Cadillac Debuts 2020 CT5 As A Replacement For Both The ATS And CTS

Cadillac releases photos of the CT6's new sibling

2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury

Cadillac is forging ahead with sedans, although not quite as many.

Back when we learned Cadillac would kill off the ATS and CTS, we wondered if the brand would roll out replacements for both. That is not the case, as the new Cadillac CT5 shows. The car has just made its first online appearance prior to its official debut at this year’s New York Auto Show in April. Right on the heels of the XT4 and XT6 crossovers, the CT5 shows Cadillac’s continued commitment to sedans, as other American brands — including within General Motors — shift toward SUVs.

2020 Cadillac CT5 Sport

The Escala Concept drives all of Cadillac’s current design language, and that’s present in the CT5. Large, trapezoidal mesh grille flanked by thin headlights and vertical daytime running lights greet you when you look at the car dead on. If that doesn’t clue you in to the fact that this is a Cadillac, that huge badge on the front certainly will. Continuing down the front, the CT5 has several bulges and lines in the hood that make it look more muscular.

2020 Cadillac CT5 Sport

Down the side, things look pretty conventional until you pass the rear doors. After that, there’s a sudden kink in the window profile, as the shoulder line continues straight on into the taillights. Finally, the exterior profile culminates in the back with Cadillac’s now-signature taillights and a pronounced spoiler on the decklid.

2020 Cadillac CT5 Sport

Interior and powertrain

Inside, we only get one shot of the interior, oddly near the gear lever and center console. It seems Cadillac has taken a leaf out of BMW’s book with the shifter, as well as the rotary dial controls for the infotainment system. Beyond that, this particular CT5 appears to have a warm-looking interior, with tan seats, light wood and dark brown accent trim.

If you were hoping for the 6.2-liter V8 from the Cadillac CTS-V to live on here, you’ll be disappointed, at least for now. The 2020 Cadillac CT5 will launch with two available engines: a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four or a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. Both of those powerplants will mate up to a standard 10-speed automatic transmission.

While we won’t expressly rule out the chance for a CT5-V somewhere in the future, it is not in the cards right now. Even if Cadillac does reveal a high performance version later, we suspect it will retain its V6, reserving the 4.2-liter twin-turbo Blackwing V8 for the CT6. But we could be wrong on that.

Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates!