Cadillac Racing Drivers Take 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Pack For A Spin In Daytona: Video
Top-dog Caddy hits the racetrack.
Read More »Cadillac CT5 sales increased during during Q4 2020, representing the nameplate’s second, fourth quarter on sale in the U.S. In other markets, the CT5 totaled 319 deliveries in Canada and 67 deliveries in South Korea during Q4 2020. Sales of the new luxury sedan have not yet started in various international markets, such as Russia or the Middle East.
| MODEL | Q4 2020 / Q4 2019 | Q4 2020 | Q4 2019 | YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 | YTD 2020 | YTD 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT5 | +11,844.66% | 5,135 | 43 | +34,111.63% | 14,711 | 43 |
| MODEL | Q4 2020 / Q4 2019 | Q4 2020 | Q4 2019 | YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 | YTD 2020 | YTD 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT5 | * | 319 | * | * | 852 | 0 |
| MODEL | Q4 2020 / Q4 2019 | Q4 2020 | Q4 2019 | YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 | YTD 2020 | YTD 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT5 | * | 67 | * | * | 93 | 0 |
Cadillac CT5 sales performance during Q4 2020 allowed the model to move into fourth place in its segment in the U.S. The new sedan was outsold by only three rivals while placing ahead of 13 others.
The segment was led by the BMW 3 Series in first place with 12,722 units, the Acura TLX in second with 6,664 units, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in third with 5,697 deliveries. The CT5 trailed the Mercedes-Benz (which is available in three body configurations) by only 562 units.
The CT5 outsold the rest of the segment which includes the Lexus IS in fifth, Audi A5 and A4 in sixth and seventh place, respectively. The BMW 4 Series claimed eighth, Volvo S60 was ninth, the Infiniti Q50 in tenth, and the Alfa Romeo Giulia in 11th place. The Genesis G70 placed 12th and Lexus RC came in 13th. The remaining models, including as the Volvo V60 Cross Country, Infiniti Q60 and Volvo V60 saw less than 1,000 deliveries each.
| MODEL | Q4 20 / Q4 19 | Q4 20 | Q4 19 | Q4 20 SHARE | Q4 19 SHARE | YTD 20 / YTD 19 | YTD 20 | YTD 19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW 3 SERIES | -15.13% | 12,722 | 14,990 | 20% | 21% | -13.35% | 41,442 | 47,827 |
| ACURA TLX | -12.57% | 6,664 | 7,622 | 11% | 11% | -17.94% | 21,785 | 26,548 |
| MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS | -48.10% | 5,697 | 10,977 | 9% | 16% | -46.51% | 26,294 | 49,153 |
| CADILLAC CT5 | +11,844.66% | 5,135 | 43 | 8% | 0% | +34,111.63% | 14,711 | 43 |
| LEXUS IS | +61.56% | 4,879 | 3,020 | 8% | 4% | -8.85% | 13,600 | 14,920 |
| AUDI A5 | +36.72% | 4,799 | 3,510 | 8% | 5% | * | 18,828 | 0 |
| AUDI A4 | -37.07% | 4,019 | 6,386 | 6% | 9% | -30.62% | 18,341 | 26,435 |
| BMW 4 SERIES | +32.31% | 3,862 | 2,919 | 6% | 4% | -49.01% | 9,495 | 18,621 |
| VOLVO S60 | -32.31% | 3,518 | 5,197 | 6% | 7% | -31.84% | 11,946 | 17,526 |
| INFINITI Q50 | -44.69% | 3,447 | 6,232 | 6% | 9% | -36.38% | 16,533 | 25,987 |
| ALFA ROMEO GIULIA | +9.97% | 2,560 | 2,328 | 4% | 3% | -5.76% | 8,203 | 8,704 |
| GENESIS G70 | -31.92% | 2,312 | 3,396 | 4% | 5% | -20.71% | 9,436 | 11,901 |
| LEXUS RC | -4.88% | 1,169 | 1,229 | 2% | 2% | -17.06% | 3,808 | 4,591 |
| VOLVO V60 CC | -37.63% | 668 | 1,071 | 1% | 2% | +98.06% | 3,571 | 1,803 |
| INFINITI Q60 | -66.82% | 506 | 1,525 | 1% | 2% | -44.64% | 2,792 | 5,043 |
| VOLVO V60 | -2.16% | 227 | 232 | 0% | 0% | +52.26% | 1,311 | 861 |
| CADILLAC ATS | -92.77% | 6 | 83 | 0% | 0% | -89.77% | 116 | 1,134 |
| TOTAL | -12.11% | 62,190 | 70,760 | -14.89% | 222,212 | 261,097 |
From the segment share standpoint, the 3 Series led with 20 percent, followed by the TLX with 11 percent, and 9 percent for the C-Class. The CT5 claimed 8 percent. The IS and A5 also had 8 percent share each. The rest of the segment reported a 6 percent or less segment share.
