Cadillac CT5

Cadillac is offering six leather upholstery options to choose from for the CT5, all of which are made of finely crafted high-quality leather with a heavy influence on the Jet Black theme. The layout and material quality in the cabin of the Cadillac CT5 feels top-notch, though we would have loved to see more space at the back than what is offered.

Behind the three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, the Cadillac CT5 gets a 10-inch full-TFT instrument console sitting within a hexagonal housing, which along with the spokes of the steering wheel, gets a faux aluminium touch. The centre console is dominated by the trapezoidal 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system at the top, below which there are trapezoidal-shaped AC vents with a wide cluster of buttons for the multi-zone automatic climate control and 15-speaker BOSE audio system on offer.

The Cadillac CT5 further feels well-equipped with additional features like a dual-pane sunroof, heated and electrically-adjustable steering wheel, wireless charging, head-up display, heated, ventilated and powered front seats with memory function for the driver’s seat and hands-free tailgate.

Unlike the bulky-looking CTS, which it has succeeded, the new Cadillac CT5 has a much sleeker appearance while having the right muscle to make its road presence feel worth your attention. There are several elements that make the CT5 look sleek, while at the same time, it also has a few traditional Cadillac elements adding muscle to it.

At the front, the Cadillac CT5 greets you with a trapezoidal grille with tapering lower edges, which has chrome surrounds and knurled inserts in the Luxury and Premium Luxury variants and an all-black look in the Sport variant. The front profile of the Cadillac CT5 also has slim stretched L-shaped all-LED headlamps, huge trapezoidal housings in the bumper corners for vertical daytime running LEDs on their outer edges, and a wide air dam in the middle connecting these trapezoidal housings.

The side profile of the Cadillac CT5 looks majestic with a long wheelbase and flat but muscular haunches above the rounded wheel arches. One can opt from the various 18-inch and 19-inch alloy wheels with multiple diamond-cut, silver and black alloy wheel designs. Adding a sense of length to the car’s profile is the long crease that flows from the edge of the headlamp to that of the tail lamp.

At the back, the Cadillac CT5 tries to project its individuality with the T-shaped LED tail lamps positioned on the outer corners of the rear profile, while the sedan also has an integrated spoiler at the top of the boot lid – body-coloured on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims and blacked-out in the Sport trim. The rear bumper diffuser also looks sporty with its faux aluminium finish and dual exhaust ports on either side.

The Cadillac CT5 comes with a suspension combination of MacPherson-type with dual lower ball joints, twin-tube struts, and a direct-acting stabilizer bar at the front and a five-link independent suspension with coil springs and stabilizer bar at the rear. Slightly on the stiffer side, this suspension setup is further accompanied by Cadillac's Magnetic Ride 4.0 suspension, offering a good balance of firmness and suppleness. 

There are two powertrain options offered in the Cadillac CT5 range. The base-spec Luxury variant is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which churns out 237 bhp of power and 350 Nm of torque. The other two variants on offer – Premium Luxury and Sport – get a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine, which produces 335 bhp of power and 549 Nm of torque. All these variants come with a 10-speed automatic transmission as the standard gearbox.

Besides having the essentials like airbags all around, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, 360-degree parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, hill start assist and hill descent control, the Cadillac CT5 also has the Cadillac Smart System comprising of ADAS features like forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, rear park assist, front pedestrian braking, HD rear vision camera and more. 

The Cadillac CT5 is a nice alternative to the traditional German midsize luxury saloons, which impresses with its sense of luxury, thanks to its well-appointed and feature-rich cabin and comfort-oriented ride quality.