Cadillac surprised everyone when it unexpectedly announced the all-new CT5 in March. The initial photos of the new sedan provided a very limited look at the new sedan, since they were shot in a studio and showed the vehicle from only a few angles. Luckily, our colleagues over at the Cadillac Society caught the new Cadillac CT5 undergoing validation testing on a public road, thereby giving us a better idea of the vehicle’s design.
Before getting into the finer details of the CT5’s exterior, let’s first figure out exactly what we’re looking at. In its original announcement, Cadillac stated that the CT5 will be available in “Luxury and Sport models”, but we believe that the Luxury trim is actually two separate trims: the base Luxury trim, and the mid-range Premium Luxury. That kind of setup would mirror the Y trim level structure introduced by the new Cadillac XT4.
So, it appears that this particular model is the base CT5 Luxury – the base model – coated in the Crystal White Tricoat color.
The base Luxury model will wear black front grilles seen here. By comparison, the Premium Luxury model will feature a shiny upper grille and the Sport model will get black grille treatments, but in a different, shield-like pattern.
The different grille treatment of the CT5 Sport
Seeing the Cadillac CT5 in the wild also gives us a much better idea of how the front end looks as a whole, including the newfound horizontal headlight treatment, the restyled signature vertical daytime running lamps and the surface styling applied to the hood.
Also, get a look at those side mirrors. They appear similar in their slim shape to those on the current, third-generation Cadillac CTS.
From the side, the new Cadillac CT5 Luxury features a chrome window trim wrapping the day-light opening (DLO). The Premium Luxury model will get the same treatment, but the Sport blacks it out. The shots also give us a better look at the rapidly-sloping roofline and highly-debated C-pillar treatment, which appears to feature a glossy black blanking plate.
This particular CT5 Luxury model rides on a set of twin-five-spoke wheels (with a total of 10 spokes) that seem to be 18-inches in diameter. More intricate wheel patterns and larger wheels will undoubtedly be available.
Out back, this Cadillac CT5 testers is missing the Cadillac logo, though we can use our imaginations to place in the spot of the black holes intended to house the Crest. The most noteworthy element is the set of new taillights and the new shape of the deck lid.
Similar to those on the Cadillac Escala concept, the clusters on the CT5 have gained a horizontal element to join the vertical one. There’s also a rather tasteful, through-facia dual exhaust treatment.
Other elements worthy of pointing out include the camera for the Rear Camera Mirror placed within the roof-mounted communications fin, which is a separate system from the Rear Vision Camera lens located above the license plate cutout.
There’s also a new location for the Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL) inside the top-most portion of the rear glass, and a clear reverse lamp located centrally between the two tailpipes, much like on the outgoing ATS and CTS.
The new Cadillac CT5 will give GM’s luxury brand a competitive entry into the popular and successful D-segment to battle the segment’s reigning champs – the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, while simultaneously replacing both the ATS Sedan and CTS Sedan.
Expect much more about the Cadillac CT5 next week, when we get to see it up close and personal at the New York International Auto Show. Until then, subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac CT5 news, Cadillac news, and ongoing GM news coverage.
About Cadillac CT5
The CT5 is a new luxury sedan from GM's Cadillac brand. The model will replace both the ATS and CTS Sedans in the future Cadillac product portfolio. The vehicle will be larger than the ATS yet slightly smaller than the CTS, and positioned as a D-segment offering that's slightly larger than the BMW 3/4 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class segment stalwarts.
The traditional four-door sedan body styles for the CT5 is a shoe-in. A two-door coupe is possible. A convertible is less of a possibility, and a wagon is out of the question thanks to consumers' ongoing love affair with crossovers.
The CT5 rides on an updated version of the GM Alpha platform dubbed internally as Alpha 2. It will be powered by the following engines:
- New turbo-charged 2.0L LSY I-4 TriPower as the base engine making around 250 horsepower
- Twin-turbocharged 3.0L LGW V-6 making over 400 horsepower
An ultra-high-performance CT5-V model is expected, but it's currently unknown which engine it will use. Two possibilities include the twin-turbo 4.2L LTA V8 or the supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8.
All engines will be mated to the new GM 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Cadillac CT5 will launch in North America in the third or fourth quarter of the 2019 calendar year as a 2020 model year. A China launch is expected to take place in the second or third quarter of 2019.
The CT5 will be built at the following plants:
- GM Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan to supply America, Korea, Europe and the Middle East
- Jinqiao Cadillac plant in China to supply China and Russia
Comments
This base model looks awesome. The best in its class. Even the C-pillar has grown on me.
Grows on you like a fungus. That c-pillar is awful.
