New York 2019: Cadillac CT5 to Debut: Comments

[smk4565]

Parts sourcing aside, how are they going to get this to sell when the CTS, ATS, XTS and CT6 all have pretty lousy sales numbers.

Obviously the shape a a bit different this time around with the fastback/GT rear end, but only 2 sedans sell in this segment in the USA, and 3 in this segment do well in China, so what is the selling point of the CT5 going to be to break the sales decline?

[Frisky Dingo]

The more I look at that C-pillar, the worse it gets. They completely botched it. It lets the entire design down. They should have made the Escala the way it was. They always do this. Make a jaw-dropping concept, and then make a production version that is more like a Chinese knockoff. What a shame. 

[oldshurst442]

18 minutes ago, Frisky Dingo said:

The more I look at that C-pillar, the worse it gets. They completely botched it. It lets the entire design down. They should have made the Escala the way it was. They always do this. Make a jaw-dropping concept, and then make a production version that is more like a Chinese knockoff. What a shame. 

To be fair, the Escala is NOT the new CT5. The Escala is to come...

But yeah, although I dont feel let down for the same reasons you feel down about the CT5, I do feel let down. But a tiny bit, not as fully down you feel about it.

Im just perplexed on why Cadillac felt the need to look like a FWD Honda Accord.

And the FWD Accord looks to be longer and sleeker to boot.  Which SHOULD be a Cadillac trait. 

*Sigh*

Still waiting for that long, sleek, slick black Cadillac car to arrive.

Well, the CT6 Blackwing is certainly that.  But 1 model aint enough...

 

 

 

 

[smk4565]

It does have an Accord shape.  I am not a fan of the new Accord.

[Cmicasa the Great]

2 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Parts sourcing aside, how are they going to get this to sell when the CTS, ATS, XTS and CT6 all have pretty lousy sales numbers.

Obviously the shape a a bit different this time around with the fastback/GT rear end, but only 2 sedans sell in this segment in the USA, and 3 in this segment do well in China, so what is the selling point of the CT5 going to be to break the sales decline?

For one.. Americans seeking a better vehicle than those asswipes in Germany can provide.

[riviera74]

Well, the new CT5 has solved a few issues: engine choice, replace two slow sellers with one seller (sales TBD), new(ish) platform that fixes the old platform issues.  Back window and coupe profile aside, I like it.  I really like the CT6 and maybe the CT5 should have cribbed from the larger model a little more.

[ccap41]

4 hours ago, smk4565 said:

So why not a 4.2 NA V8 as a choice with the same horsepower and torque as the turbo V6?  Choice for the sake of choice doesn't make any sense.  The 3.6 is a torqueless engine that isn't competitive with other luxury V6s with the exception of maybe whatever is in a Lincoln MKZ or Lexus ES.  The could put the 3.6 V6 in the Escalade as a choice, or in the Corvette, doesn't mean it makes sense to.

Plus, CT5 is a low volume car, the turbo 4 is for the rental spec and old folks, who don't care about performance, and BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes all offer that too, because they all have old folks that buy those cars also. Turbo V6 is your sport trim, turbo V8 for the hardcore buyer.  

Lincoln doesn’t even use a N/A V6 in the MKZ. It’s a 2.0T, 3.0T or 2.0T hybrid. 

[surreal1272]

On 3/18/2019 at 6:44 AM, dfelt said:

I actually like it better in the red than the silver, but I have two big issues with this car:

First is the STUPID COUPE style which kills rear head room and to have headroom the rear passengers have to sit in a hole.

Second is the weird funky 3rd window or whatever the black section in the smaller box above represents. Even the smaller stationary glass piece sucks due to how the door is cut. From the B pillar forward I am very happy with the car.

Best View of the car IMHO.

I was about to say the same EXACT thing regarding the two problems. From a profile angle, that rear pillar just kills the flow. The front and grill look super sharp but the coupe look is getting way too played out (priotizing form over function).

[Robert Hall]

Want to bet they cover that black triangle in carbon fiber on the V-series version? 

[smk4565]

12 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Lincoln doesn’t even use a N/A V6 in the MKZ. It’s a 2.0T, 3.0T or 2.0T hybrid. 

Maybe Cadillac should copy that.