The luxury D-sedan segment saw cumulative sales contract 12 percent to 62,190 units during the fourth quarter of 2020.
The Cadillac CT5 outsold most rivals during the fourth quarter of 2020, a very solid performance which we attribute to the all-new entry beginning to find its footing in the segment. The Q4 2020 sales results were 1,134 higher than the 4,001 units reported in Q3 2020, 1,426 units higher than the 2,575 deliveries in Q2 2020 and 1,001 units higher than the 3,000 sales in Q1 2020.
We expect Cadillac CT5 sales to continue growing in the coming quarters as both inventory and consumer awareness of the model improve, enabling the new Caddy to obtain an even more favorable position in the segment. Aiding that will be the all-new CT5-V Blackwing. The ultra-high-performance sedan was revealed in February and will go on sale this summer.
However, the path forward won’t be easy, as several rivals will soon be completely overhauled, including the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which has traditionally presented a strong opponent for the ATS and now the CT5.
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Ok, is it just me or are others confused by the list of vehicles above? I fully understand that some cars don't always match up for size, etc. But at least I thought GMA had a better grip on what models the CT5 lines up with. Here's the main ones I don't get: BMW 3 series, MB C class, Acura TLX and Lexus IS. There are more, but those 4 all seem better fit to the CT4. What am I missing? Shouldn't the list be BMW 5 series, E Class, etc?
Compare the CT5's pricing to those models.
Why are people comparing it in terms of price. Why wouldn't you compare them in a segment? It makes zero sense to compare by prices and if similar sized (segment) cars from Cadillac are much lower priced, then so be it. That should be advantage Cadillac.
In 19 years in the auto business, I've NEVER once had anyone come in and compare one size segment against another just because the price was similar. Not once. But I've had many times where a client was comparing my brand with others of similar size, but there were significant price differences.
Dan - yes, you are confusing segments here. This happens quite often. Bear with me here as we trace back how this all came to be.
- The ATS line was Cadillac's D-segment entry from 2013-2019, competing with 3 Series, C-Class, A4, IS, etc.
- During the same time, the (third gen) CTS line was Cadillac's E-segment entry, competing with the 5 Series, E-Class, A6, GS, etc.
- During the time of the ATS and CTS, the D Segment had shifted by growing in size, leaving the ATS to be smaller than most of its direct rivals. This was much a result of the creation of another segment - the C-Segment (A3, CLA-Class, 2 Series).
Today, the CT5 has replaced the ATS Sedan as Cadillac's D-segment entry. And prior to the discontinuation of the CT6, the CT6 replaced the CTS Sedan as Cadillac's E-Segment entry. Meanwhile, the CT4 enters Cadillac into the C-Segment, where Cadillac previously never competed (in North America).
So, all the vehicles listed in the table in the article are D-segment models. The CT5 is, in fact, a direct rival to the 3 Series, C-Class, A4, Lexus IS, etc., despite being a bit bigger than those models. Meanwhile, the CT4 is a C-Segment entry that competes with the 2 Series, A-Class, CLA-Class, and Audi A3 line.
