If you have recently been left feeling a bit confused by Cadillac, that is understandable. Because the American car manufacturer has just announced that it is bringing back two gasoline-powered SUVs…but they are two gasoline-powered SUVs it has just killed off.
In early 2025, Cadillac killed off the XT6, saying there wasn’t enough room in the lineup for another three-row SUV alongside the Escalade and the new Vistiq. The company also discontinued the smaller XT5, but in a bizarre twist, Cadillac has confirmed that both cars are now back in the lineup.
The move was confirmed, unusually, via a LinkedIn post by Cadillac Global Vice President Kristian Aquilina, which also confirmed that a gas engine will still power the XT6. This decision comes at a confusing time for the automotive industry, particularly when it comes to electric vehicles.
Cadillac is still very much continuing to invest in EVs. The Escalade IQ and Vistiq are proof of this, and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, the American manufacturer has not given up on internal combustion-powered vehicles. In fact, Cadillac bringing these two SUVs back signals that it is expanding its ICE lineup, and not shrinking it.
Why Is Cadillac Bringing the XT5 and XT6 Back?
Cadillac is just one of several manufacturers that are ‘recalibrating’ their EV strategy. Many proudly announced that they would be going electric only in the coming years; some are even set to do so as early as 2030. However, EV sales haven’t been as strong as companies first thought. This is what has led to the major rethink within automakers as to what their portfolios should include.
Aquilina said in his LinkedIn post, “As the market continues to evolve, we are aligning our product mix with real-world customer adoption across the luxury market. A key part of that is the return of an all-new XT6, our three-row luxury SUV, alongside next-generation XT5 and CT5.” That effectively confirms that Cadillac has seen a shift in the EV market since the vehicles became more commonplace.
Aquilina also confirmed that in April 2026, Cadillac surpassed 100,000 total EV sales since it launched the Lyriq four years ago. However, 100,000 over four years is still slow. This shows that the market has indeed shifted over that time. For context, the XT6 sold 20,000 units during its final model year in 2025. Cadillac clearly knows what its customers want, and more affordable alternatives to electric SUVs are clearly the aim of the game here.
What This Could Mean for Cadillac’s Future
In terms of the future of the Cadillac lineup, anything is now possible. The fact that the company brought back two models it only killed off a year ago is telling, and it’s likely the two cars will return in the not-too-distant future. Clearly, Cadillac has also recognized that its customers are not fully ready to make the leap from combustion power to electric power.
Watching how the returning XT5 and XT6 do in the Cadillac range will be fascinating.