The new Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-V were the subject of controversy when they first debuted last week, as neither are true successors to savage performance offerings like the third-generation Cadillac CTS-V.
We soon learned the uproar was a bit misplaced, however, when General Motors rolled out two track-ready prototype versions of the CT4-V and CT5-V during the Belle Isle Grand Prix weekend. These two mystery Cadillacs, which we will get our first official glimpse of next year, will have more power and will be more relatable to the hardcore V-Series models we’ve come to know and love.
But not everyone is convinced that V-Series cars are what the brand needs – whether they have a V8, V6 or turbo four. V-Series was born out of a desire within GM to rebrand itself as an American BMW, but Eric Noble, president of automotive consultancy firm Carlab in California, thinks Cadillac needs to go back to its American ways and stop trying to replicate European automakers.
“Cadillacs should be vehicles to arrive, not drive, in,” Noble told The Detroit Free Press. “The Escalade is the most successful Caddy, by far, and that’s precisely because it’s the sole model in their showroom that still lives by that maxim.”
Cadillac recently took on a new direction, ousting former brand boss Johan de Nysschen, moving away from NYC and looking to take its rightful place as the technology leader within GM. The automaker could very well use this as an opportunity to ensure Cadillac’s future EVs are like the comfy, luxurious, style-forward cars the brand was once known for. This would also set Cadillac EVs apart from those from other luxury brands, which are already focusing intently on things like acceleration and sporty handling.
New Cadillac boss Steve Carlisle seems to know Cadillac is having a bit of an identity crisis. He was recently quoted in saying that “maybe it’s time for Cadillac to just be Cadillac again,” but its newer products like the XT6, CT5 and CT4 seem to suggest the brand hasn’t really changed course all that much in recent times. The next few years will truly decide the future of the brand and where it is headed as it rolls out its electrified vehicles and pure EVs.
“Right now, we’re the underdog, and that gives us the opportunity to be the comeback kid,” Carlisle said earlier this year.
