The sedan market is a mere shadow of what it used to be. While cheap, affordable four-doors from brands like Kia and Nissan continue to deliver sales wins, bigger, luxurious sedans haven’t been so lucky. That space has mostly been filled by crossovers, resulting in many sedans exiting the market this year with no clear replacements (Acura TLX, BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe, and Volvo S90, just to name a few).
Many expected Cadillac’s CT4 and CT5 sedans to go the way of the Dodo bird, just like many of its competitors. But it turns out that won’t be the case – for one of those cars, anyway.
In a statement emailed to owners and published by the Cadillac V Club, Cadillac vice president John Roth confirmed the company would be retiring the current CT4 and CT5 models next year:
Today, Cadillac will announce that after six strong years, the current generation Cadillac CT4 and CT5 will be retired after model year 2026. The CT4 will continue through June 2026 and the CT5 until the end of 2026.
Over recent years, these vehicles have consistently delivered on our expectations through exceptional performance, cutting-edge technology, and superior craftsmanship earning many accolades. This success has led to an underscoring strong demand that cements the brand’s legacy for generations to come.
All pretty normal so far. I was ready to pour one out for Cadillac’s wonderful sedans, but then I kept reading:
Therefore, I am thrilled to confirm that the legacy of the CT5 will continue as a next-generation internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle in a future model year. The next-generation CT5 will be manufactured at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly plant. It will be available for purchase in the United States and Canada. We’ll share more details as plans are finalized.
Cadillac is well positioned to adapt its portfolio to meet customer demand by offering the luxury of choice and this is the next proof point of that flexibility.
I, like many in this industry, expected Cadillac to simply kill off both CT-badged sedans without much fanfare, eventually replacing them with the company’s growing lineup of SUVs, so to hear that one of them is surviving is excellent news. Knowing it’ll stay ICE-powered and be sold in North America are just the cherries on top.
The current CT5 can be had with a V Blackwing badge, which adds a 668-horsepower supercharged V8 with an available six-speed manual transmission. It is, in this humble author’s opinion, the best-driving sedan on the planet. Whether the new CT5 will get a Blackwing trim is unclear at this time (Cadillac verified the authenticity of the letter above to me, but declined to share any specifics about trims or powertrains). Either way, I think this is good news if you enjoy seeing cars on the road that aren’t dull, lifeless SUVs.
Sadly, the smaller, more agile, more affordable CT4 isn’t so lucky. While I’m sad to see it go, I’m not surprised Cadillac chose to keep the CT5 alive, but not this car. Despite being a sedan, the CT5 has managed to outsell the company’s three-row XT6 SUV and the smaller, more affordable XT4. The CT4, meanwhile, has been in dead last, with just 4,066 units sold so far this year, representing just 3% of all Cadillac sales in 2025.
As depressing as it may be to see yet another sedan bite the dust, at least Cadillac hasn’t totally given up on the body style just yet.
Its good Cadillac has dialed away from EVs.
It seems to me that Lexus still has the IS, and ES, but I don’t know how long the IS will live as the LS is already dead and the IS just got a facelift….but is old. The IS 500 is gone.
Seems Cadillac and Lexus might be the only ones selling luxury sedans. Minus the Germans of course.
Lincoln doesn’t have any. Its a shame, as whenever I see a Continental here in Qatar, I wonder why they didn’t bring it back.
Ever since the ATS was launched, I still think it was a missed opportunity to not offer the platform to Buick.
They had the Buick Avista concept right when they released the ATS coupe and 6th gen Camaro coupe. IMO, the Avista should have had the advanced TTv6 and brought back the GNX name, given the Buick brand an aspirational coupe that rivals Lexus LC.
Cadillac ATSV/CT4 VBW should have had the LT1 from the start.
They better make the next gen with a stick across all V configurations. The supercharged V8 is cool with a stick but I would like the smaller V6TT with a stick too. They put that combination in the CT4VBW, why didn’t do it in the CT5?
The CT5VBW is so cool, I love it and if I was still in the sedan market, I’d get one instead of my escalade v. Here’s to hoping they wisen up and make a wagon version.
These things look so good. They 100% would have sold one to me by now it they hadn’t locked the good transmission behind a $125,000 supercharged V8 with astronomical running and insurance costs.
I have heard of some LT4 failures as well.
But, the vast majority of failures seem to happen at low mileage (usually under warranty). It would be interesting to see the exact percentage that fail, because NOT every example seems to be prone to it.
Good. Now make it a liftback.
