An American Luxury Reinvention Continues
Cadillac continues to reinvent itself and refine its luxury product portfolio with an upscale set of vehicles that appeals to today’s luxury sports sedan buyer, and competes head-to-head with its European/Asian competitors from Audi, BMW, Genesis, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.
What is the Cadillac CT4-V?
It’s a sport-luxury compact four-door RWD/AWD sedan that sits on a 109.3-inch wheelbase and is 187.2 inches long.
The CT4-V, new for 2020, is based on the previous Cadillac ATS platform.
The CT4 has four trim levels, Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport and the range-topping CT4-V. Pricing starts at $33,990 for the Luxury trim and tops out at a reasonable $45,490 for the CT4-V. Checking all the option boxes on the CT4-V raises the price to almost $56,700.
The top-range CT4-V model is the version that Cadillac provided Clean Fleet Report for review. Priced at $48,490, it has a good set of upgrades, and is equipped with a 2.7-liter turbocharged I4 DOHC four-cylinder direct-injection high-compression engine that is rated at 325 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. It’s a good engine that can accelerate the CT4-V to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The engine has quite a bit of low-end torque off the line, probably due to the engine having its main duty as an option in the Silverado pickup.
The CT4-V is available in either RWD or full-time AWD. The only transmission choice is the Hydra-Matic 10L60 10-speed automatic. This transmission was flawless with quick seamless shifts, and was always in the right gear for every driving situation. Active Fuel Management, which is GM’s cylinder deactivation strategy, is standard as well. According to Cadillac, fuel economy for the four-cylinder is 29 mpg combined. Our test car returned 26.5 mpg. Not too bad for a 3,600-pound vehicle.
How does it drive?
The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V that I drove was very well-equipped, including upscale seating, magnesium paddle shifters, navigation, a great sounding Bose premium audio system, advanced multi-zone climate system and heated and cooled seats.
Included in the CT4-V trim is Level 2 autonomous driving and safety systems, as well as the Driver’s Awareness Package, LED automatic headlights, along with an enhanced instrument panel and head-up display.
This CT4-V had a great road-feel, very firm, but supple due in part to its Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 adjustable shock absorbers, along with selectable Vehicle Control Modes with customizable V-Mode settings, and individually selectable settings for steering, suspension and engine response.
We found that we spent most of our time in the Touring mode during our time with the CT4-V. The suspension features a double-pivot MacPherson-type front suspension, a five-link independent rear suspension riding on 18-inch run-flat summer-tires that contributed greatly to the firm road holding. Even in Sport mode, the CT4-V never felt harsh or stiff. The electric rack power steering system could be a little stiff in the Sport mode and in the V-Mode settings, but otherwise had great road feel and feedback.
The CT4-V has exceptional soundproofing and a very slippery exterior that all but eliminates wind and road noise. The CT4-V exhaust can be set for stealth mode or the “let’s make some noise†mode, when you bury the accelerator pedal. This car really shows its power with its on-ramp acceleration chops of quick shifts and a gnarly exhaust note. The four-piston Brembo brakes are firm with no fade; pedal feel was progressive and responsive.
A High-Performance Sedan with a Luxury Interior
The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V’s interior is world-class, easily as good as, if not better than, those from Audi and Mercedes. The CT4-V we drove had very nicely fitted seats done in Sangria/Jet Black motif with semi-aniline perforated leather seating surfaces in the great looking Sangria burgundy.
The seats were power-adjustable in just about every dimension with a heated, power tilt-telescoping steering wheel that had memory settings for up to three drivers. Both front and rear seating was very good, with plenty of rear seat legroom and adjustable HVAC outlets.
There were two displays in the cockpit, one for the driver and the other for the infotainment system, plus an available HUD windshield driver display. While most of the CT4-V’s controls were on the screens, there were also lots of secondary physical buttons that saved the driver from having to navigate through levels of menus. The CT4-V’s controls were mostly intuitive, but it took a few miles behind the wheel to feel comfortable about finding all of them.
The Bose audio system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. The sound is augmented with DSP sound processing for a rich and deep sounds that have great range, making any source a rich and immersive experience. Bluetooth connectivity and multiple USB-A/C ports were available both front and rear, and a wireless charging pad in the center console is a nice touch. The Caddy includes OnStar and Wi-Fi hotspot subscription services.
Safety Systems
The CT4-V had all of the critical safety systems that are becoming pretty much standard these days, including blind spot monitoring, lane departure and lane keeping assist and automatic high-beam LED headlights. Cruise control with stop-and-go, forward collision warning and emergency braking is standard. Still, Cadillac follows GM’s strategy of making the more useful systems optional on most of the trim levels to present a lower vehicle base price.
The CT4-V will have Cadillac’s Level 2 autonomous-driving feature, Super Cruise, available as an option. Super Cruise is a hands-free driver assistance package that can steer, accelerate and brake a vehicle without a driver needing to keep their hands on the wheel. It is available through a subscription service, but our test vehicle did not have it installed.
A Head-Turning Exterior
The overall styling of the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V gives it a very European presence with a sharp hood, short overhangs and a dynamic looking roofline. Leading all of these design elements is the large Cadillac signature grille highlighted with knife-edge LED daytime-running lights along the front fender lines. The Cadillac DNA is part of the overall design in this Cadillac, but in the end, the design is quite striking and the CT4 wears it better that its larger and smaller siblings. The CT4-V is distinguished by its gloss black trim that distinguishes it from the lesser CT4 trims.
Pricing
There are four trim levels for the 2020 Cadillac CT4 and a variety of option packages. Visit Cadillac’s website for full specifications, pricing and local incentives.
CT4 Luxury 2.0T: $33,890 (FWD) $36,490 (AWD)
CT4 Premium Luxury 2.0T: $38,090 (FWD) $41,290 (AWD)
CT4 Premium Luxury 2.7T: $41,990 (FWD) $45,190 (AWD)
CT4 Sport 2.0T: $39,190 (FWD) $41,790 (AWD)
CT4-V 2.7T: $45,390 (FWD) $46,490 (AWD)
Destination Charge: $995
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Limited warranty: Four years/50,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: Six years/70,000 miles
Complimentary maintenance: First visit
The C4-V is a significant vehicle for Cadillac, attempting to be a disrupter to the status quo in the compact performance-luxury vehicle market.
Cadillac is coming from behind, and with its future desire to be GM’s electric vehicle halo brand, it is unclear where this traditional internal combustion engine-based vehicle will land in GM’s product plans, but for now, the CT4-V is a great example of a well-built and engineered sport luxury sedan.
If you are considering an Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, or Genesis, make sure you add the CT4-V to your list.
In summary, as the latest addition to the Cadillac Performance family, the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V is a genuine 21st century performance luxury sedan that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with any other brand.
Story & photos by Gary Lieber; additional photos from Cadillac.
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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