Cadillac XT4 runs on diesel power in Europe

Cadillac isn’t a car marque one would associate with diesel powertrains, even though General Motors did offer such V6 and V8-based cars to its U.S. customers back in the 1970s and 80s. Now, the company’s smallest CUV arrives in Europe with a much less ambitious powertrain.

Powering the Cadillac XT4 for Europe is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel designed by the Italian engine development branch of General Motors. The mill belongs to the CSS unitized engine series, which also powers the 1.5-liter Opel Astra, for example.

The EU-spec XT4 develops 174 horsepower (130 kilowatts) along with 381 Newton-meters (280 pound-feet) of maximum torque. It comes in FWD and AWD guises and has a more expensive AWD alternative based on a 2.0-liter gasoline turbo with 230 hp (164 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft). Both use a nine-speed automatic transmission design and come with room for five people. The feature list is quite generous and extensive, but some things – for instance, the digital dashboard – cannot be obtained even if you are willing to pay extra.

Sales in Europe start on October 10. for the time being, the XT4 will remain the only Cadillac-badged vehicle in the Old World. The Launch Edition will be the first to hit the showrooms, priced starting from €42,900.