2025 Cadillac CT5 First Look: This Sedan's Not Dead Yet!

Given General Motors' focus on an all-electric future and its recent penchant for killing off car models—so long, Camaro—you might assume that the Cadillac CT5's days are numbered. That assumption probably isn't wrong, at least on a long enough timescale, but we can confidently say the guillotine won't be dropping on Cadillac's midsize luxury sports sedan anytime soon. Debuting at the 2023 Detroit auto show, the 2025 Cadillac CT5 features a handful of small tweaks and one big change that add up to a modest mid-cycle refresh for a car introduced back in 2019.

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My What a Big Screen You Have

The big change we mentioned? We meant that literally. A new screen in front of the driver measures a sprawling 33 inches across the diagonal. This is the same digital dashboard found in the 2024 Cadillac XT4 compact SUV and the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV, combining the instrument cluster, center infotainment touchscreen, and a small secondary touchscreen to the left of the steering wheel in a single, curved pane of glass. The screen features brilliant 9K resolution and is powered by the Android Automotive operating system with Google Maps, Google Assistant, the Google Play store, and Amazon Alexa built in. While GM eventually plans to phase out support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on future EVs, the 2025 CT5 still supports these wireless phone-mirroring apps. The available wi-fi hotspot is also one better for the 2025 model year, having been upgraded from 4G LTE technology to faster 5G LTE cellular bands.

Notably, Cadillac hasn't abandoned the physical climate controls or the rotary knob that serves as an alternative to tapping the touchscreen. That's a big win for drivers who appreciate the tactile feedback of knobs and switches and the ability to adjust settings without taking their eyes off the road. Given that the average CT5 buyer is 62 years old, we're guessing there's a significant chunk of current CT5 owners who have no interest in hunting and pecking at those gosh darn screens to change the fan speed. In the updated CT5, they still won't have to.

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Are Those New Glasses?

Yes, your instincts are right—there's something different about this CT5. Flip back and forth between photos of the outgoing CT5 and the new car and you'll notice that while the general shape is the same, the headlights and signature vertical accents have been combined into a single unit. The vertical motif is also now repeated inside the headlamps with stacked LED main and high-beam elements.

A larger grille features a gloss black finish with chrome accents on most trims, while Sport models ditch the brightwork with a gloss black mesh grille and black window moldings. Cadillac has also added two new exterior colors. Deep Space metallic is an inky black-blue and Typhoon metallic looks like the ocean in the Caribbean.

Cadillac, Take the Wheel

A trio of improvements put the CT5's driver assistance systems on higher alert. We're told the enhanced lane-keeping system makes smoother corrections and more gracefully transitions between hands-on driving and hands-free operation when the optional Super Cruise system takes over. A new active steering feature for the blind-spot monitor gently resists a driver who tries to change lanes into another car, and automatic emergency braking now watches for cross traffic at intersections, intervening as necessary to mitigate or prevent a collision.

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What Hasn't Changed

Mechanically the 2025 Cadillac CT5 is the same car that's been in production for the past four years. Buyers will continue to have a choice between an overburdened 237-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a spirited but thirsty 335-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6. Both engines run through a 10-speed automatic transmission and can be paired with either rear- or all-wheel drive. Cadillac isn't saying whether the updates outlined above will roll out to the sportier 360-hp CT5-V or the awesome 668-hp CT5-V Blackwing, but John Roth, the head of Cadillac, addressed that question with a simple, "Stay tuned," suggesting that those versions won't just wither on the vine.

The 2025 Cadillac CT5 goes on sale in early 2024. Pricing will be announced closer to the launch, but assuming the window sticker looks similar to what's on today's cars, expect a starting price around $45,000.