That c-pillar is a cheap way to add some current style. While the designers at Lexus and Mercedes are proud of the flowing extension of the glass window past the centerline of the rear wheel, the designers at GM fake it with a piece of black plastic and head to Olive Garden for lunch. What is a technological design feat bending sheet metal at Mercedes and Lexus is accomplished with a bonded piece of plastic at Cadillac.
It’s definitely not bad looking. I really like the horizontal elements for the headlights.
The CT5-V is going to be amazing. Hopefully they can find 475hp out of that 4.2L TT engine.
I definitely want to pay Bimmer money for a car that looks like an Altima but with GM electrical gremlins.
For a base model this really looks sharp to me. Zooming in on the door handles I don’t see the lock/unlock buttons that we normally see on other Cadillac/GM products, either they are integrated in the silver trim at the top of the door handle or Cadillac has transitioned to a sensor type of doorhandle more commonly seen in other luxury products.
This car has a great look, even in a white mid/low level trim version.
I honestly can’t wait to drive it.
Now this is a different game. I don’t know why they teased us with that gray model. Almost every car will look bad in gray. Not the best colour for the presentation.
White colour is boring too, but this one looks fantastic to me in flesh. Even the C-pillar, which I did not like, looks pretty good here.
And this is a base version. Not a top dog. I really love what I see.
I wish they’d base the XT5 and XT4 on this chassis. The proportions look great.
Wow. Now imagine a BLACK CT5-V with the brand new V8 TT.
Me want.
Can’t wait for the CT5 coupe. Remember the patent drawings 🙂
I think that a coupe version has the potential to offer the kind of stunning knocked-it-out-of-the-park impact that many on here seem to feel is lacking. I just wonder if they will really offer a coupe, and, if so, how long will we have to wait?
Well as I stated earlier the GM photos always look horrid.
These photo’s give a much better perspective of what is coming.
I am now very optimistic that in person this will be a good looking car.
It should look good in metallic tri coat red or gray.
Now lets hope they got the interior right.
Like I said over at Cadillacsociety.com that car looks soo good. I can’t wait to see this in showrooms. And like many of us, I can’t wait for that V-series. Oh Alex, do you think that when this car does get the V-series treatment what engine do you think they will put in it; wil it be the 4.2L TT V8 or do you think it will be like the CTS and go with the 6.2L SC? Even better question is will the mid-engine corvette stick with the 6.2L SC V8 or could it also get something brand new?
Yeah, which engine CT5-V will get is the big question at the moment. The two obvious options are:
1. The supercharged 6.2L V8 LT4… or a potential upcoming successor to it, that’s rumored to be called LT3… yes, the designation doesn’t exactly make sense, or
2. A variant of the twin-turbo 4.2L V8 “Blackwing”
There’s also the possibility of both engines being offered, with the Blackwing being in a potential CT5 V-Sport model while the supercharged push-rod going into the CT5-V.
Scooping as much info on this as we can at the moment. Stay tuned!
Sorry lads, she’s not to my taste. Looks to me like a Nissan Maxima from every angle except the grille.
Kudos Tomko,,, Looks horrid… Maxima…or something… There is nothing Cadillac about it, looks like yet another bland sedan… Nothing stately or luxurious ….
I’m going out on a limb and say that if they do make a v version. They’ll most likely put a updated lf4, possibly lf5 3.6tt v6 under the hood producing around 480-490 hp. That’s if they release a v version before the next m3. If the m3 (w/o competition pack) comes out swinging with 500 hp then they probably put in the lta 4.2tt v8
I think it will come a lil bit later than the M3. Its already known that the M3 will get 500+ hp.
This will get a V8TT. That’s 100 percent. Remember there was a thread here few months ago?
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/01/gm-showed-off-mystery-cadillac-sports-car-during-investor-conference/
I’m pretty sure it was a CT5-V V8TT.
Now the CT4-V will get a V6.
That link validates nothing. It’s still speculation, especially when they through out 3 possible options. CT4, CT5, or mid engine sports car, we have no idea yet. When Ford released the Ford GTagain, that came out of nowhere, that all we could do is speculate. They had an indoor facility that hid away the GT until the very last moment to reveal it. So until actual validation is included. I’m staying with the v6 tt speculation, beings that knowing GM. They’ll more than likely stick the v6 in it than the v8
Tony, the LF3 and LF4 line will soon reach end of production and there will be no direct successor/replacement to either one. In other words, there will be no LF5, while the LF3 and LF4 will be discontinued with the end of the ATS-V, CTS V-Sport and XTS V-Sport:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/10/does-the-cadillac-ats-vs-twin-turbocharged-3-6l-v6-have-a-future/
There are better and more modular (cost effective) ways for GM to replace the LF3 and LF4, most notably by building on/improving the 3.0L TT V6 or by scaling down the 4.2L TT V8 Blackwing.