Thanks for that explanation Alex. That helps. So it's really being looked at by "segment" and not really price or physical size. If we took price and segment totally out of the equation, would the CT5 physically go against the BMW 5 and E-class? I'm going to do a little research on this comparing the size. This really does get confusing! haha.
Just looked this up from KBB car comparison chart online. Interesting. BMW 5, CT5, MB E-class.
Wheel Base: 117.1 inches BMW. 116 inches CT5. 115.7 inches MB.
Overall length: 194.6 BMW. 193.8 CT5. 193.8 MB
Head and leg room front: About the same, but with CT5 a little more.
Curb weight: within 75 lbs (BMW and CT5). MB not showing.
Just thought I'd share this as I find it quite interesting. So Alex's point is well taken in terms of "segment". But if I were buying a mid-sized luxury brand car, I'd certainly compare the CT5 with the 5 series, c-class and A6.
Dan - the price is absolutely a factor. All of the D-segment models listed above have very similar starting price points, features and general pricing structures.
The size is where things start to get a bit fishy. The German offerings have traditionally been a bit on the smaller end since they were bookended by smaller and bigger models. Even so, even the three German D-segment models have grown as a result of models under the 3 Series and C-Class. It's at this point that we might want to look at the "how we got here" scenario.
In North America, the Cadillac CT5 is generally larger than most of its direct rivals in the D segment. But while it's physically larger, it doesn't really feel that way, nor does it drive like a bigger vehicle. Ultimately, this is a competitive advantage, since Cadillac is doing the "tweener" thing (positioning the vehicles between segments - larger size but comparative price).
In China, however, things are a bit different. In China, the "regular" ATS sedan launched and flopped. This resulted in the creation of the ATS-L Sedan:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/cadillac/ats/2015-ats/2015-ats-sedan/2015-ats-l-sedan/
The ATS-L was a bit longer than the regular ATS Sedan, and delivered more space and rear seat room, characteristics vital to Chinese luxury car buyers in this segment. The Germans also offer extended-length variants of their models in China for the exact same reasons. So when developing the successors to the ATS and ATS-L, GM learned that it could just create one model for both markets, and that's exactly what it did with the CT5.
The CT5 essentially mades everyone shopping D-segment luxury sedans "happy": the additional space requirements of Chinese customers are satisfied with a bigger model, while not a single U.S. buyer will complain about having more room. So CT5 is really the best of both worlds.
The strategy works extremely well when the CT6 is part of the lineup as it does in China, providing a big - bigger - biggest scenario with the CT4, CT5 and CT6, respectively. Obviously, the abrupt ending of the CT6 in the North America limits the success of the formula, since those looking for something more premium and potentially larger than the CT5 have no option in the Cadillac lineup.
Long story short, the CT5 is, in fact, larger than most of its segment rivals but it's still very much in the realm of D-segment models. This was done purposefully by Cadillac to satisfy North America and China preferences. We did a segment deep dive around the CT5-V here that shows the figures side-by-side:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/12/the-2020-cadillac-ct5-v-stacked-up-to-the-competition/
Dan-
You are 100%. Huge miss by GM. All about catering to China. These sizes are confusing as they discontinued the extended length option.
Back to the U.S. just drive all the cars in both classes and don’t get confused by Cadillac marketing. You will come to the correct conclusion. CT5 goes up against 5 series and E- Class. As for price. That is also misleading.
A loaded 5 series with an M package high 60’s. Loaded CT5 V is the same.
Put the marketing aside. The CT5 V is an amazing car and beats the BMW 5 series with M-Package. I ordered my CT5 V in Rift Color loaded with Auto Cruise. No idea when it will finally get here but worth the wait. All about the car - not the marketing segment.
It's not about catering to China and its not about Cadillac marketing. It's just reality.
CT5 is a D-segment product, much like 3 Series and C-Class. CT5 just happens to be a bit larger.
5 Series and E-Class are E-segment products. Cadillac has no presence in this segment at the moment.
It literally does not get any simpler than that.
