Cadillac CT5 Design: Let’s Talk About The New Sedan’s C-Pillar Treatment
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Earlier this month, Cadillac revealed the new CT5 in a surprise announcement. The 2020 Cadillac CT5 will ride on an evolution of the company’s RWD/AWD Alpha architecture – the Alpha 2 platform. It indirectly replaces both the ATS and CTS sedans to compete against the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. While there’s little doubt the car looks striking, one particular area of the Cadillac CT5 design is dividing Cadillac fans.
That area is the execution of the C-pillar, which features an Escala-like curvature and a black blanking piece aft of the rear door cutline. It would appear that the blanking piece has some people in arms.
“The opaque black plastic triangle under the C-pillar is very unfortunate. That’s just not acceptable in a 50K+ vehicle, or even a 30K+ vehicle.” — GM Authority reader, ds, wrote.
“Black plastic triangle on C-pillar is copy paste from former GM model Opel Insignia/Buick Regal and looks so cheap. No luxury car but cheap Chevy. Car is looks more like chinese crap – less is better. I hope that interior will be better than on spy shots.” — gm_guy
“I’m just not feeling that Accord/Altima-ish C pillar design. The rest of the car I like so far other than that. However, I can say that I’ve noticed the Sport (with black trim) makes it stand out (worse) more than the Luxury chrome does. Not sure why, but the chrome must break up the ugly a little more.” — Dan Berning
“Looks very much like an Infinity. The black plug at the C-pillar is especially cheap. Toyota doesn’t even do that. This design is not even in the same league as Lexus.” — Brian W.
Other comments about the Cadillac CT5 design were a tad harsher.
“There is NO WAY IN HELL I will by a car that has that TACKY design in the far back pillar (C), it makes the entire car look like some cheap piece of shyte.” — MastaFunk
However, not everyone hated it:
“I love how people are complaining about the c pillar styling and this so called plastic piece, it is comical, you gotta see it in person, there is nothing like this car. It does not look cheap in person and the sport model is down right sinister looking, just wait till the V model hits with over 675hp . Every guy is going to want it.” — Av
While opinions aren’t evenly divided on the Cadillac CT5 design, the C-pillar treatment is seemingly controversial.
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There seems to be a spit decision on the look. I voted ugly. I really don’t think its ugly and I don’t think it pretty. With the limited choices I had I went with ugly. I think if they got rid of the tail on the chrome and replaced the plastic with glass it would be much better .
I voted pretty to offset your ugly – because I feel the same way you do…it’s neither.
I kinda feel the same as you guys.
Neither.
The only thing I would say is I simply think it would look better without the tail. Just make it look like a window, with trim, but no window.
Because I think it looks better than if it were just C-Pillar the same color as the car.
I think it should be a window but I’m sure the “you know who” squashed that.
And if they raised the height of the rear door over the current ATS/CTS it would be a plus.
There are ALOT of vehicles with the blank in that spot.
No big deal to me.
I totally agree with you.
Also, the person who said you’ve gotta see it in person…. uhhh, has he?? Lol.
I may go to NYC Autoshow next month to check out in person.
Got to see it first in person. Most GM photos are just horrible computer photos. In real life things tend to appear better than they are seen on the web.
I am not a fan of the short deck lid but will see how it turns out.
I don’t care for it. However, I like the rest of the car. It’s exactly how I envision a modern day 4 door Chevy Monza would look like. It would look fantastic as a 2 door coupe. This just looks more like a sporty Chevrolet to me than a Cadillac. I feel the same way about the XT6. It looks like a sporty Chevrolet. I love it as a Chevrolet, I’m not sure that’s the traditional Cadillac buyer though.
I think the C-pillar looks like an old Saturn sedan.
I think the whole side from the A-pillar back looks like an updated 4-door Saturn Ion. I sure hope this car looks much better in person
Datsun B210. Check it out on an image search.
LOL. First, seeing a quote of what I said seems funny to read it now. Anyhow, I also voted ugly, but only based on the overall look of the “C-pillar” and not the entire car. Like I said before: with the black trim I don’t like it at all. With the chrome trim (and the maroon color), it looks much better. Like several have said on here already, I will need to see it in person to make a final call.