There’s still no validation. The article is essentially speculating that the engines are done beings that the CTS v sport xts v sport and ATS v are going out of production. But it still doesn’t prove that the engines are done. You can throw links at me all day. But until it validates your side of the conversation, rather than just throwing more speculation in. I’m sticking with the 3.6tt v6 powered CT5 v.
I mean if you were to say something like the second gen CTS v came with a SC v8. That, and Cadillac is going back to tweeners with the CT5 and CT4. I mean this is a more believable argument than the links you have provided. Beings that your links just provide speculation. It validates that the cars are going out of production. But it doesn’t validate the lf3/lf4 v6 are going out of production.
Not sure where you are basing your theory why you believe there will be a V with a V6 engine. This car will be a true tweener for Cadillac like the second generation CTS-V WHICH HAD A V8. Placing a V6 in this V for this type of car is going backwards.
Because that’s exactly what it is, a theory. Based off of the fact that it’s competing against the c class, a4, and 3 series. That and the government regulations on fuel economy.
Yo where’s my CT5-V?? AWD twin turbo blackwing! And keep under $65!
CTS-V’s start at $87K. Why should GM take a loss of $22K with the coming CT5-V if the CTS-V can already command as much?
The current CTS-V does not command that price — dealers are putting massive discounts on them. Want a bargain? Get the last of the 2019 CTS-Vs — if you consider low $80s well equipped a bargain (nearly $20K off).
That said, you should expect V pricing comparable to the M3.
“That said, you should expect V pricing comparable to the M3.”
If Cadillac was selling a CT4-V, yes.
The CT5 is aimed at the BMW 3-series segment.
CT4 is aimed a class below.
The old CTS-V now overlaps with the CT6-V
Am I missing something?
Yes, actually, you’re missing a lot.
CT4 in the compact segment (C)
CT5 in the mid-size segment (D)
CT6 in the large-size segment (E)
V models remain in line with the above.
It’s not that difficult to grasp. Price doesn’t even enter into it, as it is a variable and not a reliable metric to categorize cars sizes. That is, after all, how cars are sized and categorized.
Even Cadillac’s unfairly maligned nomenclature follows this, as the 5 in CT5 lies squarely in the middle of it’s range and provides ample range to grow for segments not yet available or yet accessible to Cadillac.
3- City
4 – Compact
5 – Mid-size
6 – Large
7 – Full-size
This is pretty standard stuff, dude. You should know this, especially if you’re trying to distance Cadillac from being a value-leader and command luxury prices. But if you want Cadillac to publicize itself only on being of a lower price (and by extension, lower quality), then you’re free to think of Cadillac’s range incorrectly.
Yeah, I’m confused.
Everyone else is saying the new CT5 is a tweener, priced with the compact segment but bigger in size. That’s where the prior 2008 CTS used to be.
You are saying the CT5 is in the same class as the current CTS?
Anyone else care to clarify?
Maybe it will be a “tweener” in price or compared to the 5-series, but this basically replaces the CTS. I would say it is not replacing the ATS as the CT4 carries on the same wheelbase and greenhouse as the ATS, hence the CT4 replaces the ATS. I’m wondering if the “tweener” has more to do with pricing and they slot closer to Genesis pricing, so basically German minus 10-15%.
“The current CTS-V does not command that price — dealers are putting massive discounts on them. ”
And that’s part of another problem. Independent dealers allocating more stock than they can sell, and discounting premium and exclusive cars to clear inventory.
All it does is ruin the CTS-V’s image as being a cut-rate, 2nd tier luxury brand, and it’ll cripple the CT5-V too without any care for the integrity of the Cadillac brand. If Cadillac can’t get it’s price by commanding luxury prices, then Cadillac can’t be a luxury competitor.
I suppose if you ignore that the current CTS-V has cut rate sophistication, interior and luxury appointments vs M5 and AMG E63, you can blame it all on the dealers.
The only place the CTS-V excels is as a track car. Buyers aren’t paying a $100K for that. Reality is a bummer.
“I suppose if you ignore that the current CTS-V has cut rate sophistication, interior and luxury appointments vs M5 and AMG E63, you can blame it all on the dealers.”
I blame the dealers for biting off more then they can chew, for only catering to middle-income customers, using discounts to erode brand equity and resale values, and being distant and indifferent to the values of a luxury brand. All the best efforts of marketing done in Detroit are always undone by a local dealer who still has blue and red streamers in the parking lot and inflatable tube men on the roof.
