Development work continues on the Cadillac CT5, and the upcoming sedan has just been spotted undergoing testing wearing production headlights. By contrast, the last time we saw a CT5 prototype was in February, and the tester was wearing placeholders headlights at that time.
See the complete gallery of Cadillac CT5 spy pictures at our sister site, Cadillac Society.
Despite a significant amount of camo wrapping the vehicle from stern to stem, we can still see that the lights on this model are different from the ones we saw last time. The new units seem to feature Cadillac’s new headlight design, which consists of a horizontal element spanning the grille that sweeps up into the front fender before dropping vertically into the bumper cover, just ahead of the front wheel well. The design was introduced by the Cadillac Escala concept before going into production on the 2019 Cadillac CT6 and 2019 Cadillac XT4.
We can’t tell if this Cadillac CT5 prototype has any other changes outside of the headlights, but we imagine that a lot of progress has been made underneath the camo.
The CT5 will ride on the Alpha 2 platform, which is the successor to Cadillac’s highly-acclaimed Alpha platform that underpins the current ATS and CTS ranges (as well as the gen six Chevy Camaro). For its part, the Cadillac CT5 is expected to replace both the ATS and CTS and be positioned between those models – closer in overall size to the CTS while closer in price to the ATS.
Cadillac recently confirmed the discontinuation of the ATS Sedan after the 2018 model year, a move that will make room at the GM Lansing Grand River plant for the Cadillac CT5, which we expect to be unveiled some time in the first half of the 2019 calendar year and go on sale as a 2020 model before the end of 2019.
Comments
I am so excited for this car. This will be the closest vehicle we will see to the Escala concept. The rear 3/4 angle just screams Escala – it has to be a sportback. If they can get the interior down, this car will be a stunner.
Word!
The interior can make or break the CT5.
Xt6 is the last car that will get the interior which will be influenced by the CT6.. See XT4/5.
This one will get a different one. Thats why I want to see it before the XT6.
The CT5 is not going to be a sportback. It will be a traditional sedan body style.
What if there’s a possibility of it having both? Why limit yourself to one style, have both. Me, personally I’d rather have a sportback. I prefer the sedan look but the practicality of a hatchback.
gotta love that Charger groove in the camo LOLZ
On the 1st set of spy pics of the car testing in snow I wondered why they went to the length of putting Charger taillights on the car just for disguise but after these pics you can see its reflective tape placed on a black background over the camo. Damn GM really fooled me on that one haha
I sincerely hope they learned their lessons from the ATS\CTS & addressed their shortcomings (interior design & quality). Although Mercedes doesn’t compete in this particular segment & the current 4 Gran Coupe is on the generic side (interior wise), The A5 Sportback is no pushover! Its a very attractive vehicle both inside & out.
Like the XT4, can’t wait to see it in person and drive it. Curious on standard HP, and how smooth these new Cadillacs will be. If they are as refined as promised, we will think about one of each in 4 to 5 years. By then we will find out reliability and consumer thoughts. Never a new GM model, never again. Cadillac you should fix ALL the CUE screen delamination for your loyal owners.
If your CUE screen got delaminated, your dealer should be able to replace it as a warranty RO…
I installed a new digitizer myself. GM and Cadillac did NOTHING. Still a GM and Cadillac DEFECTIVE PART. If Cadillac will not take care of there loyal customers than why would customers be loyal to them.
I actually prefer my Indirect Fire LED headlamps with the concealed bulbs on my 2018 CT6 Platinum over the 2019. I was all over this car at the NYIAS and I also am not a fan of the horizontal, into the trunk lid, tail light. Vertical tail lights are a signature trademark on Cadillacs. Copying BMW is NOT the way to go. I am a fan. however, of the new 4.2 TT V8. It was a long time coming, and is exclusive to Cadillac.
