As a leading third-party automotive quality evaluation platform in China, Cheqq.com has launched the "New Car Commerciality Evaluation" column based on massive automotive product test samples and scientific data models. Every month, for a number of models on sale that have been on the market in China for less than two years and have a mileage of no more than 5,000 kilometers, through the two dimensions of objective data and subjective feelings, senior evaluators use professional equipment to conduct systematic testing and evaluation, so as to comprehensively display and analyze the current situation of the overall commoditization level of new cars in the domestic automobile market, and provide consumers with objective and true opinions and reference when purchasing vehicles.
In the luxury sports mid-size car market, although the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are the top models in the sales list, the strength of the Cadillac CT5 should not be underestimated. In particular, the launch of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 better meets the preferences of young people with multi-dimensional upgrades in appearance, interior and intelligent technology configuration. According to the data of Cheqq.com, as of press time, the 2024 Cadillac CT5 has received a total of 11 complaints since its launch, and the reputation is relatively stable in the short term. So, can the 2024 Cadillac CT5 continue its current word-of-mouth performance? Will there be new problems that are difficult for the average consumer to spot? This issue of "New Car Commodity Evaluation" will clear the fog for you, and restore a real 2024 Cadillac CT5 through two dimensions: objective data and subjective feelings.
1. Objective data
This project mainly shows the performance of the new car in terms of commerciality in an all-round way through field tests of 12 items such as body technology, paint film level, interior air quality, vibration and noise, parking radar and lighting/vision.
In the body process test link, a total of 10 key parts of the vehicle are selected, and 3 key points will be selected for measurement in each key part to evaluate the uniformity of the gaps in each key part. Judging from the test results, the average gap value of all key parts of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 is controlled within a reasonable range, and the overall gap uniformity performance is remarkable, which meets the expectations of the expert jury.
In the paint film level test link, it can be found through the test results that the average thickness of the paint film of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 vehicle is about 176.4 μm, which exceeds the standard value of high-end cars (≥ 120 μm) at the data level. Judging from the test data of each key part, the average thickness of the paint film on the engine compartment cover and front door is significantly lower than that of other parts, and there is still room for improvement in the uniformity of paint spraying.
In the in-vehicle air quality test, the vehicle is placed in the internal surface parking lot with fewer vehicles, and the formaldehyde content of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 is measured to be 0.01mg/m3, which is fully in line with the relevant standards in the "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Interior Air Quality in Passenger Cars" (National Standard GB/T 27630-2011) jointly issued by the former Ministry of Environmental Protection and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China since March 1, 2012.
In the static noise test, the measured noise value of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 in the car is 30dB in the stationary state, reaching the lowest value of the test instrument. When the vehicle is started, the measured noise level in the car is 37.1dB in the idle state, and the noise increase is very small. With the increase of engine speed, the noise value into the car shows a gradual increase trend, from the test data, the engine at 2000 rpm and 3000 rpm, the noise value into the car is 48.3dB and 53.1dB respectively. By comparing the noise levels with several different environments, the 2024 Cadillac CT5 performs well in engine noise suppression, and will hardly cause interference to the driver and passengers in the car under working conditions.
In the air conditioning noise test, the test instrument is first placed at a position about 10cm away from the air outlet of the air conditioner, and then the air volume of the air conditioner is increased from small to large, and the noise value of the driver's position is measured in different gears. According to the actual measurement, the air conditioning adjustment of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 is divided into 8 gears, and the noise level measured when the highest gear is turned on is 66.1dB, which is at the middle and upper reaches of the same level compared with the previous test of similar models.
In the static interior vibration test, the steering wheel and front/rear seats of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 both vibrate at idle at 0.2mm/s. Under load, the vibration values of the steering wheel and front/rear seats increase slightly, both at 0.3mm/s, and the overall feeling is not obvious, which can provide good ride comfort.
In addition, we tested the parking radar, lights/visibility, handling system, tires, sunroof, seats, trunk. After testing, the length of the front seat cushion of the evaluation car is decent, but the seat adjustable travel is short, and the practicality performance is average; The important complaint is the rear seat, the seat cushion length is short, and the seat material belongs to the hard category, which is not very comfortable for a long time. The test car is equipped with a segmented electric sunroof, but the openable sunroof area is smaller and not as transparent as the panoramic sunroof. In addition, there is a certain gap between the trunk opening and interior regularity compared with the tested models of the same class, which needs to be optimized.
2. Subjective feelings
This project is subjectively evaluated by a number of reviewers on the actual performance of the new car in terms of static and dynamic aspects. Among them, the static aspect includes four parts: external, internal, spatial and human-computer interaction; The dynamic aspect includes five parts: acceleration, braking, steering, driving feeling and driving safety. In the end, the total score is given based on the subjective evaluation opinions of the reviewers, and the actual performance of the new car in terms of commerciality is reflected from the perspective of subjective feelings.