We do see the fastback treatment on the 2020 camouflaged CT4. It seems to have more of a straighter angle from the roofline, rear window down to the rear deck. This gives the new CT4 a sharper look.
I do like the look of a luxury sport vehicle with a flat rear deck.
The blacked out trim on this new CT5 still looks sharp.
I still like the updated CT6. All the lines work well together. I hope they never cancel this vehicle.
The CT4 will have the same side windows and roofline as the ATS. Its back end may be weird because the center will be as high as the ATS while the sides will be low to imitate the horizontal Escala character lines. It may have the shape of the previous generation Malibu.
We had a similar issue on the Chrysler Pacifica (to the left and right of the liftgate) and bugs me to this day. That said — best wishes to Cadillac — PLEASE don’t be a Catera
the short dek lid and hump roof looks like the ugly honda four door does not look like a cadillac at all i see sales falling even more!!
I think the C-pillar is not the worst part of the car. Instead it is the rounded roof line that then concludes with the C-pillar. Why they didn’t decide to make this sleeker (headroom?) is the ultimate reason the side profile doesn’t appeal to me. The sharp angles in the front and rear just don’t move well with the rest. It’s a shame cause this thing is a looker from the front and rear.
anyone i know says a cadillac is nothing special anymore! the last real caddy was 2000 yr.
The C pillar is similar to the 2019 ES350. I don’t understand the blacked out piece.
The front end is very good. The rear is great. An Escala5 would have been better.
Personally I like a car that is different and not looking the same as the last 20 years, like BMW + Mercedes.
I sure hope the newer 2.0T with lower specs isn’t slower than the current 2.0T.
With only 2 trims, I sure hope that we can add individual options and not have to add a $5000 package
just to get one option we really want.
Yeah wouldn’t that be great !!!
Putting options on a vehicle we are buying the way we want.
Its just unheard of !!
Someone should try it !!!
I want this with no sun roof, no special suspension, forward and rearward park assist, forward breaking, AWD, chrome like premium and a 3.0TT. Ill bet everyone of those are in a “cluster” and will be thousands for one and I don’t want the rest.
“O” Well 3 to five years if its still available we will take one.
Same here; not saying its ugly, nor is it pretty to me–I just dont like it
I don’t think it’s completely unfortunate….. That being said, it does seem like a cost cutting fix instead of using glass. Which is completely unacceptable in the league that Cadillac desperately wants to compete in. C’mon guys, get it together already! Watching this once storied brand go down the tubes is hard. A BMW shopper would not tolerate this
The ct5 2020 design looks tacked on aft wise. Just design a station wagon like the discontinued cts. I’m a satisfied 2014 cts Cadillac station wagon owner. This ct5 2020 design is uninspiring. To much german, not enough american. A Cadillac owner.
The 2019 CTS looks way better.
Unoriginal, forgettable and bland. Therefore it gets an ugly from me!
I think 2020 is Cadillac’s last chance to evolve, compete with the Germans not to mention Alfa, Volvo and media darling Genisus.
The current CTS may look a little less than exciting but that never hurt Audi, and overall it is a well-designed car.
The new C-pillar looks cheap, underwhelming and as if Impala met Altama and then extracted genetic material from Cruze. GM has been playing with this sort of C-pillar treatment for years but added additional unneeded curvature.
Cadillac tried a reformed, subtle Art and Science and now sends to have resorted to copy and paste me too design. This is especially problematic as cars are becoming less curvy, more square once again making Cadillac behind the curve once again.
GM needed a future icon like the new CLA. This is why Mark Adams should have been left at Cadillac or even the tean behind Avista put in charge.
I never cared for the xt4 sport either, until I saw one in person and thought – holy crap that looks good. I like the most recent Cadillac vehicles I’ve seen. I have not seen this in person though.
Smart move by Cadillac to release these images ahead of its official debut at the New York auto show. That way, most of the harsh comments will have been already made and won’t dominate the coverage of the car.
IT LOOKS LIKE A CHEVY CRUISE !!! Cheap and ugly. I will NOT replace my beautiful 2017 CTS with one of these. After 39 years of Cadillac ownership and 17 new Cadillacs I will probably switch brands. Not what I’d want to do, but I can’t drive a car that looks like that, not after having 5 CTSs.