SUVs

2020 Cadillac XT6 starts at $53,690, undercutting some but not all

It's less expensive than the Germans, but not really anybody else.

Cadillac

The 2020 Cadillac XT6 will bring three-row American cushiness to the market in a package that's just a bit more sensible than the truck-based Escalade, but it's still on the costly side.

Cadillac announced this week that the 2020 XT6 SUV will start at $53,690, including the mandatory destination charge. That will set you up with a Premium Luxury trim with front-wheel drive. Standard kit includes a whole host of active and passive driver aids, LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, six USB ports (two Type A and four Type C), wireless device charging and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

If you'd rather err toward sport than luxury, there's also a XT6 Sport trim available, which adds standard all-wheel drive (AWD is also available on the Premium Luxury trim, but for a price). That one will set you back $58,090 (again, including destination). Both trims pack the same powertrain -- a 3.6-liter V6 good for 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

It's a pricey proposition in the face of some competitors, albeit older ones.

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It's a little less expensive than its German competitors. The AWD-standard Audi Q7 starts at $54,545 including destination, while the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class won't leave the dealer for less than $54,695. The 2019 BMW X5 is in its own universe with a starting price of $61,695.

That pricing seems a little harsh, however, compared to competitors from the US and Japan. The 2020 Lincoln Aviator will undercut the XT6 at $52,195, and it offers RWD instead of FWD. The old but recently refreshed 2019 Acura MDX, though, starts at $45,295, while the three-row Lexus RX 350L starts at $48,895.

Cadillac will start taking XT6 orders this month ahead of its on-sale date. Deliveries should begin in the summer.