The 2021 Cadillac offers sophistication and expressive styling with its distinctive lighting and responsive performance. It is Cadillac’s first three-row crossover and delivers enough power for all driving situations. Let’s put it up to the 2021 luxury Lincoln Aviator.
Design
The XT6 offers style and distinction that sets it apart from the crowd. It offers three rows of style, with plenty of room for your family and friends. It's spacious, comfortable, and quiet so you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your ride. The XT6 offers seven passenger seating, with available captain’s chair configuration for six passengers. Premium materials are offered, beginning with the Luxury trim, from exotic woods or carbon fiber to leather appointments and metallic accents and décor, making the XT6 first class. The one downside is the limited cargo space behind the last seat, with just enough space for shopping bags. Cargo space behind the third-row seats is 12.6 cubic feet, with a total of 78.7 cubic feet of maximum cargo space when all seats are folded down. There are three choices of trims for the XT6: Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport.
The Lincoln Aviator is upscale inside and out, with luxurious interior touches like real metal accents and wood trim. It is a three-row luxury SUV based on the Ford Explorer that can seat up to seven when equipped with a second-row bench seat, or six with second-row captain’s chairs. It offers plenty of room in the first two rows, with slide forward second-row seating, allowing easier access. Synthetic leather upholstery and heated and 10-way power adjustable fronts seats are standard. Available upgrades include genuine leather upholstery, 12- or 30-way power-adjustable front seats, ventilated and massaging front seats, heated and ventilated second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel. Aviator’s cargo space is 18.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 41.8 cubic feet behind the second row, and 77.7 cubic feet with both rows folded down. It comes in five trims levels: Standard, Reserve, Black Label, Grand Touring, and Grand Touring Black Label.
Safety and Technology
Safety ratings are overall good for the XT6 in most test results; as well as offering you plenty of standard safety features to help you feel secure on the road. Standard safety features include safety alert seat, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, front pedestrian braking, rear park assist, automatic emergency braking and forward collision alert, IntelliBeam auto high-beam assist, and HD rear vision camera. Higher trims add lane change alert with side blind zone alert, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, front Rainsense wipers, and available Night Vision. The Cadillac XT6 offers a CUE infotainment system with plenty of choices to select the trim and features that will be suited for your needs. It features an 8” diagonal touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto capability.
Standard safety equipment on the Aviator includes blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, forward automatic emergency braking, rearview camera, automatic high-beam headlights, and forward collision mitigation. A 360-degree surround-view camera that gives you a top-down view of the aviator and its surroundings is standard on the higher trims; as well as available Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Plus that includes adaptive cruise control, automated parking system, and evasive steering assist. The Aviator features a SYNC 3 infotainment system with a large 10.1-inch touch screen display and crisp graphics. It comes standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth, satellite radio, a 10-speaker stereo, and four USB ports. Navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system, two more USB ports, HD Radio, and a 14- or 28-speaker Revel stereo is available.
Power/Price
Buyers can choose from either 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 237-horsepower or a 310-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine. A nine-speed automatic transmission comes with either engine and standard front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive. The 3.6 V6 is strong enough for power on the highway and passing, but some competitors available engines have horsepower ratings higher than the XT6. It has an available Smart Towing Trailering System that includes Hitch Guidance with Hitch View, hitch, hitch cover, 7-wire harness, and a 170-amp alternator and heavy-duty cooling system. This system can tow up to 4,000 pounds. Estimated fuel economy is 18/25 mpg city and highway. Pricing starts at $47,994 for the Luxury and ranges to a starting price of $58,420 for the Sport trim.
The Aviator’s Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims feature a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label models pair the twin-turbocharged engine with an electric motor and produce 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. With both powertrains, you will get a 10-speed automatic transmission that makes it smooth and refined selecting the right gear. It gets an estimated 18/26 mpg in the city and on the highway. It can tow up to 6,700 pounds when properly equipped with the gas-only model. The hybrid model has an electric-only range of 21 miles and earns a rating of 56 mpg in combined city/highway. Pricing starts at $51,100 for the rear-wheel-drive Standard trim and ranges to a starting price of $88,505 for the range-topping Black Label Grand Touring.
Conclusion
The 2021 Cadillac XT6 and 2021 Lincoln Aviator are full of sophistication and distinctive style, offering a smooth and comfortable ride. The Aviator delivers more power and cargo room behind the last seat, but at a higher price tag.