Cadillac sedan sales fell significantly during the fourth quarter of 2019, with sales down in all trackable markets, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Russia.
The results come just as the luxury brand transitions its sedan portfolio, discontinuing the ATS, CTS, and XTS while launching their indirect replacements – the CT4 and CT5 – in the first quarter of 2020. As such, Q4 2019 has yet to see the impact of the new models from a sales standpoint. In addition, the fourth quarter is a time period during which the CT6 was in production, prior to its discontinuation in February 2020.
All-new 2020 Cadillac CT5 launches fully in Q1 2020
United States
In the United States, sales of Cadillac sedans fell nearly 60 percent to 4,430 units during the quarter. All nameplates except for the recently-launched Cadillac CT5 saw declines in sales volume.
Though the ATS, CTS, and XTS have already been discontinued going into the fourth quarter, the CT6 was still in production. However, CT6 sales volume during the quarter was negatively impacted by the 40 day-long UAW strike, during which time no CT6 units rolled off the line or were shipped to dealers. In addition, the very first units of the all-new CT5 began arriving at dealers during the final days of the fourth quarter; the new compact luxury sedan managed 43 deliveries during Q4. The CT5-V began arriving at dealers during the first half of March.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac Sedans - USA - Q4 2019 - United States
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | -90.01% | 83 | 831 | -89.56% | 1,134 | 10,859 |
| CTS | -60.44% | 966 | 2,442 | -37.92% | 6,965 | 11,219 |
| XTS | -79.02% | 1,062 | 5,063 | -36.23% | 11,304 | 17,727 |
| CT6 | -5.09% | 2,276 | 2,398 | -17.76% | 7,951 | 9,668 |
| CT5 | * | 43 | 0 | * | 43 | 0 |
| TOTAL | -58.73% | 4,430 | 10,734 | -44.62% | 27,397 | 49,473 |
All-new 2020 Cadillac CT5
Canada
In Canada, Cadillac sedan sales fell nearly 70 percent. Much like in the U.S., all nameplates saw drops in sales volume during the quarter, including a 14 percent decrease for the CT6.
The all-new Cadillac CT5 did not launch in Canada during Q4 2019, but will launch in the first quarter of 2020.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac Sedans - Canada - Q4 2019
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | -99.25% | 1 | 132 | -96.99% | 47 | 1,561 |
| CTS | -50.40% | 42 | 85 | -48.57% | 233 | 453 |
| XTS | -73.47% | 32 | 121 | +1.72% | 531 | 522 |
| CT6 | -14.05% | 49 | 57 | -26.47% | 175 | 238 |
| TOTAL | -68.56% | 124 | 394 | -64.46% | 986 | 2,774 |
All-new 2020 Cadillac CT4 launches at the end of Q1 2020
Mexico
In Mexico, Cadillac sedan sales fell nearly 85 percent. The two sedans sold in the country – ATS and CTS – have been discontinued before Q4 began, so it’s only natural to see sales of those models decrease significantly prior to the arrival of the all-new CT4 and CT5 later this year.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac Sedans - Mexico - Q4 2019
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | -88.00% | 3 | 25 | -58.23% | 33 | 79 |
| CTS | -80.95% | 4 | 21 | -68.85% | 19 | 61 |
| TOTAL | -84.78% | 7 | 46 | -62.86% | 52 | 140 |
All-new 2020 Cadillac CT4
South Korea
South Korean sales of Cadillac sedans fell 68 percent, with all models posting sales decreases. The decline in ATS and CTS sales is to be expected as a result of their discontinuation, but that of the CT6 comes as a result of the large sedan no longer being offered with the turbo-charged 2.0L engine – which was the most popular powertrain configuration in the market.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac Sedans - South Korea - Q4 2019
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | -98.72% | 1 | 78 | -66.67% | 67 | 201 |
| CTS | -39.58% | 58 | 96 | -1.76% | 223 | 227 |
| CT6 | -68.46% | 117 | 371 | -44.79% | 525 | 951 |
| TOTAL | -67.71% | 176 | 545 | -40.90% | 815 | 1,379 |
Discontinued Cadillac CTS
Russia
Cadillac sedan sales in Russia increased 200 percent in Q4 2019, though the total amount of units delivered totaled only 15 units. The discontinued CT6 accounted for 14 of those, while the equally-discontinued CTS somehow saw one delivery.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac Sedans - Russia - Q4 2019
| MODEL | Q4 19 / Q4 18 | Q4 19 | Q4 18 | YTD 19 / YTD 18 | YTD 19 | YTD 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTS | * | 1 | 0 | -66.67% | 5 | 15 |
| CT6 | +180.00% | 14 | 5 | -22.64% | 41 | 53 |
| TOTAL | +200.00% | 15 | 5 | -32.35% | 46 | 68 |
Looking Ahead
Going forward, we expect Cadillac sedan sales to rebound during the 2020 calendar year, as Cadillac fleshes out the launch of the all-new CT5 and begins to commence sales of the CT4, which is now en route to dealers. The Lansing Grand River plant, which produces both models, will soon add a second shift to support the rollout of these key, all-new models.
