It’s a period of flux for Cadillac’s sedan lineup, one that mirrors the changes occurring across the segment as a whole. Old models are out, and in their place, a range of updated and restyled offerings aim to rekindle America’s love for traditional four-doors.
Fewer restyled offerings, one should note. As nameplates bleed out of the marketplace, Cadillac’s passenger car range will shrink from four models to three next year. We’ve already seen Caddy’s plan for its CTS successor — the Escala-inspired CT5 seen above — but the brand’s second sedan shoe has yet to drop.
You won’t have to wait long for the ATS’ replacement. The CT4 drops the curtain on May 30th, and, as many expected, both it and the CT5 will appear with V-badged performance editions.
News of the unveil date comes by way of Motor1, which received an invite to the reveal party and immediately took to the web to tell everyone. Cadillac confirmed that the CT4-V mentioned in the email was indeed accurate — there will be a hotter variant of the smaller of the two new rear-drive sedans.
Both CT4 and CT5 ride on an updated version of General Motors’ Alpha platform, dubbed Alpha 2. Rear-drive remains standard on the CT5, with all-wheel drive available to buyers looking for more all-weather grip. The smaller sibling will surely see optional AWD, too. In V guise, it’s assumed that the CT5 will add a version of Cadillac’s 4.2-liter Blackwing V8, offering power in excess of the CT5’s range-topping twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. In the CT4, it’s possible the 3.0TT might serve as that uplevel V motor, though enthusiasts no doubt have their fingers crossed for eight-cylinder action.
Unlike the fastback-styled CT5 (which still boasts a trunk, and not a very spacious one at that), spy photos of the CT4 show a car with a more conventional sedan profile. Sharply-raked rear glass flows to a more pronounced trunk, though the car’s face strongly resembles the CT5 and the Escala design concept. Less glitz and more minimalism is baked into this design. Cadillac seems to be going for elegant athleticism with this look.
Once on sale, both the CT5 and CT4 will feature very strategic pricing aimed at drawing buyers away from the German brands. Former Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen said the CT5 should woo buyers in the $35,000-$45,000 range, with the CT4 going in search of entry-level luxury buyers.
[Image: General Motors]
Wow! A ’19 Mazda CX-5 grille on a Cadillac!
America’s Best offers a free eye exam and two pair of glasses starting at just $69.95.
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS817US817&biw=2133&bih=1185&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=Nz7cXN6SL-my0PEPh6SAwAo&q=mazda+cx+5+front&oq=mazda+cx+5+front&gs_l=img.3..0l4j0i30j0i5i30l4j0i30.37918.38205..38461…0.0..0.119.217.1j1……0….1..gws-wiz-img…….0i7i30j0i7i5i30.BktOYrScxKs#imgrc=bW6JTyazE9PQQM:
I thought the CT5 was going to replace both the ATS and CTS. But now they’ll have *two* sedans that don’t sell. Instead, they could have put a bigger emphasis on crafting luxury crossovers, since that’s where the market is headed (both the XT4 and XT6 are deeply unimpressive).
My money is on Lincoln these days; they seem to be trying much harder and making smarter market decisions.
“But now they’ll have *two* sedans that don’t sell.”
Heck, if the CT6 does survive then they’ll have three that don’t sell!
Having one very good sedan (and maybe a coupe version of it) seems like a better move than scattergunning 4-cylinder luxury Camaros all over, but GM needs to GM.
Is this actually a smaller sedan? Or is the CT5 going to turn out to be the “four door coupe” version of the CT4?
It appears quite a bit smaller.
My money’s on this being a ATS with heavily remade styling.
It makes you want to scream. Mistakes don’t happen more than once… the second time and beyond is just stupidity.
Lincoln’s reputation is ruined by their poor handling vehicles. At least Cadillac cars can take on the Germans and sometimes win. Lincoln embarrasses itself by designing vehicle that perform like the land yachts of the 70s. Besides Cadillac out sells Lincoln by more than a 2 to 1 margin. The question is why is Lincoln still around.
Between the “XTs” and the “CTs” Cadillac has left me totally confused
Now, which one is equivalent to the Sedan De Ville?
Escalade.
Lol, I guess that makes the ESV the Fleetwood
There’s just so. much. plastic. up front. The grill is one thing, generic but acceptable. But more than half of the rest of the facia is chunky black plastic. It’s approaching Toyota levels of fake grill. If you’re going to fight for the dwindling upscale sedan sales market, at least make it look the part.
Is Cadillac still “going electric” or is that not the corporate messaging this week? Because I’m not reading a whole lot about hybrids or plugs.
CT4 looks like a heavily facelifted ATS.
http://gmauthority.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cadillac-CT4-Spy-Shots-Cover-Image-720×340.jpg
Not that this is necessarily a bad thing – the ATS was a darn fine driver. I wouldn’t expect the back seat issues to be solved with this redesign, though.
People can trash Caddy all they want for making these – they’re not yet another blobby CUV.