And you’re going to tell me THAT kind of a dealer should represent Cadillac and Cadillac intended clientele?
The dealers only know how to sell cars and demand payment for non-performance. They don’t know how to make a car desirable, and for Cadillac, often make theirs cars look trashy. Think of that next time you see a dealer offering white-walls and landau roofs for a CT6.
“The only place the CTS-V excels is as a track car. Buyers aren’t paying a $100K for that. Reality is a bummer.”
It wouldn’t matter where the CTS-V/CT5-V is being used. The fact remains that Cadillac can command $100K at all is what matters. Onwards and upwards, and Cadillac can leave it’s value-driven past behind and return to it’s roots of being an exclusive status symbol of the 1%.
Cars only sell for what the market will bear in spite of manufacturers and your best intentions.
This has already been proven out with the ELR. You could again say those “incompetent” dealerships couldn’t sell an overpriced Volt.
Everything in the CTS-V class puts down power through all 4 wheels and is a generation ahead in overall design = big discount.
(I personally prefer to drive a manual transmission with RWD, but for most people, it’s hard to make the case that less is more.)
“Cars only sell for what the market”
True, and luxury market is far larger than it appears. It’s also far more lucrative. That kinda the salient point here. People are willing to spend more, and for Cadillac, it can find a place in the market much higher then where it is now.
“This has already been proven out with the ELR. You could again say those “incompetent” dealerships couldn’t sell an overpriced Volt.”
Dealers shouldn’t be selling cars in the first place. In fact, auto makers should take advantage of not signing franchise agreements and operate in jurisdictions where they can own and operate their own stores. GM did fine with Saturn, and their customer satisfaction was higher than their franchised dealers could ever get. While Saturn died by being starved of product, their sales model provided price stability, which is something no dealer can do today.
Tesla knows this, and they are the only other automaker to beat Saturn customer satisfaction score at purchase.
As for the ELR, they still sold. It’s still proof that Cadillac can get it’s price if GM and the world stops seeing Cadillac as a volume sales price-leader and as a genuine luxury automaker.
You can put that ELR up against the first gen Volt, and you’ll know why the ELR didn’t fail because it looked bad.
Furthermore, there’s no such thing as overpriced. It’s just out of reach.
“Everything in the CTS-V class puts down power through all 4 wheels and is a generation ahead in overall design = big discount.”
Considering you’re still incorrectly thinking of the CTS-V as a ‘tweener’, I don’t even have to tell you why you’re wrong. The discount, again, is still the work of useless dealers who don’t know how to court the wealthy.
As for an AWD CTS-V, that remains to be seen in it’s direct segment replacement, the CT5-V.
“(I personally prefer to drive a manual transmission with RWD, but for most people, it’s hard to make the case that less is more.)”
A manual is also hard to make the case for a cutting edge luxury performance car, where the shift times and instantaneous response of an automatic are far superior. In fact, those kinds of performance specifications of an automatic are used for marketing, and detail the exceptional technical prowess of the engineers. It’s not advantageous to Cadillac, or any other luxury automaker, to boast of how going slower with a manual is actually something they would want.
Frankly, a manual is performance detriment, and not something that they overwhelming majority of people want anymore, especially if they are buying a luxury car as a status symbol. People today want instantaneous performance without delay, and they really don’t have the time to waste with manuals.
Lastly, manuals have the unenviable distinction of being low-rent and technologically inferior. You can point to an obscure 911 or Ferrari model that may offer a manual to placate a few (at a cost), but as long as dirt-cheap stripper models from Kia and Mitsubishi offer manuals transmissions, no luxury automaker should have to rub shoulders with them by continuing to offer low-end transmissions just to satisfy the cheapskates.
Kinda like how Lexus was the last automaker to offer a cassette player, but soon we’ll be putting CD and manual transmissions in that pile too.
Hey Grawdaddy, simple multiple choice question for you.
Which one of these will car buyers *NOT* spend extra money for
a) Brand prestige
b) Quality
c) Leading edge features & technology
d) Performance
e) Marked up version of a cheaper car
f) None of the above
What do you think??
Also, no need to rant about manuals. As I said, for the vast majority of people (yourself included), there’s no way to make a case for driving enjoyment.
My 6sp MT CTS-V is starting to feel like a cult classic.
But when the next CT5-V comes back as a tweener, I’ll have to consider it.
I’m sorry. I’m confused as to what is your whole point? I’m more confused for the simple fact that Cadillac literally offers “A.” through “D.”
