Cadillac Abandons All-EV Plan, Will Refresh XT5 Crossover

Cadillac is the brand that’s leading General Motors into its electrified era. It already sells several electric vehicles, but it’s not abandoning future buyers who might want a traditional gasoline engine. The automaker will refresh the XT5 for 2027, with plans to build it at General Motors’ Spring Hill, Tennessee, factory.

The Detroit Free Press obtained a memo that GM sent to the plant’s local UAW stating the XT5 would “continue as a next-generation gas vehicle beyond 2026.” GM confirmed the memo’s authenticity to the publication.

The interior of China’s Cadillac XT5.

Photo by: Cadillac

The XT5 has been on sale since 2017, receiving a mid-cycle update for 2020. Despite its age, sales of the crossover increased by 4.6 percent, with 12,727 units sold. It’s Cadillac’s second-best-selling model behind the Escalade, so it’s of little surprise the brand wants to keep it around.

Cadillac is launching several new electric vehicles, but their outlook has only grown cloudier in recent months. Keeping a popular, gas-powered crossover makes sense in such uncertain times.

It’s unclear how the automaker will refresh the model. Light exterior and interior redesigns could be on the table, without making significant platform changes. Maybe it’ll even have a hybrid powertrain, falling in line with competitors. It’s possible Cadillac could simply borrow the design used by the XT5 in China (above). That’s just a guess right now, as the company hasn’t confirmed any details about the updated model.

Either way, consumers will soon have a new XT5 with a gas engine to consider, even as the XT4 and XT6 disappear to make way for more electric vehicles. Cadillac is shifting, but also willing to adjust its plans as needed.