There were/are NO lessons to be learned from the current ATS/CTS. Both of these vehicles have the best chassis in their respective segments. so say the automotive journalists and they are usually biased to the German cars. The only short coming these cars have is they are victims of automotive bias because they wear the Cadillac badge. Have you ever driven a CTS, CTS VSport, or CTS V, or ATS V, probably not. You looked at the badge and said….”for that kind of money I can get a Benz, or a BMW……
I’d beg to differ. As a current ATS owner (2015 ATS Sedan Premium 2.0T), there is a significant amount of things to be learned from the ATS and CTS… many of which I outlined in the Wish List series here:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/category/gma-special/wish-list
Off the top of my head:
– Power-folding side mirrors
– Headlamp washers
– Roof rack attachment points (Cadillac is the only one in the class to not offer a way to put a roof rack on the car on the ATS and CTS)
– Capless fuel filler system (or a better-feeling fuel cap/system)
– Auto-dimming passenger mirror (ATS and CTS are the only cars in their classes to not offer this)
– Gauge clusters leave a lot to be desired (both ATS and CTS, even the digital ones)
– CUE controls (already solved in 2019 CT6 and XT4)
– Significantly better exhaust note
– Chime for key fob (currently uses horn)
– Express up/down all windows (the only cars in their class to not have this)
– Ventilated seats (ATS does not even offer it as an option)
– Horrible thigh bolsters/extensions on both ATS and CTS (Audi, BMW, Mercedes do it perfectly… Cadillac fails miserably)
Yes, the ATS and CTS got the chassis and driving experience spot on – the best in their segments and the engines and transmissions are mediocre in refinement yet good in power. But the rest of the car – the actual details that you only see once you’ve lived with the car for several months or years – are behind the Germans.
Coming from a current ATS owner (2015 ATS Sedan Premium, fully loaded) that has either owned or extensively driven each of the three German rivals to the ATS before.
I think both ATS and CTS export versions had headlight washers, but they never offered them here for some reason, though the 2nd gen CTS did.
I think the CTS and ATS both could have had better styling and more roomy interior.
Beyond that, there is nothing wrong with them other than just being older designs for the segment. That will be resolved with the next generation sedans.
I really hope they have the digital instrument cluster as standard like Volvo and Audi have. You should have a lot of features on a Cadillac. You should like the way you feel when you drive it, so those tech features need to be there.
Hi John, your post seems to be addressed to me, if not, feel free to ignore this one.
There’s no denying that Cadillac made a world class chassis, one could say they were the best in their respective segments handling wise.
Cadillac’s shortcomings were in the interior department. Design is subjective & beauty is in the eye of the beholder, some like the waterfall design, some don’t. But the cars were lacking fit & finish wise. There are questionable decisions too, like the materials used, gauges, buttons, switches … Etc. A proper luxury car supposed to be a special place, everything you see, touch & feel should make you happy. The details separate the luxury cars from the mainstream ones, as they say: The Devil is in the details.
That’s Cadillac’s biggest hurdle at the moment (& transmission refinement). The V cars have no problem going toe to toe with the Ms & AMGs or even beat them performance & handling wise. But they are suppose to be luxury cars first & foremost, the CTS V is not even in the same league as the E63 when it comes to the interior. Again, design is subjective, but everything else doesn’t stand a chance against the M5, let alone the E63.
That’s what Cadillac needs to take care of.
Is this a Chevy SS replacement?. I’d ask because of the hoodscoop and Charger-like sides don’t say Cadillac and appeals to a racer/blue collar crowd. All recent Caddies have smooth sides and this doesn’t.
Its just a disguise. Engineers do it all the time to have fun & troll people while hiding the car’s design, here are few examples:
Dodge had Viper mules running around with Alfa Romeo 8C look-alike parts.
Mercedes had SLS’ mules running around with Dodge Viper look-alike parts.
Bentley have their mules running around with Mercedes look-alike parts.
Yeah that is definitely the Escala styling. This car might be a looker. I can’t wait to see it uncovered.
This will be about A6 or 5 series sized right? If so, it will probably be a contender for my next car in a few years.
Everyone here just needs to take a deep breath and let them finish this car before we wish it to death. Let just see what they are going to do here and just what we get before we get overboard on the wish list and end disappointed.
First off this is not the Escala. The Escala was a pure show car and this is a real world car so be ready for some similarities and some changes to fit production and the real world.
Second the ATS and CTS were not bad cars but they were cars that missed on details and focus. Cadillac tried to make them special but GM again discontented them. This folks is why Cadillac has moved to NYC to stop GM Detroit interference.
Third the things they did get right like the chassis and other Cadillac details will only be improved upon. There was no need to invest in the present cars heavily as they were lame ducks that just had to buy time. Investing in them is like buying your wife a new dress for the divorce. That money was better spent on this car than the last two. These things will make a difference.
The biggest thing is now can Cadillac hold off GM from cutting corners again.
Car sales are down and this car will have to fight for every sale.