The common mistake most people like you make is comparing Cadillac to cheaper brands in the GM portfolio. Mercedes-Benz nor BMW offers cheaper/lower tier brands so that’s a fight they don’t have to fight.
If you’re questioning the validity of Cadillac pricing where the Germans are it’s because you’re either a German fanboy or just prefer the look of their interiors/exteriors.
There’s no way you can say you’ve based your validity argument based on a lack of design, value, performance, reliability, innovation, or prestige (to an extent).
Remember, the Germans and Japanese all currently offer full sized luxury SUVs in the U.S. How many of them are more desirable to the public than a 6 YEAR OLD Cadillac Escalade which has been on sale since 2014??
The German’s full size offerings have all been redesigned or refreshed at least once since 2014 and still fail to have the sales success of the Cadillac Escalade. You can’t say it’s because the Escalade was cheap either, since anyone that could afford a brand new $100k Escalade could easily have went down the street to the BMW dealership and drove off in a X5.
Also, the CT5-V will most likely come AWD capable. Not that it needs to since the outgoing CTS-V dusted the E63s and M5 around the track without it.
The CTS-V also boasted a beautiful interior with top quality high end materials. The only thing I would’ve preferred in the competing German vehicle was maybe the infotainment system. The interior definitely gave BMW a run for their money.
Just curious to know what’s your argument here, that’s all.
My point is not to disparage Cadillac. I drive a CTS-V so I don’t know what you’re talking about being a German fanboy.
My response was to GrawDaddy who said:
1) CT5-V is not a tweener (wrong)
2) Manuals are a detriment (guess what — there’s a manual coming)
3) CT5-V will cost more than the $87K list of the current CTS-V just because it should (wrong again and my point was this: on what grounds you can charge M5 prices for a tweener?)
I think the real CT5-V might be an awesome car.
Just curious, what prompted you to rise out of your slumber and respond to 3 month old comments?
Cadillac is more than welcome to charge as much as they want for a CT5-V, however, I am unwilling to pay more for a CT5-V than for an M3 or RS5 (or Model 3 Performance). So, by your math, GM can take a loss of $22k on the price, or a total loss of the sale resulting in the eventual dissolution of Cadillac sedans.
Well I think you’re confusing your personal taste for the validity of the Cadillac brand and what it offers in comparison to the competitors you mentioned. If you were to take the RS5 over a CT5-V GM wouldn’t be the ones taking the loss, it’s quite possible that YOU would be the one taking the “L”. Essentially no one loses since they’re all great cars and will all sell. It would boil down to personal preference. I personally would take the CT5-V even at the Audi’s price OVER the RS5 whose rear windows aren’t able to roll half way down, electrical system can’t measure the tire pressure unless you’re going nearly 20 mph, and a rear seat that you can’t even fit 3 junior high schoolers in. Not to mention the CT5-V looks light years better than the conservative RS5. They’re both sleepers and a tad bit conservative in their own right, but the Cadillac vertical LED’s, it’s roofline and beautifully executed rear end sets it apart from the rest imo.
There’s a new image of the car on Cadillac.com:
https://www.cadillac.com/future-concept-vehicles/ct5-sedan?ppc=GOOGLE_700000001298982_71700000049313572_58700004877846378_p42049891917&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk_2dqdbD4QIVhCCtBh3OZQgcEAAYASAAEgIbmPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
OMG. Fantastic. Its getting better and better
That’s another studio shot that makes the car look bad. The real-world photos seem to show a lowered car that appears more planted on its wheels and thereby much sleeker and more elegant. Notice the space between the top of the tire and the wheel well in both the real-world car and the studio car. There is a noticeable difference.
I noticed that as well. I can only guess the real world car has a lady driving it that went through the fast-food drive thru a few too many times!
One hopes that the differences in the production model include fixing that unattractive C-pillar detail.
There are designs that wow upon reveal and there are those that have to grow on you. This here is a ‘grown on you’ car. Dare I say but the current CTS is a much more eye pleasing vehicle and more cohesive in appearing to be a premium sedan.
This CT5 just somehow doesn’t hit out of the ballpark. That C-Pillar is still a bit of a mess but kinda growing on me as I see how it flows into the sculpted sides and trunk but it more so comes across as a cost cutting measure that overrode the intent to present a well designed vehicle.
I keep placing a finger over the C-Pillar imagining all the better ways it could’ve been designed. Seems I’ll have to visit the Car Show to see it up close and personal before I reach final judgement.
That really is a gorgeous vehicle. I had my doubts, but it looks great in the wild, and I’m sure it will be even better in person.