You mentioned a "5 series with M-Package". Let's follow through with that example:
2020 Cadillac CT5-V with 3.0L V6 TT (360 hp, 405 lb-ft) starts at: $47,695.
2020 BMW 540i with 3.L I6 (335 hp, 331 lb-ft) with M-Sport package starts at $62,750.
That's a $15K difference. Clearly not the same segment.
The direct competitor to the CT5-V is the BMW M340i. It has a boosted 3.0L I-6 good for 382 hp and 362 lb-ft of torque, and starts at $54,700.
Bottom line. Loaded V 67k loaded 5 series with M package 67k.
As I said - I just bought the V. Go spend time with the cars. Positioning is one thing. Reality is another. I obviously believe in Cadillac or I would not of left a Masarati for one.
Cadillac claims it is a 3 series competitor and then likes to point out you get more room than a 3 series. They consider the CT4 to be an a3/ 2 series competitor.
Everyone remembers that the ATS used to be a "3 series competitor" and the ATS and CT4 are basically the same car.
The new 3 series has grown in size and price. Now starting at $40K
The segments have shifted since the days of the ATS.
The D-segment has grown in size, content and pricing - much like Peter G. mentions above.
So while the CT4 clearly picks up where the ATS left off, the vehicle has been repositioned to compete in a different segment.
I've seen like 5 since they came out. In the Detroit area, no less.
Huge flop, ugly civic wannabe.
This is coming from someone who owned the last two CTS-V generations.
Did you own them brand new or were you the third owner who blacked out the windows, fitted it with big shiny wheels and slammed the suspension?
Wrong class. I don't care how gm wants to spin it, the ct5 is up against e class and 5 series.
Cadillac Matt
E-class & 5 series start at $54K
The tweener thing is silly. GM could compare a Cobalt against a 3 series on price advantage.....
When a customer walks on to the gm car lot, they will compare a CT5 to E class and 5 series.
"When a customer walks on to the gm car lot, they will compare a CT5 to E class and 5 series."
How did you reach that conclusion when the CT5 starts at $36,895, while the E-Class and 5 Series start at nearly $20K more, at $54,250 and $54,200, respectively?
These are different vehicles positioned within different segments. Don't let the CT5's larger size fool you into thinking it's an E-segment contender. It's a large D-segment car. That's it.
Cadillac Matt: I agree with you on this.
Alex Luft: Your explanations have been fantastic and I see what you are saying. Your point is well taken.
With that said, the reason I agree with Cadillac Matt is because with my sales experience, one of the things I've found is that knowing just enough about the competition is a great thing. Knowing what I know, if I was still at the Cadillac store and had a customer come in asking what Cadillac model would be most comparable to the E-class or 5 series, I would certainly walk them over to the CT5 and start my presentation (even if the CT6 was still around). i would then use my price advantage as the tool to help me close the sale. That doesn't mean that what Alex is saying is wrong in any way, but points more to that Cadillac Matt is correct in his viewpoint.
I've seen a bunch of them around, I'd have one myself if I could afford it. All of them have been sport or V's. Looking forward to seeing a blackwing! It's a very attractive car!
C-mon I have one,do yourself a favor,drive one and compare prices...you won't be disappointed
Don’t think driving it is the problem especially the sportier models, it’s the look of it that most people won’t get passed. And this is coming from a Cadillac owner.
Me no likey.
5,135 people would beg to differ.
What happened to the Cadillac Land Yacht. Boy has Cadillac changed.
I had one of those "land yachts as a kid" used to use my fathers. Worst handling car ever - BUT, it had great back seat - room for makeout sessions with the gf in uni. That was its saving grace.
Lets compare SILVERADO to Toyota Tacoma for sales... GM OBSESSION WITH PRICE. How is Escalade doing against the RX and RDX????? People buy cars that FIT them not because it cost the same than a smaller competitor. The TWEENER thing is STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've seen enough of them around Chicagoland to make it a pleasant surprise. Still trying to like the blunt nosed look, which all new cars have. Prefer my '13 XTS raked nose.