Learning to Love Cadillac's Suede Fetish

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
10-21-2016

If Cadillac's XT5 crossover is going to concurrently top Mercedes crossovers in refinement and performance, and equal Lexus' RX in the wide reach of its appeal, the brand is going to have to do something special. And it is. This week at a media event that took place at Monticello Motor Club in New York, one of the finest racetracks in America, I stood waiting in a helmet and HANS device to try the ATS-V on the track. Next to me, hard to ignore was the new XT5. Cadillac only brought two vehicles to the event, but both were outstanding.

 

The ATS-V was reserved for on-track laps, but Cadillac also brought its XT5 for viewing and short road tests. Having already reported on what I thought was the big hook for the XT5, its amazing rear-view mirror/camera system, I was happy to look for, and find, another reason to say the XT5 tops its peers. The dash has a micro suede accent panel that gives the cabin a cozy, classy feel.

 

Cadillac covers headliners, shift knobs, and steering wheels with this fantastic stuff, but I had never seen it applied in this way, on a dash. The suede only comes on the Platinum trim of the XT5 (which starts at a steep $63,500), but it may be worth the extra cost. The look and feel of the material is even better than the best leather, which Cadillac also uses in great quantities.

 

Synthetic suede is not unique to Cadillac. I have a $29,000 Camry XSE in my garage tonight with leather and Ultrasuede seating surfaces. What makes the Cadillac application special is how tastefully it was done. A Cadillac source I will not name (because I forgot to get his name) told me that Mark Reuss insisted that the leather accent panel be augmented with the suede. True or not, that made me like it even more.