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Cadillac CT5 Luggage Test | How big is the trunk?

The Cadillac CT5 is a midsize luxury sedan. At least by today's standards. By the standards of Cadillac's past, it's practically a compact. At 193.8 inches long, the CT5 is 3 inches shorter than its STS predecessor of 15 years ago and 11 inches shorter than the Seville of 25 years ago. This is significant since virtually every other car brand's offerings have grown from generation-to-generation. See the BMW 5 Series as just one example. You'd have to go back to the 1980s to find a CT5 ancestor that's smaller, though that stubby thing was an aberration.   Honestly, I'm just sharing that because I think it's interesting. This post is about trunk space, and exterior size doesn't necessarily equate to how much junk you can fit in the trunk. In fact, the CT5 is pretty good example of that. Although smaller than its predecessors, the CT5 is still an awfully big car that's comparable to other midsize luxury sedans, including the 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The trunk, however, is notably smaller than what you'd get in those with a rather rinky-dink 11.9 cubic feet. That's coupe territory and less than what you'd get in some subcompact sedans. The A6 and E-Class are in the 13-cube range, while the 5 Series apparently has 14.5 cubic feet.  So, how small is 11.9 cubic feet? Although plenty wide at the rear, which should be handy for golf clubs, the CT5's trunk isn't very long compared to all those competitors. The A6's is narrower but also practically a tunnel by comparison. Also, note the ramp-like structures along the outer edges. Besides making loading a hassle, they effectively make the trunk even smaller than the 11.4 cubic-feet that's technically there since it's so difficult to load items right up to the wheel wells. You can see a closer look at those "ramps" above left along with the smallish pass through that oddly looks like a previous-generation Hyundai Sonata's grille.  Above right you can see the underfloor storage. There is no spare tire.  Besides those "ramps" impeding luggage loading from below, these giant speakers hanging down from the parcel shelf sure don't help, either. Watch your hands while loading, as well as anything that might be easily scratched (or that might damage the speakers) OK, let's get to the bags.

Cadillac vehicles to go electric by 2030, will get real names

DETROIT — The head of General Motors' Cadillac luxury brand said on Thursday that a majority, and possibly all, of the brand's models would be electric vehicles by 2030. Cadillac President Steve Carlisle also said Cadillac was on track for "low double-digit" sales growth in China in 2019, despite a drop in overall sales in the world's largest vehicle market. Retail Cadillac sales in the United States were on track this year for their first increase since 2013, Carlisle said. Cadillac has previously signaled a move toward electric models. Carlisle also confirmed Cadillac would offer a large electric sports-utility vehicle (SUV) similar to the Escalade and that it could continue to sell internal combustion models alongside electric vehicles, depending on consumer demand. GM expects to begin production of the large Cadillac electric SUV in late 2023 at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant as part of a planned $3 billion overhaul of the factory, sources have previously told Reuters. GM's luxury brand also plans to introduce a compact electric SUV in China in 2022, with a companion model slated to go into production in the United States in late 2023, suppliers said. Cadillac showed a concept for a midsized electric SUV earlier this year. The division will use names for its future electric models, moving away from number and letter names such as CT6 or XT5. "Escalade is an awesome name," Carlisle said. Cadillac will refresh its existing gasoline-powered models one more time over the next decade and then focus on the electric models, he said. "None of us knows how quickly the transition will take place," to a fully electric lineup, Carlisle said. A key challenge for electric vehicles is driving range and Carlisle said Cadillacs will need a range of 300 miles to be competitive. Eventually, he said, "you need to be at 400 miles" with charging times in minutes. Cadillac also will expand the number of models equipped with GM's Super Cruise semi-automated driving system, Carlisle said. GM executives have previously suggested that a more advanced version of Super Cruise was in the works. Earnings/Financials Green Cadillac Electric Luxury

Cadillac could 'flourish' in Australia, says marketing chief

Cadillac might have its best product mix in recent history, and GM's luxury brand is looking to expand. In fact, it might even be making a trip Down Under, at least according to the company's global marketing chief.
Uwe Ellinghaus spoke with Australian site Car Advice at the Geneva Motor Show and said the brand could be quite successful there. "[The] goodwill that the Cadillac brand has is such a good starting base that once we get proper volume commitment and a dealer network behind it we can easily flourish," he said, though he warned that the plans are still in their earliest stages and years away. First, Cadillac will expand in markets with the highest possible sales, like China and Russia.
Ellinghaus said that the most likely models for Oz would be the SRX, Escalade and CTS; the latter would probably act as a replacement for the Holden Commodore. GM's Australian arm is ending local production in 2017, and there have been many rumors about what is happening to the big sedan. However, Ellinghaus admits exporting cars from the US to Australia is going to mean higher prices. In addition to the expense, Cadillac doesn't currently build any right-hand-drive models. It would likely take until the end of the decade before the Aussie models could be ready.