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2020 Cadillac CT4 spy shots reveal sedan-heavy approach in age of SUVs

You're looking at some pictures of the 2020 Cadillac CT4, which will be smaller than the upcoming CT5. And since they're both smothered in similar-looking camouflage, which is specifically intended to confuse, you might think they look pretty similar. In isolated photos, it's sometimes hard to tell which sedan you're looking at. In fact, when we first saw this car recently, we also thought it was a CT5. Here's how we know they're actually two different cars. Some background: The CT5 is slated to replace the CTS, and to try and find the balance that the old car couldn't achieve in the lineup. Cadillac's former CEO previously stated that this car would also fill in for the ATS, which is on its way out. Whatever it ends up being, it'll have to make a clear case for itself against the CT6 — it can't be too close in size and opulence, or they'll hurt each other in sales. And the CT5 can't be too small, or it will struggle against traditional midsize luxury cars. The CT4 could further complicate matters for the exact same reasons, just in a smaller package. How small can Cadillac make it? It seems poised to replace the wonderful-to-drive ATS, which was as allergic to sales as the XTS. This will give Cadillac a three-sedan lineup: CT4, CT5, and CT6. Let's hope there's enough differentiation between them to prevent consumer confusion and sales cannibalization — and that consumers understand the CT6's promotion via attrition to top dog in the sedan lineup. With all that out of the way, let's look more closely at the CT4 (above left) and CT5 (right). The CT4's greenhouse stops closer to the centerline of the rear wheels than the CT5's. That gives the CT5 a visually longer, leaner look, more of a semi-fastback arrangement. The CT5's rear vanity window should resemble the CT6's, with a glass element behind the door opening. The CT4 will have a more conventional vanity window in the door, like the ATS. Perhaps the quickest "tell" is the size of the side-view mirrors, which are rounder in the CT4 and leaner in the CT5. Out back, the CT4 has a lower cutout for the license plate than the CT5. The exhaust outlets are also different, although that may change for production. Remember, the big full-width rear lights are probably misdirection on the part of the GM camo team. The entire rear decklid of the CT4 has more roundedness to it, while the CT5's extra width gives it more room up top to spread the decklid out a little flatter.

GM CEO Mary Barra predicts mass electrification will take decades

General Motors is allocating a substantial amount of money to the development of electric technology, but Mary Barra, the firm's CEO, conceded that battery-powered cars won't fully replace their gasoline-burning counterparts for several decades. She stressed the shift is ongoing, but she hinted it will be slower than many assume. "We believe the transition will happen over time," affirmed Barra on "Leadership Live with David Rubenstein," a talk show aired by Bloomberg Television. She added that not every car will be electric in 2040. "It will happen in a little bit longer period, but it will happen," she told the host. She was presumably talking about the United States market; the situation is markedly different in Europe and in China, where strict government regulations (and even stricter ones on the horizon) are accelerating the shift towards electric cars. On the surface, it doesn't look like General Motors has much invested in electrification; the only battery-powered model it sells in America in 2020 is the Chevrolet Bolt (pictured), which undeniably remains a niche vehicle. Sales totaled 16,418 units in 2019, meaning the Corvette beat it by about 1,500 sales. In comparison, Cadillac sold 35,424 examples of the aging last-generation Escalade during the same time period. And yet, the company isn't giving up. It has numerous electric models in the pipeline including a slightly larger version of the aforementioned Bolt, the much-hyped GMC Hummer pickup, and an electric crossover assigned to the Cadillac brand. These models (and others) will use the Ultium battery technology that General Motors is currently developing. Its engineers are also working on a modular platform capable of underpinning a wide variety of cars. Bringing these innovations to the market is a Herculean task. EVs may not take over for decades, but Barra and her team must believe their 2% market share will increase significantly in the coming years if they're approving these programs. Autonomous technology is even costlier, more complicated, and more time-consuming to develop. Barra nonetheless expects to see the first General Motors-built driverless vehicles on the road by 2025. "I definitely think it will happen within the next five years. Our Cruise team is continuing to develop technology so it's safer than a human driver. I think you'll see it clearly within five years," she said on the same talk show. Her statement is vague but realistic.

Cadillac applies to trademark Symboliq, Optiq and Celestiq names

GM Authority found a General Motors trademark filing with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property for the phrase "Cadillac Symboliq" and the name "Symboliq." The documents submitted on July 22 were for the category of "Motorized land vehicles, namely automobiles.” It appears the Swiss action was GM following up on what it had done the day before in the U.S. On July 21, GM filed paperwork with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure three words and three phrases: Symboliq and Cadillac Symboliq, Optiq and Cadillac Optiq, and Celestiq and Cadillac Celestiq. Every name is listed for application to "Motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles." Cadillac recently explained its switch to model names that end in "iq," pronounced "ick," and the fact that the Celestiq name is among the recent trio leads us to believe the automaker has strong intent to use the other two on future products. We know the Celestiq — a large, hand-built, flagship sedan that will follow the Lyriq to market, predicted to retail for close to $200,000 whenever it goes on sale. We also know Cadillac has three more battery-electric products in the works after the XT5-sized Lyriq and "massive" Celestiq. As laid out in a 2019 GM Sustainability Report pitching 20 new electric vehicles across all brands by 2023, from Cadillac we're anticipating an XT4-sized crossover, an XT6-sized three-row crossover, and an electric take on the Escalade. Two of those three could get the Symboliq and Optiq names. The lineup, and more important, Cadillac's vision, will make more sense on August 6 when we finally get to see the Lyriq concept, with its single pane of 33-inch glass forming the instrument and infotainment display across the dash, tall taillights, and 22-inch wheels.   Related Video: