Cadillac’s third-quarter sales fell 30% to 32,560 vehicles, but the luxury brand found one notable bright spot in the Cadillac CT5. The sedan, which is scheduled to leave production in the coming months, recorded a 4.1% increase in third-quarter deliveries to 4,162 units.
Cadillac Sales Fall 30% in Q3
Cadillac’s third-quarter results showed a sharp decline compared with the same period in 2025. The brand, which has more electric vehicles than any other GM brand, saw vehicle sales fall 30% to 32,560 units over the past three months.
The year-to-date numbers were also down significantly. Cadillac deliveries fell 25% compared with the first nine months of 2025, with fewer than 100,000 vehicles sold.
The results came after the $7,500 federal tax credit for battery-electric vehicles disappeared one year ago. That change ended a period of increased sales to consumers seeking savings on zero-emission vehicles and has been followed by difficulties for brands that invested heavily in EVs.
Cadillac CT5 Delivers a Rare Sales Gain
Against that broader decline, the Cadillac CT5 stood out. The sedan recorded 4,162 deliveries in the third quarter, a 4.1% increase from Q3 2025.
The result comes as the CT5 approaches the end of its current production run. The CT4 wrapped up earlier this year, while the Celestiq is a hand-built hatchback, leaving the CT5 as the last Cadillac sedan currently in production.
GM has confirmed that the CT5 will return with a new generation, likely in 2028, with production planned at GM’s Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan. However, the article notes that conditions in the auto industry could change.
The CT5’s future follows several shifts in Cadillac’s plans. The brand previously said it would soon become an electric-only company, while an earlier change in direction ended the CT6 and Blackwing V8 program.
CT4 and CT5 Sales Show Mixed Results
GM ended production of the smaller Cadillac CT4 at Lansing Grand River a few months ago. Its sales fell 44.2% compared with Q3 2025 and were down 4% for the first nine months of 2025, reaching 3,904 units.
Despite its third-quarter increase, the CT5 remains down 2% for the year, with 11,924 units sold. Its recent gain gives the sedan an opportunity to finish its current run on stronger sales, although its year-to-date total remains below the previous year’s figure.
Cadillac’s EV Sales Remain Under Pressure
Cadillac’s electric vehicles also posted declines during the third quarter. Lyriq sales fell 50.5%, Escalade IQ and IQL sales declined 29.2%, Vistiq sales dropped 34.1%, and Optiq sales were down 6.9%.
For the first nine months, Vistiq and Optiq were Cadillac’s only EV models with positive sales figures. Vistiq sales were up 14.5%, while Optiq sales increased 18.4%, with both models having entered the U.S. market in spring 2025.
Escalade and Other ICE Models Also Decline
Cadillac’s internal-combustion models have not made up for the decline in EV sales, aside from the CT5’s third-quarter gain. Even the full-size Escalade, which has been Cadillac’s top seller for years, saw sales fall 17% to 29,653 units during the first nine months compared with the same period in 2025.
Escalade sales were also down 15.4% in the third quarter, reaching 9,591 units compared with Q3 2025.
The near-term lineup faces additional changes. Production of the ICE-only XT6 has already ended, while the smaller XT5 is scheduled to go away this year. New generations of both vehicles are expected to launch in the next few years.
For now, both models are posting lower sales. The XT5, Cadillac’s second-best seller behind the Escalade, recorded 16,530 deliveries during the first nine months, down 10.6% from the same period in 2025.
XT6 sales fell even more sharply after production ended nearly a year ago. The model recorded 3,126 deliveries during the first nine months, a 76.8% decline from the same period in 2025.
With Cadillac’s overall sales down sharply and most of its EV and internal-combustion models posting declines, the CT5’s third-quarter increase stands out as one of the few positive results in the brand’s latest sales report.
