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Americans love comeback stories. Peyton Manning, Robert Downey Jr., Steve Jobs.<\/p>\n
One of my favorites is ex-Detroit Piston Grant Hill, a superstar swingman whose bad left ankle sidelined him four years before he returned to showcase his skills to fans into his late 30s. A star in a team sport, he finally got the supporting cast he needed with the 2010 Phoenix Suns to make a deep playoff run.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re rooting for Cadillac\u2019s comeback, too. An iconic luxury brand overtaken by self-inflicted wounds and superior foreign competition in the \u201990s, Caddy has been on the rise for more than a decade with talented sedans: the nimble ATS, the ferocious CTS-V, the sublime CT6. Each is an all-star at its position.<\/p>\n
But the superstar in Cadillac\u2019s resurgence will arrive this spring: the midsize crossover XT5.<\/p>\n
How good is the new XT5 (formerly the SRX)? Let me count the ways. It has so perfected Cadillac\u2019s Art & Science design that it\u2019s not an oxymoron to call it an \u201cattractive SUV.\u201d<\/p>\n
Its rear legroom has grown three inches in a class where it matters \u2014 not just to 6-foot-5 apes like me, but to everyone. Yet the overall vehicle is the same size. That means with its lightweight chassis and upgraded, five-link rear suspension it is fun to drive.<\/p>\n
Cadillac just needs to build a team around it.<\/p>\n
Trucks and sport utes are where Detroit makes its dough, yet somehow Cadillac missed the crossover wake-up call. The XT5 is the only unibody ute in Cadillac\u2019s lineup. While I was ogling the XT5 in California last week, Audi was introducing a new Q2 subcompact SUV to add to its compact Q3, mid-size Q5 and large Q7. Sure, Cadillac boasts the money-making (make that money-gushing) Escalade, but that\u2019s a truck-based behemoth unique to the U.S. market. The brand\u2019s only weapon against the Audi crossover army (or BMW\u2019s army of Xs or Mercedes\u2019 GLs) is the XT5.<\/p>\n
The good news is Cadillac\u2019s new XT nomenclature signals a cavalry on the way (likely XT4 and XT6) led by XT5 and Cadillac President Johann de Nysschen.<\/p>\n
The formidable South African has been here before. He steered Audi North America from a Volkswagen sub-brand to a ute-birthing powerhouse in a market that craves everything on stilts. In the XT5, he has delivered a vehicle that matches Audi\u2019s handsome styling and athletic AWD chassis. And more.<\/p>\n
By increasing the XT5\u2019s wheelbase by two inches over the outgoing SRX while keeping the same exterior dimensions, the Caddy looks more athletic while growing the wheelbase a full seven inches over an Audi Q5.<\/p>\n
Good luxury makers have unmistakable nightlight signatures: BMW\u2019s glowing halos and Audi\u2019s repeating LEDs. Add Cadillac\u2019s teardrop LEDs to the list. In daylight the XT5 also wows with its distinctive pentagon grille, chiseled flanks, and door-mounted mirrors which add both cockpit visibility and sports-car looks. No detail is overlooked, including a rear wiper hidden under the rear aero-canopy so as not to clutter rear visibility.<\/p>\n