- The 2019 Cadillac XT4 fills out the brand's luxury crossover lineup, joining the XT5 compact SUV and the just-launched XT6 three-row midsize.
- At $52,000, my subcompact-ish test vehicle was pricey, but worth it.
- The XT4 is a critical vehicle for Cadillac, which is moving decisively away from a long history of big luxury sedans.
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Editor's note: Business Insider will name its 2019 Car of the Year on November 23. Each day this week, we're taking another look at the five vehicles that were runners-up selected from a pool of 16 finalists. Thus far, we've named the Lamborghini Urus and the Nissan Leaf SL Plus. Our third runner-up is the Cadillac XT4.
Cadillac is getting its crossover game together, and the excellent XT4 is the latest example.
The compact/subcompact crossover joins the XT5 and the newly revealed XT6 in Caddy's lineup, as the brand moves away from the plush sedans that have always defined it. If you sit inside a Cadillac Escalade on a clear day, you can see dealership parking lots full of SUVs.
The argument is that Caddy is now equipped to take on Audi, BMW, and Mercedes - all these brands have a portfolio of crossovers, and with the XT4 and the XT6, Caddy matches up pound-for-pound.
Of course, there's a catch. While the Germans favor performance, Cadillac has focused more on easy-to-live-with luxury and technology. It's a good-drivin' SUV. But not a great one.
Read on to find out why we thought this crossover earned its place as a contender in our 2019 Car the Year roundup.
Photos by Hollis Johnson.