Cadillac Ends CTS Production After 16 Years And 3 Generations

The Cadillac CTS, once GM’s premium sedan rival to the Germans, is no more, after the announcement that production at the Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan has ceased.

Cadillac spokesperson Tara Kuhnen confirmed the news in a statement provided to Cadillac Society, bringing an end to a vehicle which has been a staple in Cadillac’s range for 16 years. The new CT5 will fill the void left behind by the CTS and shall be built at the same plant.

Also Read: 2020 Cadillac CT5 Is A Bold Replacement For The ATS And CTS

Production of the CTS first started for the 2003 model year and, in standard form, depending on the year, the it was sold with a 3.2-liter V6 with 220 hp, a 3.6-liter V6 delivering 255 hp and, later, a 2.8-liter V6. In 2004, the high-performance CTS-V made its premiere and was outfitted with a 400 hp, 5.7-liter LS6 V8 engine.

Cadillac introduced the second-generation CTS in 2008, underpinned by the Sigma II platform. With the new generation, a new-and-improved CTS-V launched, powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 556 hp and 551 lb-ft to really put the Europeans on notice.

Perhaps the most significant changes to the CTS were made in its third-generation, when it was “moved” to GM’s Alpha platform and shifted from being a BMW 3-Series rival to one targeting the 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It was in the vehicle’s third generation when things for the CTS-V were turned up to 11 and the car’s supercharged 6.2-liter V8 delivered 640 hp and 630 lb-ft (854 Nm) of torque, making it the most powerful Cadillac ever.