2020 Cadillac CT5: Detroit’s Luxurious Sports Sedan Takes Aim at BMW, Mercedes-Benz

Topline: Cadillac's replacement for the ATS and CTS sedans has been revealed at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. The Detroit automaker's volume luxury sedan will offer an array of amenities, but perhaps most importantly, it'll feature the company's signature hands-off Super Cruise driving assist.

What's New: Cadillac has, as most premium automakers do today, aimed the new CT5 at the meeting point of its historical niche of luxury and the frontier of sportiness. A luxurious car to most people today is one that's comfortable, convenient, and doesn't require any more attention than is strictly necessary, while a sports sedan is often anything but these. It's a tricky balance to strike, but BMW hasn't missed the mark yet with its iconic 5 Series, and Cadillac strives to make the CT5 accomplish the same.

Tech is a pivotal selling point for modern luxury car buyers, be it for entertainment or safety, and the CT5 ticks both boxes. Central to the CT5's interior is a 10-inch infotainment screen with knob controls, a refreshing change in the haptic touch-hypnotized automotive industry. Customers can spec in features such as remote start, a cabin air ionizer (reduces static electricity and airborne bacteria concentration), and front seats with a lumbar massage function.

But Cadillac hides most of the CT5's technological party pieces where it hopes you'll never have to see it: in the safety features. All CT5s—from the base Luxury to Premium Luxury and top-level Sport trims—feature forward collision alert, low-speed automatic emergency braking, and front pedestrian watch. Option a CT5 up and you can improve the emergency braking, add a rear pedestrian detector, a 360-degree camera system with an onboard recorder, automatic parking assist, and even advanced adaptive cruise control, which'll react to traffic around you.

Certainly the crown jewel of the CT5 is Cadillac's automated driving assist system, Super Cruise, the first in the world that legally permits you to remove your hands from the steering wheel. Though Super Cruise is compatible with over 130,000 miles of freeways in North America, don't assume this means you can complain about the guy tailgating you on Nextdoor as you travel; the CT5 will watch you to ensure your eyes are still on the road, so you can react in case of impending danger.

Cadillac says Super Cruise won't be available on the CT5 at launch but will become an option sometime in 2020.

Powertrain options start with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine, firing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque through a 10-speed automatic to the rear wheels, or all four if the buyer so chooses. Premium Luxury and Sport trims can migrate northward to a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6, which generates 335 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Both engines feature cylinder deactivation to save gas when cruising on the highway, and stop-start to kill the engine at a halt.

Something tells us there'll eventually be a CT5-V made, potentially featuring the CT6-V's 4.2-liter, twin-turbo "Blackwing" V8, but that's just speculation on our end. Cadillac has certainly prepared the CT5 for such a variant by giving it electric power steering with a rack-mounted motor, electric power brakes, and a suspension setup that already revolves around ZF MVS passive shock absorbers.

Quotable: "Cadillac is dedicated to building the world’s most exhilarating luxury sedans," said Cadillac President Steve Carlisle. "Every element of the CT5 is focused on delivering an unrivaled experience, from the 10-speed transmission to Cadillac's Super Cruise technology. The expansion of Super Cruise to CT5 reinforces our commitment to bringing the most innovative technologies to our customers."

What You Need to Know: GM says the CT5 will be available for order this fall, and that production will be handled domestically at its Lansing, Michigan factory. That'll probably come as a relief to the facility's employees in the wake of GM's announced closure of five plants across North America.