We need to stop reading into Cadillac what we think it should be. It needs to match and beat the market not go back in time or join the discounted luxury segment. To fix the price they just need to build a worthy car of that price. They need to focus it on just what the market is asking for wants. Be It may make it similar in composition to others if that is what it takes. The real key is to keep GM out of this car and let Cadillac make the calls here.
So sit back pop a cool beverage and lets just see what they give us before we speculate to disappointment on things that just were never going to happen.
Cadillac can finish the car to perfection and the people on this site and the media will find something about the car they dont like and call the car a failure!
And it will be something like ( this piece in the interior doesn’t look or feel luxurious enough) car is a failure! Which is ridiculous!
AKA ‘Arm-Chair’ Critics.
You’re feedback carries validity too. Car & Driver – ugh, can’t believe I’m referring to that biased site – recently did a ranking of all mid-size luxury vehicles. There were 19 entrants, and the CTS with it’s on-point driving dynamics and competitive engine, ranked a respectable No.5. However here is the quote: ‘…but the interior is dated with its glossy-black trim’.
Whatever Cadillac does with its interior, it will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever satisfy Accord & 3Series Monthy(aka Car& Drivel). If the door handles were carved from flawless blue white diamonds, they would say “diamonds are out of style…..and soooo dated”
Never win.
Cadillac never wins with the interiors because they aren’t even playing in the same sport as the German three. Lets be real right now. What Cadillac interior right now is on par let alone leads against Audi, Mercedes, and BMW?
Have you seen the X5, 8 series, Cheap Mercedes CLA even?
Audi is at a whole other level right now. So is Jaguar and Land Rover.
I am a huge GM fan as everyone else but GM makes the worse interiors in the business for the class their cars are competing in. Every new Chevrolet is completely hard plastics on the upper dash area. Every single one. The new Regal interior is not only nowhere near a Volvo, Acura, Infinity, its not even close to the new Accord. We need to stop making excuses for GM and hold them accountable (which non-GM loyalists are doing) and ask for better by not simply opening our wallets to something sub-par.
GM should be completely embarrassed by the new 1500’s interiors. They’re not even competitive with the Ford F-150 interior and that interior has been around for years.
Lets face it, there is a reason Johan was shown the door. He didn’t fit in the GM mold of cost cutting out of the interior. He did come from Audi if everyone remembers.
I personally would love a new CT5 but only if they get everything right. Cadillac specific engines, technologies, suspension, size, and most importantly a no excuses interior. I’m not holding my breath though after seeing the all new XT4. While nice, it’s not even in the same playing field as the big boys.
I pray GM proves me wrong.
On a side note, when will Cadillac drop the corporate 3.6 HF V6 from their cars?
It is definitely time. Utilize the 3.0TT V6 already. Cadillac is so cutting corners it makes me sick sometimes. They spent all this money for the new 3.0 TT V6 but they still use the Chevy family V6 engine in their cars and they cannot understand why BMW, and Mercedes owners aren’t even looking at their cars. I mean they use inline sixes and Cadillac is using family car V6 engines to battle them. It is the definition of insanity.
Even Audi utilizes their own six cylinder. It’s shared with Porsche not Chevrolet.
Audi gets people in the door due to their amazing attention to detail in the interiors and their now famed Quattro system.
Can’t disagree enough with you. Current CTS and ATS material quality are not lacking. I will admit that CUE is a finger print magnet with its plastic like covering though. And CT6 materials are on-point, there’s just too many of them in the interior fighting each other for the crown.
I was expecting some ‘other-worldly’ experience when I sat in the current E Class. When I stepped out, my first thought was ‘What’s all the hype about?’ It failed to impress; pictures do it more justice. But in person it’s nothing more than decent grade plastic trim, nice leather and yet tactile feel is not substantial; the surfaces feel tinny.
They may not be in the same league but if there is any manufacturer(s) that has set the bar, it’s Volvo interiors. Lincoln’s Continental gets an honorable mention.
Gary, have you tried Audi? After Cadillac would do nothing to fix our ATS delaminated CUE screen, we drove a 2018 Audi A4 to just see like you say “what’s all the hype about”. Well I can tell you we have a ATS, AWD, 2.0T, and this Audi A4 is sooooo smooooth. The seats are thick feeling soft leather. The wood is REAL, looks REAL, feels REAL. The A/C system is quiet. When you turn on dry ground there is NO binding/jumping, it is smooooth. When you accelerate, it is smoooooth at ANY speed, up hill, down hill, in town, on the interstate, smooooth, quick. It makes our ATS look and feel like a JOKE. Again 2018 Audi A4, try it I’m curious what you think. And it is also CHEAPER.