That actually looks good, especially for a base GM model.
My biggest concern is still the interior, the teasers they’ve released so far don’t look promising. The doors looks like they’re the exact same design from the XT6 & my God the bezels on the screen are awful.
Reading the comments, I’m kind of surprised at how many seem to really like this white one. I really need to see the car in person before saying for sure, but I’m even less impressed with this one in white. It’s not just the C-pillar but also the massive (what almost seems to be a flat) sloping rear window. Just doesn’t look Cadillac to me. Hmmm.
Still like the maroon one best of all the pics.
On some of the professional sports forums I go on, fans often lament a new player’s signing, then the first decent game the guy has they fall madly in love, but after a while all but the best players are generally hated on.
The same typically happens here: a new car gets introduced and all but the most loyal express their feelings about what they dislike; then more pics come out and people here go the other direction–often overwhelming positive with praise (and more often than not unfairly and suspiciously so); then, over time, many of the early gripes are echoed by the majority, or at least a large chunk of posters.
In this case, I like what I’m seeing less, although in fairness the C-pillar looks less clunky from a distance (and I have to admit, the short deck lid looks pretty nice, as do the overall proportions). What alarms me now is the amount of black plastic up front. It’s absolutely atrocious! (I’m getting worried for the Escalade–I don’t think it’s going to wear this styling well.)
Overall, it’s okay looking. Hardly stunning or a game changer. There are some positives, but certain details don’t sit well.
I’ll claim the title of most avid Cadillac fan as I really like the current CTS & ATS even with all their shortcomings. Cracks in loyalty began when word came out that the CT6 was being discontinued; then I relaxed when finding out GM was giving it a lifeline.
So with the CT5 and CT4 replacements, somehow I figured Cadillac would make right on some of the shortcomings of their indirect predecessors and present an overwhelmingly well done visual knock out of a vehicle. But this exterior has possibilities and hints of potential but somehow all the aspects don’t work together as a whole. If I blur my vision, I can see where it could have succeeded. It just doesn’t ‘Wow!’ or have a premium look to it.
I’m hoping the interior and its features will be impressive.
“What alarms me now is the amount of black plastic up front”
Looks particularly bad on a light car. Matte silver with brushed chrome highlights would look more upscale. Maybe they’ll do a Platinum trim with it, hopefully available without all the tech options.
The other thing that bothers me is the hood stopping inches short of the grille. I suppose that’s to avoid ruining it in low speed collisions.
It is odd, the comments here started out with a bunch of “fantastic!” comments from people that made me wonder if we were looking at the same pictures. Then as time went on there were a bunch of more realistic ones that saw the C-pillar/DLO fail as the poke in the eye that it is. I do not know what GM Design/Cadillac were thinking. Maybe being forced to accept this by corporate is what made Johan leave.
Its not a bad looking car ,with the sloping roof I wonder what that wil do to the rear headroom . I’m going to reserve my opin on the desisn of that C-pillar treatment until I see it in person . Also the rear decklid looks unusual , but looks nothing like the German cars Cadillac is chasing .
If I wanted a Kia Optima I’d buy one.
I still think the side rear view looks weird, as if it were chopped off somehow and then blown up. The side really looks like a Citroen C5 (not a reference !). The last-gen CTS was a much better looking car which immediately made me decide I wanted one. Not so with this car. Can anyone seriously state this car represents an owner who “has made it in life”? Sorry but I’m still disappointed. The purple / maroon car looks much better but still has that weird C-pillar style. I’m sad because my CTS is end of lease end needs to be replaced and I had hoped this would be the car. Thank God there’s CT6.
This car wouldn’t technically be a replacement for the cts, its a smaller car being the size of the bmw 3 series instead of the 5 series like your cts. I expect the next gen ct6 to replace the mid sized slot the cts filled and a flagship ct8 to fill the size the ct6 currently is in
The CT5 ‘s dimensions have not yet been made public, but it while it may be a bit smaller than the current CTS, it’s most likely much larger than the 3 Series. I think the images here show that clearly. It will be competitive in pricing though.
I overlaid the direct side profile shots of both vehicles to scale and even without the actual measurements, it was clear that it’s very close to the current 3 series. Even shape wise, the door handles almost align perfectly and the roof line is almost identical. When I sized it with the 5 series, it came up noticeably short with a big difference in proportions. Not completely scientific but with actual pictures of both cars, it shouldn’t be far off
Gen3 CTS Vsport owner. Personally Can’t past the 2007 Saturn ION “C “Pillar ahhh add a window, snip the final/bottom edge of window trim and I might sign off.
