Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans to go electric, Australia possible – report
03/25/2025 05:00 PM
The Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans – currently available with four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines – will reportedly be replaced by electric models, opening the door for an Australian launch in right-hand drive.
The Cadillac CT4 and Cadillac CT5 sedans are likely to go electric when next-generation versions arrive closer to the end of the decade, potentially allowing for an Australian launch in right-hand drive.
GM Authority reports General Motors does not plan to offer the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 with petrol engines when the current models reach the end of the line with the choice of four and six cylinders, and a supercharged V8 in the CT5-V Blackwing.
The CT4 and CT5 launched in 2019 for Model Year 2020 to replace the ATS and CTS, respectively, with high-performance Blackwing models from Cadillac V added in 2021.
A pair of all-electric sedans are currently under development to replace Cadillac’s current saloons, which are expected to feature an upgraded version of GM’s ‘BEV’ electric car architecture, known as ‘BEV Prime’.
The use of GM’s common electric-car platform would allow the electric successors to the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 to potentially support a right-hand drive configuration for Australia, following the Optiq, Lyriq and Vistiq electric SUVs confirmed for local Cadillac showrooms.
It is reported the most affordable electric sedan will be around the same size as the current CT5 – similar to the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class but costing 3 Series and C-Class money in the US – while the larger model will be closer to the 7 Series and S-Class-sized Cadillac CT6.
The full-size, rear-wheel-drive Cadillac CT6 was axed in the US in 2020 but it remains available in China, where a new-generation petrol-engined model recently launched.
MORE: 2026 Cadillac Optiq and Vistiq electric SUVs confirmed for Australia
In August 2024, General Motors’ senior vice-president of international markets Shilpan Amin told Australian media, including Drive, the company will “consider every Cadillac entry we have at the right time” for right-hand drive production.
“We need the Lyriq to be successful to continue the portfolio, but obviously our vehicle development cycles are still pretty long so you have to plan for these ahead of time. So there’s more to come already decided – we’re just not [revealing] those right now.”
“I think right now it’s about bringing the Lyriq [large SUV] to [the Australian] market. We’ll test and learn. We’ll understand how great this Cadillac experience will be with a great product like the Lyriq and that will guide us into what’s next.”
Cadillac has since confirmed the Optiq and Vistiq SUVs for Australia, while its local boss has admitted she would “love” to sell the Escalade IQ, but “there are some challenges with that particular vehicle”.
MORE: Cadillac to consider every model available for Australian expansion
Entry-level versions of the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 feature a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, the CT4-V has a 2.7-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, and flagship variants of the CT5 – including the CT5-V – have a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6.
The CT4-V Blackwing performance model shifts to a 352kW/603Nm 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged V6, while the CT5-V Blackwing uses the 6.2-litre supercharged ‘LT4’ V8 shared with the now-defunct Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, producing 498kW and 893Nm.
Like all modern petrol-engined Cadillacs, the current CT4 and CT5 are built exclusively in left-hand drive, making them inaccessible to Australian customers.
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