It’s interesting, that in your humble opinion it is the best driving sedan on the planet. If you’re right, and I have no reason to doubt you, (I haven’t driven one) Cadillac finally caught up and surpassed the Germans they targeted. About 15 years too late.
A former neighbor had some CUV Cadillac (SRX? Was there one smaller than that?), and I drove it a couple of times. Sure, it had a lot of bells and whistles, but dynamically it was, uh, not great. Not that I hustled it around corners or really tested its brakes or engine. It just felt clumsy compared to our ’18 MDX despite being significantly smaller. And its lane departure warning mechanism of shaking the drivers’ seat instead of the wheel nearly made me crap my pants the first time it engaged. I seriously thought it was my intestines rumbling in a threatening manner.
I am conflicted what to think about Cadillac these days. They used to be ultra-posh sofas on wheels. I think maybe they should have two lines of products. One resembling the old school luxo-barges and the sporty line. I also wasn’t impressed the times I got transported in the Escalades of that era and beyond.
And TBH, if feels like BMW and M-B have lost their way as well. I haven’t ridden in a large Audi (A6) since taking a hire car to Heathrow from downtown London in 2013.
This is the best news I’ve read all week! I absolutely love the CT5 – it has such amazing proportions when you see it in real life.
Honestly, I wouldn’t care one bit if they even just used the same platform. Maybe updated it a little. Freshened up the styling inside and out and gave it slightly more power. Done and done. Sell it for the next 10 years.
I do also hope they give the lower trim level CT5s more performance. There was a massive jump from the lower trim and the BW. Most of its competitors ramp up the power from low up to spicy with many levels in between.
Wellllll since the Alpha 2 platform is continuing, and Grand River still has its Camaro logo up on the building (as of 2 weeks ago) maybe, just maybe the Camaro gets another shot…
At any rate glad to see the CT5 continuing on and hopefully at least the Blackwing soldiers on… I’d like to see a revised LT4 passing 700HP, or maybe a bonkers ZR1 engine and 1000HP, although not sure that platform or even engine bay can realistically handle that as a rwd car, awd car maybe?
I’m shocked even the CT5 survived, that’s great news! If there isn’t a Blackwing to halo it in this next generation though I’m sure it’ll be the last generation.
The CT4 looks great but it’s tiny inside. The CT5 is one of the better looking cars…in the world. I had one. Rear seating could have been larger and the trunk was too small but I liked it.
As an aging person I prefer sliding into a sedan as opposed to climbing into a SUV. As the market of eligible buyers age and the younger market is declining because no money expect astute manufacturers to realize the new market is back to easy entry sedans. Please remember I started this prior to any experts because I was also the person who was ridiculed for saying hybrid was the answer above the EV
gm makes a lot of total garbage. But this is solid.
This is some happy news! I knew those Instagram like-clicks on Cadillac’s page were going to pan out. Test-driving a CT5V Blackwing 6-speed at Sebring earlier this year set the bar for personal best-car-ever-driven.
There’s a Typhoon Metallic (awesome green) one available with the six-speed not too far from me for MSRP… $125,485. I’m not normally a lottery-ticket guy, but I can’t think of any other way to fast-track into the next tax-bracket.
Can you imagine how many they d sell if the price was ~ $75,000. Geez- it s on the camaro platform. It s not that expensive to build.
I do wish the Blackwing was priced lower. Now I’m curious as to what the margins are on these. There is another 2026 CT5 near me also in Typhoon Metallic (I really like that color), except it’s the regular model and they want $54,620. Still too pricey for myself as a new car, but something I can legitimately daydream about buying after it takes its first big depreciation hit.
Badge it as a Chevy and call it the new SS. Win-win.
Or finally bring the Chevelle name back. Might lure some of the former Charger crowd even.
I’m just waiting for a modern El Dorado convertible. Put the CTS-V engine in that sucker with a transverse mount for some front wheel drive hilarity.
Bishop? This might be a fun dream project to mock up.
the CT5V with a 6 speed is honestly the only Car I want currently. I am not against the TT V6, but a non AFM/DFM tainted supercharged v8 is hard not to get my attention. The whole oil viscosity lawsuits though, they still spook me a bit.
Same with my 6G Zl1, extra manual transmission bonus is no AFM/DFM. LT4 seems to be better than the regular 6.2 V8, but still not perfect… I run the oem suggested 0w-40 Mobil 1 and so far all of my blackstone labs have come in really clean, 2021 with 16k on it. Summer car albeit and change oil twice a season, at start and just before storage.
