Road test: 2024 Cadillac XT5 gives fierce thrills for lower price

The US brand’s luxury compact SUV might be less expensive than a lot of rivals, but don’t ever call it modest

The desert sun goes down on Cadillac's XT5. All photos: Cadillac

The leather-covered seats feature the signature Cadillac chevron

Not stuck, just stationary

The XT5's infotainment and connectivity system screen

The XT5 has 20-inch alloy wheels with dark exterior accents

The seats fold flat if you really need to get a lot of cargo on board

The XT5's gearstick set up shows a minimalist design ethic

The XT5 would probably prefer to be on tarmac

Mention a car manufacturer like Cadillac and the brand’s mammoth Escalade, its tearaways-in-dinner-jackets (the CT4 and CT5) or possibly the ultra cutting-edge Lyriq come to mind.

The US manufacturer can be less extreme in its offerings though, as is the case with its compact SUV, the XT5.

Mind you, this is a relatively flashy all-wheel-drive affair with a distinctly muscular engine at the top end, so, compared to your average city runabout, maybe it’s not too restrained after all.

Cadillac always does a decent job of giving its vehicles a premium air.

As soon as you get in the XT5 the overarching sensations are comfort and solidity.

Get out on the road and those sensations don’t disappear.

A twisty road shows the car’s fun side, but it’s big enough to work as a tidy motorway cruiser at the same time.

It is a breezy ride, but there's also a bit of poke under the bonnet – the faster models can get up to 100kph from a standing start in less than eight seconds.

It’s worth noting that this is a considerably superior acceleration figure in comparison with some of its pricier rivals.

Still not track-day stuff, admittedly, but it’s plenty fast enough for the urban use and longer road trips these vehicles will invariably be employed for.

Cadillac generally manages to give all its cars an assertive look, particularly those introduced within the last decade or so.

It’s probably their signature front grille, which often seems to be chortling and snarling at the same time – think Jack Nicholson coming through a bathroom door in The Shining.

The XT5’s looks veer towards the friendlier end of the range though, eschewing the heads-down-and-change fascia of many of its fiercer brand siblings.

There are three trim levels available, Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport, with that last one seriously upping the power levels as it comes with an engine nearly double the size of the first two.

Like a significant number of cars from the US, you get a lot of metaphorical bang for your buck with the XT5.

Notably, there are plenty of neat touches in the vehicle, not least Cadillac’s Night Vision system.

When selected, this can help you see beyond your headlights with a thermal image that detects pedestrians or animals directly ahead of the vehicle.

The XT5 also comes with the OnStar communication system, which gives drivers access to a suite of advanced security and convenience services.

All very reassuring should you find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Other tech includes an 8-inch diagonal colour gauge cluster, head-up display and 14-speaker sound system.

As we said, the XT5 is less expensive than a lot of its same-segment rivals, but it doesn’t feel in any way modest.

If you fancy zipping round in something resembling Jack Nicholson’s friendlier guise, this may well be one to look at.