In the external perception evaluation, the 2024 Cadillac CT5 adopts the latest design language of the family, the front grille looks flatter, the headlights on both sides have been optimized, and the segmented design of the previous LED daytime running lights has been changed to an integrated design, making the front face look more integral. The headlights are in-line quantum matrix headlights, with 9 low-beam LED light groups and 13 ADB LED light groups on one side to form 12 ADB high-beam pixel divisions, with the adaptive high and low beams and LED flow turn signal functions, which not only look more technological, but also make driving safer. The evaluation car is equipped with a keyless entry system for the whole car, and supports APP remote control of door opening and closing, vehicle start and other functions, and the convenience performance is remarkable.
In the interior feeling evaluation, the interior design of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 has been significantly changed compared to the 2023 model. Equipped with a 33-inch 9K surround screen super retina curved screen, the visual effect is very shocking, and on the far left side of the screen, you can also touch adjust the HUD head-up display, driving assistance and other functions, which is very convenient for daily use. In terms of materials, the places that are often touched by hand are wrapped in leather materials, which is very good for creating a luxurious atmosphere.
The 2024 Cadillac CT5 offers 3 USB charging ports across the board, covering two types: Type-A and Type-C. In addition, the front cup holder is also equipped with a wireless charging pad for mobile phones, which makes daily charging of mobile phones more convenient.
The padding of the front and rear seats of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 is on the stiff side, but it is worth mentioning that the front seats are equipped with heating, ventilation and massage functions, which have a good ride comfort. However, due to the high protrusion of the middle floor of the rear row and the lack of headrests in the middle of the rear row, this position is not suitable for long rides. In terms of storage space, there are 16 storage spaces in the car, and commonly used items can be well placed without affecting the aesthetics of the car.
In terms of human-computer interaction, the 2024 Cadillac CT5 screen has a built-in CUE on-board intelligent system, the UI interface is clear and easy to understand, and it is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip, and the smoothness of the vehicle-machine system is relatively fast. Say "Hello Cadillac" and the car will respond quickly. In addition, functions such as Internet of Vehicles, OTA upgrades, wake-up words, visible and speaking are all supported, which can meet the needs of current consumers.
The 2024 Cadillac CT5 is equipped with a 2.0T turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 174kW and a maximum torque of 350Nm, and an acceleration time of 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds. From the actual experience, the initial adjustment of the accelerator pedal is sensitive, but the overall performance of the follow-up power is still linear and smooth. In addition, the evaluation car provides a variety of driving modes such as Sport, Standard, Snow, Custom, etc., and after switching to Sport mode, the throttle is more followed, and the gearbox response is also much more positive.
In terms of braking, the brake pedal of the evaluation car has a small virtual position, and the braking force release is more linear, but it will become stiffer and stiffer as the brake pedal continues to go deeper.
The steering system of the evaluation car has a slight void, and the steering mode can be set separately to meet the usage habits of different drivers. However, the overall feel of the steering wheel is still slightly heavier, and it will take a while to get used to it.
The chassis part adopts a combination of the front double ball joint MacPherson independent suspension and the rear five-link independent suspension, and is equipped with electromagnetic induction suspension, the suspension supports soft and hard adjustment, but the overall performance of the suspension is still biased towards support, which also emphasizes the sports positioning of the car again. After passing through the bridge joints and potholes, you can clearly feel the heaviness and integrity of the chassis. In addition, the sound insulation and noise reduction of the evaluation car are also quite good, and the wind noise and tire noise are well suppressed during driving.
The 2024 Cadillac CT5 is equipped with a L2 driver assistance system, with moderate acceleration and deceleration at full-speed adaptive cruise, and 3 levels of following distance adjustment, but the lowest gear is far away from the car in front and is easy to be jammed by other vehicles. Lane keeping assist is more accurate in the recognition of lane markings, and the performance of intelligent assisted driving is remarkable.
Summary:
Based on the results of the above tests, it is concluded that the overall performance of the 2024 Cadillac CT5 in terms of objective data and subjective feelings has met the expectations of the expert jury. At the level of objective data, the performance of the body technology level is satisfactory, but the uniformity of paint film spraying needs to be improved. In addition, radar spacing, seat adjustable travel, and rear seat cushion length also needed to be optimized. In terms of subjective feelings, the 2024 Cadillac CT5 performs well in terms of lighting system, interior materials, and driving comfort, but the ride comfort of the rear middle seat and the following distance of the cruise system still need to be optimized. Overall, the 2024 Cadillac CT5's commerciality performance is in the mid-range of the same class of models tested.