The three biggest sins of the ATS was the non-existent rear seat legroom, some bargain basement bits in the interior, particularly the instrument cluster that had no business in a Chevy Sonic let alone an entry-level “luxury” car, and the 2.5L 4-banger NA engine, which has no business being under the hood of anything made by Cadillac.
HOPEFULLY, GM did a C6 to C7 transformation on the CT4 interior and upped the game. Hopefully, no boneheaded decisions like slapping a 2.5 under the hood as the base engine choice were made. I have to agree that dimensionally the only way you can solve for rear seat room is by gobbling up trunk room, which seems really unlikely.
I will admit GM switchgear could be a lot better.
Considering the base engine in the CT5 is reportedly the low-ouput 2.0T out of the XT4 I don’t have much hope for either of the new sedans in their lower trims.
Still WAY more torque than the 2.5L 4-banger, more HP, and less NVH.
Did you ever drive the ATS with the 2.0T, by chance? Exhaust note was a bit too sporty, but otherwise, it was a damn good powertrain. In fact, I preferred it over the 3.6, which did absolutely zero for me. The smaller-engined model felt lighter on its’ feet.
Having said that, though, if they’re going go down the 2.0T route, then fine – make it a hotter one. Pump it up to 300 hp or so (which is completely feasible), and it’d be interesting. Offer the twin turbo six as the optional engine.
(Of course, they REALLY need an eight, but that ain’t happening.)
“Having said that, though, if they’re going go down the 2.0T route, then fine – make it a hotter one.”
There’s the problem. On the CT5 they are going to have a 237/258 2.0T (which we’ve already seen reviewed in the XT4) and a 335/400 3.0T. That’s a pretty big downgrade on the 4-cylinder compared to the old one and only just competitive numbers on the (probably expensive) V6. Their 10A is good, but it isn’t magic.
Instead of doing all of these arts and crafts and escuela designs languages, why not try large American luxury Cadillac designs.
That 4.2L V8 should be the base engine in every cadillac, the fact that it’s an up charge engine shows Cadillac still has no clue.
People always said De Nysschen wasn’t at fault for the first round of Alpha failures, because those were in the works before he took the reins. Then Cadillac gave him $12 billion to do his own thing.
And here we are, reaping the rewards. Acres of cheap plastic grillework, DLO fail, and turbo-4 engines. The future is here, folks.
Old Cadillacs had fins. Now they have gills.
Tailfins are best left to the 1950s where they belong. what gaudy, tasteless crap.
But, but what about lateral stabilization which fins were suppose to supply?
My car has a rear spoiler. Where that thing belongs?
No
One
Cares
Cadillac has been searching for itself for decades now.
To ill effect.
GM get rid of Buick, it’s a lousy label slapped on assorted ware that is sourced elsewhere.
Then make Cadillac proudly American luxury.
If Cadillac occupied the position in the market that it should: “Standard of the World,” there would be plenty of room for a full Buick lineup.
won’t matter, marketing will destroy it as always.
I know, Cadillac has not a clue as to who they were and what they want to be and I’m not saying that to be snarky. They truly have no concept of their heritage, their position throughout history or where they’re going.
I’ll always get a kick out of that Melody Lee, I truly believe she had no idea what a Cadillac was until after she got the job
I solved “Cadillac” today. You see, Lincoln has started designing all it’s vehicles around the idea of “American Luxury,” which seems to mean vehicles that look like Range Rovers and have oddly too much power.
Here’s Cadillac’s solution: white wall tires. Yes, white wall tires. I saw a white XTS sedan today (the lumpy FWD sedan based on the Impala). It had large chrome wheels and white wall tires. It looked great! I think Cadillac needs to start with the white wall tires, and design cars that work around them.
I swear I’m not crazy. This could work.
Nothing else has, why not?
designing cars for 90-year-old men didn’t work for Chrysler in the late ’80s, it’s not going to work now.
Actually the cars I think you’re referring to (NY Fifth Avenue, Dynasty etc.) sold very well
Stack ’em Deep, and Move ’em Cheap!
$239 per month $0 down sign and drive in the metro Detroit area within a year (where probably 70% of these will be leased/sold, mostly to GM employees and suppliers, as the coasts and most of the rest of the country shun them, as they’ve shunned all Cadillacs but the Escalade, as horrific riding and incredibly poorly packaged as the Escalade is).
Steve Carlisle will force dealers tho buy these in order to get the 2 Cadillac that do sell in remotely significant quantity, being the XT5 and Escalade, allocated.
p.s. -‘The awful, plasticky, unreliable/defective, grossly overpriced Cadillac CT6 is really sucking wind, an turning into a sales and reliability nightmare for Cadillac, as another deeply flawed vehicle from Guangzhou-Guadalajara Motors, Standard of the World, just as I had predicted.
The verdict is out. Get rid of the gills!!
the very last paragraph of this article is the most important one – ATS / CTS / CT6 did not sell well mostly because of over-ambitious pricing. you don’t beat the German and Japanese marques by offering less for more or same money