Cadillac has made no secret regarding the existence of its upcoming XT4 compact crossover. We've seen spy shots of test mules for quite some time now, and according to Automotive News, the production XT4 will debut late next month at the New York Auto Show. It makes sense the Big Apple's annual car show is the chosen venue for this important premiere because Cadillac is now headquartered in that city. If you recall, GM has gone to great efforts to further separate its luxury brand from the rest in order to boost its status.

The XT4 will be Cadillac's second crossover, following the larger XT5 (pictured here). The Escalade will remain a large body-on-frame SUV for the foreseeable future. Crossovers are vital to Cadillac's future bottom line, especially since sales of sedans have decreased over the past few years. As such, the next generation ATS, CTS and XTS will continue through their current lifecycles, but their eventual successors will be consolidated to two models. It's still too early to know which of the three will get killed off, but another earlier report claimed the ATS sedan is already living on borrowed time, despite being one of the brand's current best sellers.

Sales of luxury compact crossovers in the US increased by 5.6 percent last year, so the XT4 should have an almost immediate impact. The XT4 will not only help Cadillac in the US but also in China, which just so happens to be the brand's biggest market. The XT4 shares a platform with the current Chevrolet Malibu sedan, and Motor Trend claims both vehicles will be built alongside each other at GM's assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas. The XT4 is also the start of a new Cadillac product offensive that will see five major vehicles launched starting next month through the end of 2020. As we were told last month by a Cadillac spokesman, Detroit was its "last quiet show for a while."