I agree with the, take a deep breath, and pop a cool beverage. However, when we see the hype, we all wish and dream. Like the XT4 we were all waiting for the NEW GREAT CADILLAC. I like the way the XT4 looks in pictures. However I was extremely disappointed with the low HP numbers. Is it a Cadillac or a Chevy Equinox? We will drive one some day and can report back with the news. I hope it is better news than the ATS we currently drive.
To be honest I was not shocked by the XT4 as the cheaper the model the lower the content of changes from corporate changes. The higher the price the more unique aspect the car will have vs. other GM products.
We see the same at Audi and even Benz. The low end Audi models are more VW than Audi. The A7 on the other hand is pure Audi.
You are not going to get much as a mid level to upper level Chevy price.
This is just common sense.
I suspect the XT4 was not really a product JDN really wanted. It reeks of GM board and he did the best with what he was given and the parameters demanded IE: MPG and low price.
To me to do cars like that make economic sense but they send the wrong message for Cadillac. They should leave these to Chevy and Buick.
Cadillac needs to be returned back to being just that a Cadillac not just a corporate platform upgrade.
The TT v8 shows us the thinking JDN had in giving Cadillac an engine of their own. They already had a TT V6 they held the exclusive rights to. They still need a Turbo 4 of their own.
Cadillac even if they have to use a cooperate 4 needs to have on of their own tune.
But to be fair we still know little of the coming engines. The 2.7 turbo 4 caught many off guard. Few saw it coming. What else is coming. New platforms seldom get new engines as they like to spread the cost out.
To be fair, the V8 was in development before JDN joined Cadillac, one of the early prototypes was powering the El Miraj. (500hp 4.5 TT)
Personally, I think J should’ve revealed the XT6 first, even in a concept form.
A higher price bracket = Better quality. At a 60k+ range it would be a better Cadillac in all aspects (despite the GM bones), materials, fit and finish …etc. Less GM & more pure-ish Cadillac.
The XT4 is a cool CUV, Could it have been better? Absolutely, GM’s patented corner cutting is still present. But its an entry level compact crossover built to meet a certain bracket ($35k) & its almost on bar with the GLA, X1, E-Pace, Countryman & the XC40. It just needs more colors inside & out, alongside different trims & finishes.
Anyway, I agree with the rest of your post & the one above.
Corner cutting and the fact they have had so many leaders it is hard to tell who did what as one leader is in and starts a program and is gone a year before it even hits market.
Too many cooks.
Yessir, its beyond ridiculous.
Cadillac hardly do production-based concepts anymore like they use to. That’s the thing Lincoln likes to do currently.
It is matterless which vehicle will be next as long both vehicles exceed expectations.
The XT6 more than likely will be in the mid to upper $40K to start off with. More than likely upper $40K since the refresh XT5 for ’20 with Y trim collections will start at Luxury. Pricing for the XT5 could start at the low $40K range.
Hope this is a Grand Slam for Cadillac but I will say I’m disappointed that you can tell the CT5 won’t have the Escalla instrument cluster. Too bad. That design would’ve placed Cadillac on the map again in my opinion.
Time to stop expecting a grand slam when all they need is 3-4 good solid base hits to win the game.
We do not need the drama just the win.
If the next Cadillac CT3 is based in the design of the new Escala, it’ll be a great success in USA and I expect in Europe too.
In Europe all C segment cars are FWD with the cheapest suspension in most of them. The next CT3 could be a incentive in this boring segment: Good suspension, engines and 8 speeds automatic gearbox.
Many Alfa Romeo followers wanted a new Giulietta with the new Giorgio platform but Marchionne is a capriciuos guy and he wanted more margin in each car FCA sells, the next Giulietta will use the outdated current platform. An example of this decision is the Maserati Levante (a SUV with a good profit) but it has been a failure. Another example is Ford that will sell only SUVs and pick-ups. I think there are too many SUV cars and the market starts to be over-aturated, sooner or later the margin will fall down sharply.
Can we expect a compact and sporty EV car with the brand Cadillac? All the Chinese new star-ups will release hundreds of EV SUVs or huge sedans.
The main issues to sell in EU are the tariffs and the “trade war” between Europe and USA.
We should be glad that Cadillac is continuing with the program when other domestic automakers are throwiing in the towel on cars .