Move Over Escalade, The CT5 Was Cadillac’s Best-Selling Model Worldwide

In a wide ranging media briefing, Cadillac officials talked sales, future plans, and their EV efforts

Cadillac is introducing new models at a breakneck pace as they unveiled three electric vehicles last year as well as the facelifted XT4 and CT5.

The luxury brand isn’t slowing down as they’re gearing up to launch the Escalade IQ and ultra-luxury Celestiq later this year. We can also expect to learn more about the Optiq and Vistiq as well as Cadillac’s plans for electrifying the V-Series lineup.

That’s a full plate, but the brand is being rewarded for their perseverance as U.S. sales climbed 9.3% last year to 147,214 units. This is nearly a return to pre-pandemic levels and it means Cadillac bested Acura and Volvo.

More: 2025 Cadillac CT5 Debuts With Sportier Styling And A New 33-Inch Curved Display

2025 Cadillac CT5 / CarScoops

While Cadillac has embraced crossovers and SUVs, their best-selling vehicle globally was actually a sedan, and specifically, the CT5, which saw sales jump 23.7%. That’s a bit surprising as Americans prefer the Escalade and they snapped up 41,689 units last year, which is more than twice the number of CT5s sold in the same period.

Nevertheless, Cadillac sedans enjoyed their best year in America since 2018. Furthermore, CT4-V and CT5-V sales climbed 20% and 31%, respectively.

Shifting gears, Cadillac’s John Roth said the Lyriq is coming into its own as the company sold 9,154 units in the United States last year. Over 3,800 of them were delivered in the fourth quarter and that shows production has largely ramped up after some initial issues. Roth added that he doesn’t see impediments to sales at this point and they now have enough inventory to help push sales even further.

Speaking of which, the Lyriq was the “best-selling compact luxury EV with [a] 33.5% retail share.” It’s also worth noting the crossover outsold the Audi Q4 e-tron as long as you don’t include the Sportback variant.

To help ensure the Lyriq remains a success, Cadillac is offering a $7,500 incentive to make up for the ‘missing’ federal tax credit. Longer term, the company is working to make the crossover eligible for the revised credit.

While there’s been a lot of talk about slowing demand for electric vehicles, officials didn’t seem worried as they said their models are primed for success thanks to an eye-catching design and impressive ranges. In the case of the Escalade IQ, the model is slated to travel approximately 450 miles (724 km) on a single charge.

Luxury buyers also seem more open to EVs and Cadillac has been adding dealers in electric vehicle hotspots such as California.