Cadillac CT5: Do You Feel Any Different About The C-Pillar Now?

When the Cadillac CT5 was unveiled in 2019, the general consensus was that it was an attractive luxury sedan, though one small design trait managed to find some criticism. We’re referring to the “kink” in the C-pillar.

Now, five years later, that C-pillar kink has endured, surviving the refresh for the 2025 model year despite opposition from some (though not all) vocal Cadillac fans. Cadillac Society can’t help but wonder whether or not the C-pillar design has grown on you over the last five years.

As a reminder, the refreshed 2025 Cadillac CT5 didn’t get any changes to its greenhouse, still incorporating that C-pillar “kink”. Specifically, the stepped design of the C-pillar garnered criticism, leaving enthusiasts to wonder why Cadillac elected to leave a non-functional (it’s not a window) triangle-shaped design piece right behind the rear passenger doors. Many fans shared a similar sentiment – that the design cheapened the overall look of the CT5, comparing the luxury sedan to the likes of Nissan sedans or the Honda Accord.

Speaking of Honda, the current-gen Honda Civic adopted a similar C-pillar treatment to the CT5 when it debuted for the 2022 model year. Now, we can’t say for certain that the CT5 directly inspired designers to implement the stepped C-pillar design on the Civic, but the resemblance is uncanny, and it doesn’t help the CT5’s case.

Some would argue that the C-pillar looks even more out of place on the high-performance Cadillac CT5-V and ultra-high-performance CT5-V Blackwing than it does on the “regular” CT5, but clearly, Cadillac’s designers liked it enough to keep it around for the 2025 CT5 refresh. That, or the feedback received from customers wasn’t as bad as the internet may have us believe. Yet another possibility is that changing the C-pillar kink would have been beyond the scope of a refresh. After all, the area covered by it incorporates the outboard rear seatbelts, among other structural elements.

So, we ask you, dear reader. How does the Cadillac CT5 C-pillar kink hold up after all these years? Does it still look out of place, ruining an otherwise lithe beltline, or does it complement the luxury sedan’s sporty exterior design as a point of visual interest? Let us know by voting in the poll above, and be sure to drop us a comment with your thoughts on the matter.