Cadillac CT5 Prepares For Official Launch In China

Having launched the all-new 2020 Cadillac XT6 crossover in its biggest market globally, Cadillac is now preparing to officially launch the all-new CT5 sedan in China. To that end, the luxury automobile brand announced that the 2020 Cadillac CT5 will be shown for the first time to the Chinese public at the 2019 Chengdu Motor Show, which kicks off on September 5^th, after making its global and U.S. debuts earlier in April at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

The new Cadillac CT5 is the second sedan to use the brand’s new CT nomenclature. It arrives at a critical time and is of particular importance to Cadillac’s strategy in China. Unlike in North America and other markets, the CT5 will directly replace the ATS-L in China’s high-volume luxury car space currently dominated by the likes of the Audi A4L, the BMW 3-Series Li and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class L.

This is in stark contrast with the scenario that the Cadillac CT5 will face in the American market, where it will indirectly replace both the ATS (in regular-size form) and the CTS – models that were never manufactured in China. As such, the CT5 will be the model in charge of unifying Cadillac’s D-segment offerings.

In this sense, the Cadillac CT5 sold in China will have identical dimensions and design as the model sold in North America. By using a standard size that’s larger than that of its rivals, Cadillac will not need to develop  elongated variants of any of its vehicles. In fact, the only differences between Cadillac models sold in different markets will be in the powertrain department, due to the strict emissions regulations being implemented in China.

For this reason, we expect the new Cadillac CT5 to be offered in China exclusively with the turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY engine, which is rated at 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The boosted four-banger will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Currently,  we have no reason to believe that the twin-turbo 3.0L V6 LGY engine will be offered in the Chinese-made CT5.

According to the official launch schedule, the 2020 Cadillac CT5 will launch in the Chinese market during the fourth quarter of 2019, virtually at the same time as the model’s launch in North America. As a key product in the growing Cadillac product portfolio, the new CT5 arrives to redefine the Cadillac luxury sedan while strengthening the brand’s position in China’s highly-competitive D-segment.

Production of the Chinese-market CT5 will take place at the Cadillac Jinqiao plant in Shanghai. Units of the CT5 for North America will be produced at the Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan, United States.

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