year's Detroit auto show in January. I find it handsome; a well-proportioned two-box shape that looks current without being too imposing. That should probably be read as a compliment to the design team, for the XT6 is just over 16.5 feet (5050mm) long. (The vehicle's full dimensions are 77.3"/1964mm wide, 68.9"/1750mm tall, and a 112.7"/2863mm wheelbase.) The narrow LED headlights contribute to the effect, as do the 21-inch wheels worn by all the media test cars. I'm old enough to remember when 18" wheels were the preserve of race cars, considered too big for anything street legal; after talking with the designers, I'm not sure those days are ever coming back.

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