Cadillac CT5 2020 spied testing in Melbourne

A heavily camouflaged Cadillac sedan has been spotted prowling suburban Victoria, reigniting fervour among local fans keen for a long-rumoured Australian launch.

While it is impossible to confirm, what with the thick layering of camouflaged wrapping, our keen-eyed spotter was convinced the car in question was the 2020 CT5 (the first time one has been spotted in Australia), which was parked outside the Woolworths supermarket in Vermont, Victoria.

The Cadillac was sporting Victorian numberplates, with only the front grille, headlights and DRL banks poking through the heavy camouflage. At the rear, only the rear lights and quad exhaust tips are visible. The CT5 is an incoming luxury sedan from the American brand - the size of a BMW 5 Series - which is expected to be powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.2-litre V8 when it goes on sale in the States in 2019.

The heavily camouflaged Cadillac popped into the local Woolworths supermarket. (image credit: Matt Harradine)

But local fans are being told to once again cool their jets. Holden says the host of Cadillacs being spotted in and around Melbourne are actually here as part of GM’s “global workshare program”, making use of Holden’s recently upgraded emissions lab and proving ground for engineering and powertrain testing. 

"This is one of the many cars we’re testing as part of GM's global workshare project," says Holden spokesman Mark Flintoff. "The proving ground has recently had close to $20m invested in its emissions lab and in the resurfracing of its banked circular loop, and the engineering and powertrain teams are putting it to good use.”

And so the next the car Holden launches in Australia won’t be a screaming Cadillac CTS-V, then? 

“The next vehicle Holden will launch is the Acadia - a large seven-seat SUV - in Q4,” Flintoff says.

Are you keen on a Caddy? Tell us in the comments below