The window would be so puny, it might look even weirder than this, in addition to being useless. The door window divider post makes it worse, but if it were further forward, people would complain that the opening is too small. I’m sure they tried other designs; it’s odd they chose this one, perhaps for structural reasons.
The larger side window will at least make the back seat feel roomier.
4 time buyer of the ats/cts family here’s my take. We were rewarded with a more interesting v6 and punished with the loss of styling. You can see a maxima, an accord, an Optima, an impala, a Cruze, even the ion if you just look for a minute. I cannot see a Cadillac and frankly I can’t stand to look at it much longer to try. Based on my experiences with its half brothers, I expect it will be excellent mechanically from a structure, suspension and driveline perspective. Experience tells me the transmission could go either way. Gm is about 50-50 hit or miss lately on trannys. It will come on poor tires and will proceed to eat them up in less than 20k miles. Electrically I expect it will be awful, as my last 3 have had never quite fixed bugs in the cue and driver assistance equipment. Interior will probably be reasonably ok with materials that sound premium until you touch them and realize they are fake metal, rubbery leather or hard plastic. Exterior has enough disastrous elements to be irredeemable. Grill is the nicest element but is surrounded in an awful fascia of black plastic and that weird painted part that looks detached. Side profile is too generic and too flat. Roofline too tall at rear no doubt to fix headroom. Trunk cut line into quarters is very unfortunate. Especially visible on the white and ruins the appearance of the rear quarter with that gash in the haunch. On the whole it manages to be awkward and bland at the same time. There is a lack of natural flow. No cohesion between the sharp lean lines up front and the bulbous rear. It has bad stylistic feng shui. It looks unnatural and anxious. I simply dont get it and I’m afraid maybe the creators dont get it either. If GM took my current cts back I would be shopping for a ct6. If I keep this cts until its natural end I’m off to the bmw or audi dealer. The fact I even waste time posting about this car is only due to my disappointment in a brand I want to see succeed and I want(ed) to continue my relationship with. Unfortunately it seems as if every new reveal is an assualt on current customers and it’s time to leave the abuser. Very sad to see so many misses lately. Never liked Johann but wondering if we should be missing him or cursing him after these latest product launches.
I could not agree more. It’s really a shame GM went this route, since the Escala concept was so beautiful
C pillar is whats making me skip this gen of the CTS-V. There are other secondary issues. I got my hopes up for the XT6 then it was FWD. Then the CTS/5. I’m gonna see how the next ‘Trackhawk’ will look for my SUV fix. And keeping my current gen CTS-V.
It’s starting to look better with some better pictures of it.
I’m sure this creature will fly out of showrooms by the dozens per quarter once it’s discounted to compete with Maxima.
The new BMW 3-Series can back itself out of a tight parking spot by memory, and it learns when you like to turn on your seat heater by your habits and does it for you. Cadillac may be smarter than I think….they can never compete seriously in that class because they won’t/don’t spend the money to seriously compete, so hopefully the time they didn’t spend thinking about this car was spent thinking about the Escalade. Cadillac actually still has some credibility and clout in the Escalade’s market.
That lower grille looks like a stylized H (Honda) emblem. At least it’s not as hideous as the front ends on Lexus models. It would also be better if it had a hatchback instead of a trunk lid.
Looks like a Chevrolet Impala. Pretty hideous. I have a current CTS and it’s the most unreliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. I could list a litany of problems I’ve had with it. Currently, the speaker that makes the blinker and system ding sounds decided to stop working. Horrible, horrible quality.
Doesn’t that just give everybody a warm fuzzy feeling about GM making cars with no steering wheels or brakes that drive themselves? Even my friend with a 2015 Impala with the Blind spot detection system is having a bunch of issues with his car including it not starting and the warning lights and error messages going off like crazy making it difficult driving the vehicle. Seems as though this is a GM epidemic where the poorly located and shielded sensors get corroded causing all of these issues under the car. Thanks god my 2017 Impala doesn’t have that crap.
The rear looks bear without the high stop light in the rear spoiler. That was more of a Cadillac look, than
putting it high on the rear window.
Chrystal White doesn’t look that bright white in person.
I think the look is just OK.
If I were styling it, I’d chop off the whole greenhouse and start over. Everything above the belt-line looks like it was borrowed from pick one (Nissan, Kia, Saturn, Citroen, etc.). If you cover up all the window lines, the rest of the car looks like a Cadillac.
On the other hand, I would still consider buying a V…
Nissan should sue.