[ccap41]

I don't mind the coupe-styling on 4 door cars but maybe this is just too short or the design language doesn't match it. Maybe it would look better longer? I think it looks great looking at the front. I think it looks great looking from the rear. But, I think it looks a little awkward at most any other angle. 

[surreal1272]

4 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Want to bet they cover that black triangle in carbon fiber on the V-series version? 

That spot just gets worse the more I look at it. And now that someone mentioned earlier, the profile does look a little too much like this...

 

Edited March 19, 2019 by surreal1272

[ccap41]

Just now, smk4565 said:

Maybe Cadillac should copy that.

Don't all the major luxury brands pretty much have that same exact setup? 

Turbo-4

Hybrid

Turbo-6

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, surreal1272 said:

That spot just gets worse the more I look at it. And now that someone mentioned earlier, the profile does look a little too much like this...

 

The Accord profile looks better, though, because it has a window there and not a pointless piece of black plastic.  And the rear door window frame trailing edge leans forward, rather than being vertical. 

Edited March 19, 2019 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

1 minute ago, surreal1272 said:

That spot just gets worse the more I look at it. And now that someone mentioned earlier, the profile does look a little too much like this...

 

It's like they mashed up the Accord and Infiniti Q60's window but it jsut didn't work that well. 

[surreal1272]

8 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

The Accord profile looks better, though, because it has a window there and not a pointless piece of black plastic.  And the rear door window frame trailing edge leans forward, rather than being vertical. 

And that’s the sad part. The mainstream brand car should not look better than a luxury car, in any way IMO.

7 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

It's like they mashed up the Accord and Infiniti Q60's window but it jsut didn't work that well. 

I actually like how Infiniti did theirs though. At least they put some effort into the actual design aspect whereas it looks like the bean counters at Cadillac took over when it came to CT5s.

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

And that’s the sad part. The mainstream brand car should not look better than a luxury car, in any way IMO.

I actually like how Infiniti did theirs though. At least they put some effort into the actual design aspect whereas it looks like the bean counters at Cadillac took over when it came to CT5s.

The Infiniti Q70 has a nice take on a 6 light greenhouse w/ a curvy body below...

[surreal1272]

14 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I don't mind the coupe-styling on 4 door cars but maybe this is just too short or the design language doesn't match it. Maybe it would look better longer? I think it looks great looking at the front. I think it looks great looking from the rear. But, I think it looks a little awkward at most any other angle. 

That’s my bad with it. From the rear doors to the front, it looks nice. But that C pillar window treatment kills the rest of it. I do look forward to what they will do with the interior but I just hope it’s not the same rehash of the “slab dash” look that exists in cars like the CT6 and their smal CUVs. It looks clean but it also just looks too plain for the brand IMO>

[Robert Hall]

Personally, I think Cadillac should have kept the angular C-pillar and forward angled rear door upper frame of the CTS..that's a strong design cue with Cadillac sedans going back 15+ years to the first gen CTS.    Pointy and angular.  Or commit to a 6 light greenhouse like the CT6.  But instead, they go with weird pillar trim that serves no purpose. 

Edited March 19, 2019 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

12 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

I actually like how Infiniti did theirs though. At least they put some effort into the actual design aspect whereas it looks like the bean counters at Cadillac took over when it came to CT5s.

Oh I definitely agree. It's a small difference but it's a make or break difference. 

[Frisky Dingo]

14 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

For one.. Americans seeking a better vehicle than those asswipes in Germany can provide.

 

Better? Haha, that's a good one. Better at what, exactly? Looking a mashup mix of a Chinese knockoff of a Caddy concept and a Genesis G80? You're ate up. 🤣

[ccap41]

18 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

The Infiniti Q70 has a nice take on a 6 light greenhouse w/ a curvy body below...

What do you mean by "6 light greenhouse"? 3 windows per side? 

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

What do you mean by "6 light greenhouse"? 3 windows per side? 

Yes...

[David]

36 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

And that’s the sad part. The mainstream brand car should not look better than a luxury car, in any way IMO.

I actually like how Infiniti did theirs though. At least they put some effort into the actual design aspect whereas it looks like the bean counters at Cadillac took over when it came to CT5s.

I would say they were building a scaled down Escala and then the Bean Counters showed up at the point of the B Pillar and said you have X amount of cash left, finished the car with X dollars and we ended up with that back end mess.

[ccap41]

25 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Yes...

Thanks, I had just never heard it described like that before. I don't keep up on my design language language.