However, the luxury automaker’s sedan sales volume will face headwinds from several new directions. In particular, the discontinuation of the Cadillac CT6 should put quite a damper on overall sales volume, while the global Coronavirus pandemic will all but certainly have a negative impact on sales during the first quarter. Bigger issues, such as the ongoing change in consumer buying dynamics, where car buyers favor crossovers over sedans, will also impact Cadillac sedan sales volumes.
Even so, we expect the new CT5 and CT4 to pick up a healthy amount of sales volume thanks to qualities related to product and its value when compared to the competition.
We’ll have a lot more Cadillac sedan coverage, so be sure to subscribe to Cadillac Society for around-the-clock Cadillac news coverage. We also invite you to join the discussion in our Cadillac forums.
Greg
If you think Coronavirus had an impact on Q1 (which ends in less than 2 weeks), wait ’til you see Q2!
Frank Ricciardi
I don’t know how anyone would be surprised about this. Cadillac dropped 2 GREAT cars the CTS and CT6 Sedans and added a very generic little sedan, the CT5, and an even smaller sedan. Are these cars really even Cadillacs??? Cadillac is a big car company that doesn’t have a “Big” car in its line-up. On what planet does that make sense??????
Alex Luft
Frank – you do realize that the two new vehicles that you’re shitting on in your comment weren’t even out yet during Q4 2019… right? Why state something so totally off-base? Once the CT4 and CT5 are out, we can talk about how they perform (and I believe they will perform much better than the ATS and CTS).
As for the rest of your comment, do realize that large sedans are not a growth segment, while Cadillac is a business. Cadillac expanded its market coverage from 52 percent luxury auto market coverage in 2018 to 92 percent in 2019. Does that make sense to you now?
Chad
Would it have anything to do with the 8 speed automatic and the CUE delamination to name a few?…Just wondering?..Cadillac did not fix my 8 speed so I’m not buying another
xjug
Clowns are running GM….mgt is pathetic…
xjug
When you orphan vehicles and tell everyone but you don’t start marketing the new ones… at all, folks aren’t going to buy the goners… Cad should have started creating “something” possibly ‘excitement’ by heavily marketing the new vehicles NOW or before they arrive at dealers… I mean how about some marketing 101? Recall the very exciting ATS commercials in 2013 that created excitement, but that was it for that vehicle…
Alex Luft
Wrong.
In order to start creating excitement or marketing a product, it would be wise to have that product in stock, ready for customers to check out, try and buy. There was no availability of the new product (CT5 or CT4) during the fourth quarter, so marketing the vehicles would have been pointless and a waste of money.
Let me remind you that the first units of the CT5 barely made it to dealers during the fourth quarter. As such, there was no point is wasting millions of ad dollars on a product that is not available to purchase.
Q1 2020 is a whole different ball game, with decent nationwide availability of the CT5, and the appropriate levels of marketing to support it. Now, the CT4 has not yet begun to arrive, but there’s marketing to support its launch as well.
In summary, this kind of drop is normal when there is a generational transition, especially one as large as this one, and every automaker experiences it – from Cadillac to Audi and from BMW to Mercedes-Benz and to Lexus.
Also, the ATS received a total of 5 dedicated commercials during its lifecycle, not the lone one that you’re referencing. Wrong again, eh 😉
Greg
Alex: ?