Meet The Cadillac XT5 Coupe That Nobody Asked For

Some SUVs should just be left alone.

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 falls well short of the best luxury crossovers with which it competes. It's not a terrible vehicle and it still sells strongly, but it lacks the polish of an Audi Q5, is otherwise blighted by an underpowered engine, and only average build quality.

With a new model only expected in 2022, what could Cadillac do to imbue the existing model with more appeal? Well, kdesignag has a potential solution: an XT5 coupe. The visual artist was likely inspired by German coupe-SUVs like the Audi Q3 Sportback, and perhaps thinks that it's time for Cadillac to enter this space.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAoMYH0scCp/

We're not so sure about the XT5's transition into a coupe-SUV, though. The frontal aspect remains distinctive with the large Caddy grille and headlights shaped like an elaborate number 7, while kdesignag has used a version of the grille with chrome detailing for a more premium look.

It's the side view that has us less convinced, though. By covering the front half of the XT5 with your hand, you're left with what looks like the rear of a notchback sedan. But while an abbreviated trunk style works on cars like the Mazda 3 Sedan and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, here it just looks like two halves of two very different vehicles which have been glued together. The taillights extend deep into the fender, as they do on some Caddy sedans like the CT5.

Other coupe-SUVs like the Audi Q3 Sportback and BMW X4 have a less pronounced rump and do without this XT5's large trunk lip. We think that this one change could make it a lot more appealing. Interestingly, the designer has also employed what looks a lot like BMW's Hofmeister kink for the C-pillar.

So, while this coupe-like version of the XT5 is an interesting concept, we doubt it will improve upon the regular SUV, which is neat and cohesive enough as it is. And if a coupe-SUV isn't more of a looker than the SUV it's based on, it's pretty much missed the mark.