2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The CT4’s exterior styling gives us the impression that Cadillac’s designers have run out of ideas. Cadillac radically changed its look with the Cyberpunk-esque first-generation CTS sedan, and gradually refined it to a balance of restraint and distinctiveness. The old ATS looked like a Cadillac but was still handsome. The main design differences for the CT4 are fussy add-ons like the elongated LED daytime running lights and more complex sheet metal surrounding the taillights, that just make the design fussier. Unlike the ATS, there is not coupe version of the CT4.

As with other Cadillac models, the CT4 gets different styling elements depending on whether you select the Sport or Premium Luxury trim level. The former gets dark trim, nickel-finished 18-inch wheels, a sportier-looking front fascia, and a small rear spoiler. The Premium Luxury gets bright chrome trim and 18-inch wheels.

The CT4-V and CT4-V Blackwing also get model-specific styling elements to aid cooling and aerodynamics. The Blackwing’s optional Carbon Fibre 1 and Carbon Fibre 2 Packages add some serious aerodynamic hardware, including a large ducktail rear spoiler, dive planes, side-sill extensions, front splitter, and rear diffuser. These items aren’t for show; Cadillac claims they were developed with lessons learned from racing, and they produce real aerodynamic downforce that will improve performance on a track.

The interior doesn’t make a particularly strong design statement and, even dressed up with our Blackwing tester’s optional carbon fibre trim, leather upholstery with white piping, and “performance” steering wheel, it didn’t feel particularly luxurious. Most of the materials felt fairly low-rent, although that’s a criticism we could apply to many competitors as well.

Cadillac offers several levels of performance. Entry-level models get a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. CT4 Premium Luxury models can be equipped with a 2.7-litre turbo-four producing 310 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Both powertrains are available with rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD).

The Cadillac CT4-V gets a higher-output version of the 2.7-litre engine, producing 325 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. This model gets the same 10-speed automatic as the Premium Luxury, and is also available with RWD or AWD.

If performance is really the priority, though, the Blackwing is the answer. This hardcore performance model gets a 3.6L twin-turbo V6 producing 472 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque. For the purest driving experience, the Blackwing is only available with RWD, and a six-speed manual transmission is standard (a 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters is also available). Cadillac says the CT4-V Blackwing will do zero to 96 km/h in 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of more than 304 kilometres per hour.

The Blackwing also gets Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 adaptive suspension, Brembo brakes, and a model-specific electronic limited slip differential. With these specs, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Blackwing is fantastic to drive. But what did surprise us was just how much fun and characterful this Caddy was to pilot. It felt alive and involving, which isn’t always the case with modern sports sedans. Modern technology makes it easy to extract performance from a car, but often at the expense of a memorable experience. That’s not the case here.

Even in its least-sporty setting, the steering was delicate and provided plenty of feedback. The twin-turbo engine was a tower of torque, but was still eager to rev, making it very entertaining to run up through the gears. The suspension was even fairly supple for a performance car, although the ride quality was far from cushy. It all adds up to a car that’s enjoyable to drive even at normal speeds.

Like other sedans in this segment, interior space isn’t exactly generous. If you want more room, your local Cadillac dealer will happily show you a CT5 (or CT5-V Blackwing). But the CT4 does compare well to its rivals.

The Cadillac has more front legroom than the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, or Mercedes-Benz C-Class, as well as more front headroom than the Audi and Mercedes. It has less rear-seat headroom than the Germans, however, and we found the rear seats to be hard and unsupportive.

We did like our Blackwing test car’s heavily bolstered front seats, which were quite comfortable despite their sporty design (and featured heating and ventilation to boot). In contrast to the bunker-like feel of some sedans, the CT4’s low window sills and fairly upright windshield provided excellent outward visibility. That’s good whether you’re trying to park or find the apex on a track.

The cabin can still feel a bit claustrophobic, however. The CT4 has less shoulder room than most other similarly sized sedans, so occupants are placed fairly close together. For that reason, we wouldn’t want to ride in the centre rear seat. Up front, the close placement of the seats also left little room for storage space. Cadillac did place the cupholders out of the way of our test car’s manual shifter, at least.

The CT4 also has less cargo space than its rivals. The quoted 303 litres of trunk space is about 60 litres less than the Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class, and about 80 litres less than the Acura TLX and Infiniti Q50. Meanwhile, the BMW 3 Series outdoes all of these sedans with 480 litres of trunk space.

The standard infotainment system includes an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and Bluetooth. Wireless phone charging is standard as well, and a head-up display is available.

