Quick…picture the Cadillac XT4.

Are you sure?

We follow such things and the smallest of Cadillac crossovers only leaves us with a vague sense of a fast roofline and a distinct Cadillac grille and light signature front and rear.

But, to be honest, the overall look is very Cadillac without being memorable.

So, let’s start with a little reminder of the littlest of Cadillac SUVs with its sporty pretensions and a peppy 2.0L turbo 4.

So, still a handsome Cadillac crossover. Plenty of Cadillac DNA in its styling outside with a nice, luxury interior inside.

It would have been easy for Cadillac to leave the model alone and focus more attention on their upcoming electric fleet and I don’t think anyone would have blamed them.

But, that’s not what our friends in Detroit had in mind for a vehicle that attracts buyers into the brand…the XT4 is certainly a gateway into the Cadillac family for drivers looking for something a bit different than the BMW’s, Audi’s and Mercedes of the world.

Recent models like the Escalade and LYRIQ have both brought a slightly different light signature and an interior dominated by a wide-screen infotainment and gauge display.

If someone is looking to get into the brand, it would be disappointing to see anything but the same look and feel in the first Cadillac you might be able to afford.

So, Cadillac has brought us this:

Here a nondescript luxury interior is traded for a wide-screen, 33” display that ties very nicely into the most recent Cadillac models. It screams ‘modern’ and high-tech. Supporting Wireless Apple CarPlay and Wireless Android Auto, the interior and display definitely provide the environment entry luxury buyers are looking for.

Then on the outside, the look of the new Escalade and LYRIQ inform the XT4 which now looks like it belongs on the same showroom floor.

Here the XT4 brings a slim, horizontal lighting element that carries from the new, glossy black grill into the vertical running light elements. Unlike the Escalade, this horizontal component is not the headlight (forward lighting duties are handled by a cluster of lights in a vertical stack lower in the bumper). But the overall look echos the Escalade look better than the XT4 that came before.

Also fleshing out the expected technology previewed with the interior is integration with Google Auto as well as Amazon’s Alexa. Added to that is an extensive suite of safety systems that run the gamut from adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, and the ability to warn of pedestrians and cyclists that you may not be able to see.

The XT4 seems to be tailor made for urban driving and the challenges that environment brings.

The new XT4 will go on sale this summer.

Now both you and I will know what to look for when it does.

Refreshed Cadillac XT4 - A Stronger Family Resemblance Inside and Out