Blackwing and Camaro 6G forums are sometimes becoming some real sh.. shows tho with that oil viscosity topic, good information and debate sometimes turns into some weird angst fests… fwiw the track manual of my car says to run 5w-30 for track use and some guys run this on that engine on the regular. I’m not smart enough to know the precise pros and cons on the LT4, however.
Keep in mind, forums are used mainly for complaints, and less so for high mileage examples. Maybe for spare parts that are discontinued, they may be a good source , but otherwise no.
I am not excusing failures of all types across their cars, but I would NOT be surprised if the failures were either not genuine, caused by driver error (lets be honest- WHO will admit they did not follow break in, which is IMPORTANT especially for a supercharged high performance V8), or maybe simply lemons (can happen).
Now, with AI being present, I would NOT be surprised if some images of these cars in the shops may actually be made up. Posts too.
Welll said, yes it seems that often people take to online just to get mad. I wonder how many are true failures? I have mostly stopped looking at the forums of recent, seems like an angst fest that sometimes devolves into political trash talking, no thank you…
Spot on.
I forgot to add also the pictures of cars on flatbed trucks getting towed away to the shop also need not always be real, and can be deepfake.
It can be made by AI, or in some cases negative posts can be sponsored by competitors (can happen the other way round, but maybe Ford, RAM, Toyota trolls may also play a role).
I won’t rule out foul play either. Or people just posting “Mine BroKE at 300 miles” for attention (it can happen, but people sometimes like to get attention as well).
Wow, this is surprising. It goes against their usual trend of taking an aging product and improving until it’s competitive (or in this case, world-beating) and killing it off unceremoniously without a replacement (e.g. Camaro, Fiero, CT6.) Too bad about the CT4 but like everyone else here I’m wondering if they’ll amortize the cost of thee development with a new Camaro as well…
The CT6 lives on with a new generation. US sales were supposed to continue supplied by the factory in China but tariffs got in the way.
Based on this my crystal ball says there will be another V sedan and ultimate Camaro paired with the NA 5.5 Z06 Vette engine.
I have been tempted by Blackwings on multiple car shopping occasions. My experience is that they are great fun to drive despite their issues with controls and the user interface. But I just can’t justify spending that amount of money on GM quality for performance that can really only be used on a track.
GM finally figured out the sports sedan at the time they became largely irrelevant.
I’m hoping with the new gen, it would be possible to pick up a nice 2025/2026 used that has suffered a big depreciation hit. I thought I read an article sometime at the start of the year or even further back saying that they had refreshed a few things for the last year or two here and while still not super premium inside, better. I could be wrong though.
The 25 does have a refreshed interior but I have to say the interior of my 24 is befitting of its price.
Anyone saying “typical GM” has likely never sat in one.
I haven’t, but I am happy to hear that! I hope you are loving it. It’s wonderful they will continue to produce them.
The interiors as a whole weren’t the issue. It was the terrible interface issues. Some of that is stuff you just get used to and then ignore in any car you buy, but the delay on the interface was off-putting.
That’s not something I’d consider any better or worse than any other modern car I’ve had. I haven’t been in the new 25 though with the larger screen.
The salesperson who rode with me said he hadn’t seen the issue on other cars. But they only had the single model on hand, so I couldn’t confirm whether that was true or just sales talk. It was 2022, I believe, and the interior was just “fine” at best. For sure, better than the other Cadillacs. But I freely admit that based on my dated experience, I don’t trust GM materials to hold up and that colors my opinion.
I have heard a lot of CUE issues. But I assume there are many who don’t have those problems.
The CUE has been a big let down in our ATS. we bought our2015 in 2021 with 32K miles on it. it was literally the little old couple to church every sunday car. all the presets were gospel music channels. the CUEs biggest drawback was the laminate that GM used for the touch screen. the glue separates and then its all over. luckily the aftermarket has stepped up and replacement screens are around $135. in about 2-4 hrs you can pull the radio and swap the screens with a better version where the defect has been eliminated.
True.
Been following the Australian Supercars racing series where GM is still racing the Camaro and has promised to keep racing the Camaro through the 2026 season. Kinda surprised me, but makes sense… Maybe they’ll switch to the new CT5 for the 2027 season or better yet, a next gen Camaro?
Cadillac have recently launched here, but only with the Lyriq, and are saying they will be electric only… That said, it’s a control chassis, so strapping a CT5 onto it would be easy.
