DANA POINT, Calif. — The latest round in Cadillac’s recent new product salvo, the 2017 XT5 compact luxury crossover, might just be its most important debutante.

Not that it necessarily breaks all that much new ground, but because its in a segment that is one of the hottest and most competitive in the industry right now.

And, it is a segment in which the XT5’s predecessor, the second-generation SRX, has done well in despite having been on the market with few changes for several years.

The XT5 goes on sale this month, starting at $45,100.

How does it stack up? Let’s find out.

The roads east of Dana Point heading toward Julian are favourites for press events, because the combination of city streets, freeways, and twisty two-lane blacktop offers a good test of any car.

The XT5 handled it all with aplomb.

First, it’s a handsome piece. Design Manager Brian Smith mentioned “proportion, presence and precision” as the mantra. Shorter overhangs and a wider track give a more athletic stance.

More glass in the side window area (DLO. for Daylight Opening) makes the car look bigger and it improves visibility.

The interior is an attractive and pleasant place to spend time in. The car is fractionally shorter overall than SRX, but its 51 mm longer wheelbase and more clever interior design make it more spacious, notably with up to 81 mm more rear seat legroom.

That rear seat also adjusts fore and aft 140 mm, and has a 40-20-40 split seatback for more flexibility hauling people and stuff.

All the modern connectivity features are here, such as on-board Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Smith is particularly proud of the “cut-and-sew” aspect of the interior. The stitching is all real, and so are the materials. If it looks like wood, aluminum or leather, it actually is one of those materials. .

When I mentioned to Smith that the CUE (Cadillac User Experience) touchscreen for minor controls could be improved by substituting a round knob for the stupid drag-your-finger-along-a-strip-of-metal thing for radio volume, he eye-rolled somewhat ruefully, as if this wasn’t the first time he had heard this.

The XT5 also offers Cadillac’s first electronic shift lever, which frees up the space below the console for purse (or murse) storage.

Fine, except they’ve got the shift pattern very wrong. To get to Reverse, you have to move the lever forward and to the left in a distinct but unnatural motion. Find yourself in a three-point turn and in a bit of a hurry (don’t ask ...) and reverse can be hard to find. A normal gated shift pattern would be much better.

The 3.6-litre V6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission — the only powertrain offered — provides sprightly performance.

This engine, also used in other Caddies, always gets a bit thrashy when pressed hard. But with eight ratios, the transmission can usually keep the revs low enough that this does not matter, resulting in relaxed highway cruising.

The transmission generally shifts smoothly, although there was the occasional mild bump-thump on up and downshifts in our test car. We couldn’t replicate these with regularity, which might have aided diagnosis.

Four-wheel drive isn’t available on the base model; full-time four-wheel drive is optional on Luxury and Premium Luxury models, and standard on Platinum. Our tester was a Premium Luxury 4x4.

The XT5’s new structure carves some 132 kg off the old SRX.

I’m not going to say that if they had bolted 132 kg of dead weight back onto the XT5 I could have noticed. But it did feel light and nimble on the twisty mountain roads, given that it is still a fairly large car.

We could feel certain road irregularities. Cadillac did consider the outstanding Magnetic Ride Control suspension — it would have been cool if there had been a “test mule” with that setup to evaluate things back-to-back. I’m guessing its ride might have been even better.

Alas, that remains speculation.

Suffice it to say that XT5’s ride is good enough for this segment, and handling is better than average.

The rear suspension is designed for higher-than-usual lateral stiffness, which has a surprisingly significant and positive impact on steering precision. The steering is also light, as a Cadillac owner would expect.

The Lexus RX still dominates this segment. But the Cadillac XT5, with attractive bodywork, handsome and comfortable interior, good overall performance and the right technology, should give it a strong run.

New platform for a new model

Deck: The outgoing SRX was essentially a Chevrolet Equinox dipped in gold, but that’s not the case with this new SUV.

The new XT5 is built on an entirely new platform which surely will find other applications shortly, but for now it is unique to Cadillac.

Key to the new platform was weight reduction, since weight is the enemy of every aspect of performance.

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Clever engineering, notably the use of four different types of steel — and the right material in the right place — shaved some 132 kg off the SRX, as noted earlier.

By GM’s calculations, the XT5 is nearly 300 kg lighter than a comparably-sized Mercedes-Benz GLE 350.

Yet stiffness and crash protection are better than before.

The so-called “high feature” V6 engine features idle stop/start and cylinder deactivation — becoming a V4 when full power is not needed. Combined with the weight reduction, this helps lower fuel consumption by as much as 2.1 L/100 km.

The four-wheel drive system uses a rear end remarkably similar to the Ford Focus RS. Made by British drivetrain manufacturer GKN, an electronically-controlled clutch pack in each rear half-shaft transmits as much torque to each rear wheel as it can usefully apply to the road surface.

The driver can disconnect four-wheel drive to save a bit on fuel, but the system does not automatically re-engage if things suddenly get slippery. I’m not sure this is a good idea.

I was a bit surprised when XT5 Vehicle Performance Manager Larry Mihalko noted that they rejected that Magnetic Ride Control system used in other GM products, including the first-generation SRX. It’s one of my favourite suspension systems in the industry.

Instead, the upscale versions of the XT5 — those with 20-inch wheels — use a continuously variable damper system from the German Sachs company, now part of ZF, with Touring (normal), Sport and Snow settings.

Mihalko said they didn’t need the “Nurburgring-lapping” handling capability that Magnetic Ride Control could offer, and that isolation from road noise and pavement irregularities were more important to the customer.

Maybe, although Magnetic Ride Control is very good on those counts as well. Mihalko didn’t say so, but I’m guessing cost might have been a factor.

Lesser XT5s (those with 18-inch wheels) also get Sachs dampers but without the continuously variable damping feature.

2017 Cadillac XT5

PRICE: $45,100 — $68,595

ENGINE: 3.6-litre V6, cylinder deactivation.

POWER/TORQUE: 310 horsepower / 271 lb-ft.

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic

FUEL CONSUMPTION (L/100 KM): 12.1 city, 8.6 hwy.; 12.9 city, 8.9 hwy. (four-wheel drive)

WHAT’S HOT: Handsome inside and out, good overall performance

WHAT’S NOT: New shift lever and CUE control system both need further tweaks

Score: 8.0 / 10

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Competitors:

The Canadian-built Lexus RX 350 crossover should remain strong despite bizarre looks of the new model.

The Lincoln MKZ is desperately trying to follow Cadillac’s domestic-brand foray into import-dominated territory.