The new #Cadillac XT5 is certainly charged with one important task: bringing home the bacon.

While worthy, the Cadillac sedans aren’t the most popular product at the General Motors’ prestigious brand. And five-seat, midsize crossovers are certainly taking a chunk out of all luxury sedan sales. Go ask Audi about their Q5.

We recently spent some time with the 2017 Cadillac XT5, the successor to the very popular SRX, in top Platinum spec. Here are some initial thoughts.

A crossover is a crossover
Cadillac perhaps wisely thought it was best if the XT5 looked a lot like the SRX to make sure return buyers weren’t confused about what it was replacing. To that end, its Cadillac edges do distinguish it a little from the rest of the X3/GLC/Q5/RX herd.

Comfort, convenience
In fact, the XT5 is pretty right-sized, which is a new and welcomed thing from a GM product. It’s not the biggest externally, but it feels to have a good helping of space for four adults, with a cargo hold to match. Too bad I couldn’t get the seemingly useful cargo divider (lifted from the last Saab 9-5) to work smoothly.

Torque delay
Load a crossover up with kids and stuff and you need it to move quickly onto the highway. Yeah, the XT5 doesn’t always get the memo. While the 3.6-liter V6 has 310 horsepower, its 270 lb.-ft. of torque doesn’t register, or at least not soon enough. Rivals with turbo fours do this better and Cadillac should offer one in the U.S.-bound XT5s.

Another big, cushy Cadillac
At least the ride is compliant and soft, an old Cadillac trait that’s welcome with the lazy transmission. The 20-inch wheels don’t seem to mess things up here. Steering is numb, but do you really care on a car like this?

Following the leader
So the XT5 apes the uber-popular Lexus RX pretty closely and that’s probably a good thing to keep its hold on American buyers, but probably not to lure many people over from the local Audi emporium. Its $63,495 price tag, though, seems ambitious.

Photos: Zac Estrada/Carscoops