NASCAR is still racing the now “Chevrolet” (Camaro) as well, but would love to see a CT5 replacement. Though probably unlikely as GM likes to save the Cadillac brand for IMSA.
To be fair, the XT SUVs are pretty mediocre and aggressively outdated compared to the competition. Ignoring the XTs, Cadillac has a really shockingly impressive lineup these days, the EVs are pretty excellent, the CT4/5 even in non-performance trims are competitive, and the Escalade is still the king. Couple that with the overall brand image revival with the IMSA/WEC and now F1 projects and Cadillac has quickly become a brand I’d actively consider if I was in the market for a car in their segments of the market. Hell, a used Lyriq or other Cadillac Ultium SUV would be one of my top picks for a first EV, and I’ve never strongly considered any GM products up until recently.
We have a 2015 ATS but the luxury trim with the 2.5. its not quick compared to sports cars but its in the same neighborhood as a civic si or the lexus IS250(ive smoked a few of those that acted boy racer at the light, only to be caught lacking). being on the alpha platform it handles like its on rails and gives the perception its faster than it really is LOL. While im pumped that the ct5 lives on, it sucks to see the 4 dropped. i feel like the lackluster engines in both models that arent blackwings has something to do with it. the performance numbers really took an uninteresting turn. the v-sports should have been north of 400 in the 5 and at least 350 in the 4. the 2.0 ltg in the ATS made 270hp but the CT4 2.0 LSY is nearly 40hp down? not to mention the ATS had an optional 6sp for a few years with the LTG. CT5 is in the same boat with engine numbers going the wrong way vs the CTS.
The IS250 was more expensive than the ATS new, correct?
Even in the used market.
yes, it was and typically still is in the used market too. if it had been an option when we bought ours i’d definitely went with the 2.0 turbo, maybe even the 3.6. the 2.0 with a 6spd would have been a blast!
GM has been uncharacteristically smart over the last few years or so about not putting all of its eggs into one basket, or being convinced that what is true today will always be true. Obviously, the crossover form factor is wildly successful right now, and has been for a long time now, but nothing is forever, and it’s better to be at least a little bit prepared before the winds shift. See also GM sticking to its guns on EVs while everybody else chickens out, keeping an eye on the long term rather than panicking in the face of this weird, hectic transitional moment in time.
And, I think it was the QOTD a few days ago, how do we define luxury? This is not a bad definition. I want the luxury of buying what I want, not having to choose from a limited menu of lowest common denominator options, which is what everybody else is retreating to.
It does make one wonder, if V8s are living for another generation, and Cadillac sedans are living for another generation, whether GM will build a Camaro on this platform again.
Regardless of that answer, this can only be seen as great news, even if my cars value probably takes a hit on the announcement.
Yeah, one of the things I liked was feeling like I bought one of the last V8s, future collectible etc., but that’s OK, this is still great news.
Same here my 6G Zl1 is worth about what I paid for it 4 years ago, heh… that said I’m glad to see it may carry on.
If the Alpha platform can live on for a new generation, maybe a new Camaro too?
( つ ◕_◕ )つ
Great minds think alike apparently
They could, higher volume should bring prices down if they share tooling and some components/parts like engines. They can make them limited run if they want, it doesnt matter to me if they sell less than Mustang or Challenger, as long its a good product and its available. It could be positioned as a 2 door Cadillac but with Chevy interior.
It is possible yes that the Camaro lives on, as ICE is the big question. Take it for what it’s worth, but the Camaro logo is still on the side of the Grand River plant main entrance. I was there two weeks ago.
I would definitely like to see a new Camaro. The last one looked aggressive and menacing, hopefully the new ones do as well.
Mr Mark Reuss did mention what he would like for the next Camaro.
So yes, the fact he DID mention it , and the recent trademarks may mean hopefully it will return. He and Mr Duncan Aldred know importantly what people WANT, not Ms Mary unfortunately.
Remember, the F body Camaro stopped production in 2002. The Camaro after that came with Mr Bob Lutz’s guidance, right in time for the first Transformer’s movie.
Since they are continuing to make Transformers films (I only watched the first, other than the cars, nothing else really impressed me), maybe the Camaro might return to play a role in them.
I do know they used an FJ60 Land Cruiser and an Isuzu NPR tow truck in “Age of Extinction”. Hopefully the franchise might consider using Japanese SUVs/Trucks as well in the next couple of films.
It would be interesting to see how this turns out (but the Land Cruiser (and other BOF Toyota trucks such as the Hilux) have starred in many movies and already are quite famous in Hollywood, after the Suburban.