We found the infotainment system easy to use, thanks to a simple menu layout with smartphone-like icons. Unlike some other Cadillac models, the CT4 also has real switchgear for climate control and other functions, instead of haptic touchpoints. However, the CT4’s tech is fairly basic by current luxury-car standards. The Cadillac lacks the natural language voice recognition you get on most German sedans these days, and even some non-luxury models now offer larger touchscreens.

The CT4-V Blackwing can also be equipped with a 15-speaker AKG premium audio system (other models get Bose systems) and the General Motors Performance Data Recorder. Also used in the Chevrolet Corvette, the Performance Data Recorder records real-time audio, front-camera video (in 1080p), and 34 channels of data traces from track sessions. So, just like a professional racer, you can analyze data and video of a lap to find ways to improve your driving and find speed.

Blackwing models also get a 12-inch digital instrument cluster with different configurations for the Tour, Sport, and Track driving modes. We liked the graphics and the neat animation you get when changing modes, but wish the tachometer was displayed more prominently in the default Tour mode. While the tach is front and centre in Sport and Track modes, it’s pushed to the lower left-hand corner of the display in Tour mode. That’s not ideal for a performance car, especially one with a manual gearbox.

Standard driver-assist tech on the Blackwing includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, lane-change alert with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear park assist. Like other Cadillac models, the CT4 also comes standard with the Safety Alert Seat, which vibrates when one of the driver aids is triggered. An optional Driver Assist Package adds adaptive cruise control, “enhanced” automatic emergency braking, and reverse automatic braking.

After two model years of waiting, the Super Cruise hands-free driving system will also finally be available on the CT4 Sport and Premium Luxury trim levels later in the model year. Super Cruise controls the steering, throttle, and braking on designated stretches of mapped highway. It still requires an attentive driver, however, and a driver-monitoring system is included to guard against misuse.

Overall, the CT4 is very strong on safety features. It offers more standard driver-assist tech than most competitors, and Super Cruise is more advanced than the basic adaptive cruise control systems offered in rival luxury sedans.

The only thing missing is a top safety rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hadn’t released crash test scores for the CT4 at the time of publication.

The most efficient CT4 model is the base RWD version with the 2.0-litre engine, which returns Natural Resources Canada-rated fuel consumption of 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres combined (10.2 city, 7.0 highway). Predictably, AWD versions and models with the larger 2.7-litre engine are less efficient, although not by much. The AWD V-Series version is rated at 10.4 L/100 km combined, for example.

The Blackwing rises further, at 12.6 L/100 km combined with the 10-speed automatic transmission and 13.0 L/100 km combined with the six-speed manual. We averaged an indicated 13.5 L/100 km with our manual-transmission test car. Those numbers aren’t very impressive for a modern car, but not surprising for one focused on performance rather than efficiency.

Cadillac offers a four-year, 80,000-kilometre, bumper-to-bumper limited warranty, including basic maintenance, and a six-year, 110,000-kilometre, powertrain limited warranty.

Pricing starts at $37,598 for a CT4 Luxury with the base engine and RWD (prices do not include the $2,300 destination charge), but you’ll have to upgrade to get true luxury features like leather seats. The Premium Luxury and Sport trim levels start at $41,298, while the CT4-V has a $47,798 base price. These prices are in line with the competition.

It’s hard to beat the Genesis G70 and Alfa Romeo Giulia when it comes to driving pleasure, although the Alfa is seriously compromised when it comes to interior space and ergonomics. The Genesis, however, offers more standard features than the CT4. The German sedans that inspired the CT4 offer more advanced infotainment tech, but they don’t have a clear overall advantage anymore, in our opinion. The Acura TLX Type S is a good alternative to the CT4-V, but sits below the V-Series Blackwing in both performance and price.

Speaking of the Blackwing, it starts at $65,098, which is a big step up from ordinary CT4 models, but a relative bargain compared to rivals. The BMW M3, for example, starts at $86,800. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has a $94,745 base MSRP. Our test car had $16,645 in options, including the Carbon Fibre 1 and Carbon Fibre 2 packages, a head-up display, Shadow Metallic paint, and the Performance Recorder, bringing the as-tested price to $76,723 (Canadian, estimated). But it’s hard to think of another car with a base price $10,000 to $20,000 lower than its main competition.

The standard CT4 is a solid sedan with a few weak points, including lackluster interior materials, middling infotainment tech, and a small trunk. It wouldn’t be a mistake to buy one, but we wouldn’t say Cadillac is building the best car in the segment, either. We have no reservations about the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing as a new car, however. It’s simply one of the best-driving performance sedans you can buy today, showing the potential that was hiding in the basic CT4 platform all along.

Note: Images show a US model.