This car in no way compromises Nissan’s design on their Maxima or any of the Infinity models. Nissan would never be so Cheap to just stick a black plastic plug where a glass window should be. Next time you are out for a drive, take a good look at Nissan’s and Infinity’s c-pillar designs, they are much cleaner and more flowing than this crap. This is a page out of the Buick Regal, Black plastic plug. Oh, now I see, family resemblance. Besides, this probably passes for O.K. in China. In the rest of the world, I’ll bet Cadillac won’t even bother to offer it. Who would pick this over a Toyota even?
They’re too busy selling platforms to Mercedes.
The front is okay. But the back is a total fail and looks like it belongs on another car. Question. If Cadillac and GM and Ford and Chrysler can’t sell there current sedans what makes them think this is going to do any better? I sure hope it does sell but with today’s insane obsession with all things tall and boxy it’s not looking good.
All of the lines on this new CT5 look better with these Real-World photos.
The lower line above the rocker panel also shows it’s definition better in these photos.
I like the C pillar much more than I did a week ago.
Its much bigger than what i expected, and thats a good thing. Classic long hood short deck design, aint bad looking at all. I like it more now than before.
It sounds like I’m in the minority here, but I’m not impressed with the design of this car. It’s not unique, there’s nothing special about it, and it doesn’t stand out in anyway. What’s even worse, from the side, the design of the rear quarter panels cause the rear tires to look smaller than the fronts. I know this is just an illusion, but it still makes the car look awkward to me.
There was a time when Cadillac built cars of fantastic design, that stood out from other cars on the road. Eventually they seemed to loose their way, building mundane machines that looked like everything else on the road. All of that changed with the introduction of the 2003 Art and Science design CTS. We had a new White Diamond 03 CTS, and everywhere my wife went with that car, people stopped her to comment and ask about it. In 2010, my wife decided she wanted a CUV, and we bought an SRX. She had two SRX’s, and like her CTS’ before, people were constantly commenting on how good looking they were. In 2016, she replaced the SRX with a new XT5, and hardly anyone ever notices it. Though it’s a perfectly good vehicle, and my wife loves it, it looks like every other CUV on the road. There is nothing about the design, to make it stand out from the crowd, or for you to think that it’s anything special. I don’t even notice the bloated looking newer CTS’ or XT5’s on the road, but the early CTS’ and SRX’s still stand out when you see one on the street.
GM Design, once the benchmark for all automotive design, has really lost their way. While the new Chevrolet’s and GMC’s stand out, because of how ugly and poorly designed they are, the Cadillac’s are becoming lost in the crowd, because of how dull and boring they’ve become!
So far, I’m lovin’ it! It arrives just as I’m about to buy another car. I’ve been thinking that a midsize crossover would be best, but I love the fun and performance you can only get with a sedan or a coupe and this may tempt me to stick with a car especially since Cadillac design language is leaving the Art and Science concept.
It pisses me off that if you forget the captcha, your comment is deleted entirely. You’ve all missed some more of my wisdom.
We’re aware of this and are working on a better solution, Ralph.
I love Cadillac and always have. It’s the only car I’ve ever bought my entire life. I really really wanted this to be my next car. I like everything about it but that fake black plastic window at the c-pilar looks so cheap and ugly. It literally ruins everything about the car. I’m so disappointed. There is no way i will ever consider buying this car now. I can’t look at that and consider it a luxury automobile. Why on earth did they even think that was ok? The whole design team should be fired. I will have to look elsewhere to buy my next car now. It’s sad for me to say I will probably buy a 3 series instead. That one thing makes the car look like it’s worth half the price it will be selling for. Every single person I know says the same thing. I hope Cadillac changes this before production. Because if you’re losing die hard customers like myself you’re sure not gonna attract any new customers to the brand with this utter nonsense. Good bye Cadillac
What is the Length?
What is the new 2.0T perf? It better not be slower!
We know the peak hp is way down. Will have to wait to see if the lowered torque peak results in any better driveability.
Liked the old one better…. This looks too soft and reminds me much like a Chevy on the front, and rear actually. But, I guess that’s to be expected from a manufacturer that shares the parts bins.
How many of the “old one’s” did YOU buy? Nevermind. You’re the type who would complain if they HADN’T changed the design language.
And no other automaker shares their parts bins? Audis, Acuras, Lexus, and Lincolns are FULL of bits from Volkswagen, Honda, Toyota, and Ford.
The rear of the C5 is uglier than my new CTS. I see nothing that would remotely entice me to want this car.
Cadillac, you have done much better in the past – what happened?
The rear is UGLY! More so than my new CTS. This car doesn’t offer anything that would entice me to consider purchasing.
Cadillac, you can do so much better and have in the past, what has happened?