2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Reviews, Pricing & Specs

In a time when automotive styling is trending towards the bold, futuristic, and occasionally shocking, the CT4-V Blackwing is refreshingly restrained. The broad grille and menacing headlights are a clear evolution of Cadillac's design language, picking up where this car’s predecessor, the ATS-V, left off. We are happy to see a hot-rod small luxury car from Cadillac once again enter the fray.

The Blackwing stands out from the rest of the CT4 lineup with a wider track, framed up by elegantly flared fenders, more aerodynamic bodywork, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Perhaps the only “extra” design element is the pronounced rear spoiler, which provides functional downforce and draws a lot of attention. So did our test car’s Electric Blue paint colour ($900 extra), which contrasted nicely with the bronze-finish wheels (a $1,725 option).

While the exterior is a bit different, the Blackwing benefits from an interior layout shared with the standard CT4. Compared to more “tech-savvy” options such as the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the CT4 is refreshingly intuitive. Our test car was optioned with a fetching tan and jet black leather interior with contrasting white piping and red stitching. Our test car also featured optional carbon fibre inlays throughout. The leather-wrapped steering wheel features a red leather band at 12 o’clock, a driver aid carried over from the motorsport world.

The dash is capped off by an intuitive touchscreen infotainment system with redundant tactile controls located in the centre console. Below the screen are two rows of hard buttons for the climate controls and other vehicle functions.

The CT4-V Blackwing comes standard with heated front seats, 18-way power-adjustable front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, and the AKG 15-speaker premium stereo system. Our test car also came with the Climate Package ($700), which adds ventilated front seats, front power lumbar adjustment, and massaging functionality for both of the front seats.

The beating heart of the CT4-V Blackwing is a 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. It produces power specs of 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque. Power is routed to rear-wheel drive (RWD) through either a Tremec six-speed manual transmission or available 10-speed automatic transmission.

With the automatic in our test car, the CT4-V Blackwing can sprint from zero to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds (Cadillac doesn’t provide 0-100 km/h figures) and hit a top track speed of 304 kilometres per hour, according to Cadillac. Acceleration is brisk at any speed and the engine can make absolutely menacing snaps and pops from the quad-tip exhaust system. With the manual transmission, zero-to-sixty is still a thrilling 4.1 seconds. That’s the same as the base BMW M3. The M3 Competition xDrive adds all-wheel drive (AWD), however, and the 0-60 time drops to just 3.4 seconds.

The manual transmission includes active rev-matching and no-lift shifting. When downshifting in a manual, there’s a trick that seasoned drivers can perform called “heel-toe” driving, by which they depress the brake with their toe while simultaneously “blipping” the throttle. This “blip” ensures that when you release the clutch, the downshift is smooth. And in performance driving, smooth is fast. This active rev-matching removes the need for any pedal pirouettes. Meanwhile, no-lift shifting is exactly what it sounds like. You don’t need to lift off the throttle when making shifts while accelerating hard. Together, these features will make anyone using a manual-equipped CT4-V Blackwing look like a professional race-car driver.

The CT4-V Blackwing features Brembo performance brakes with optional painted calipers at all four corners, a standard electronic limited-slip rear differential, standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, and Magnetic Ride Control. All of this equipment helps make the Blackwing a serious performance sedan, but it’s the Magnetic Ride Control that contributes to its multiple personalities. This advanced suspension system monitors road conditions 1,000 times a second to provide optimal ride quality. It can soften or stiffen based on the drive mode.

Located in the centre console area behind the cup holders, the drive mode selector allows the driver to select Tour, Sport, Snow/Ice, and Track modes. Each has unique tuning for the throttle response, steering feedback, exhaust loudness, shift mapping (in automatic cars), and suspension feel. Tour makes the Blackwing a comfortable road-trip car while Track turns it into a focused performance machine.

There’s also a dial and a “V” button on the steering wheel. The dial controls the Performance Traction Management (PTM) system, which scales back the intervention of the traction control. Between the drive modes, the PTM dial, and the V button, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially while driving. But it all works toward providing a customizable driving experience and one that can go from sedate sedan to frenzied performer with the flip of a switch.

If you’re looking for more Corvette-tier high performance out of your luxury sedan, go higher in the V-Series line-up and check out the larger CT5-V Blackwing. It features a 668-hp supercharged 6.2-litre V8 and a zero-to-60 time of just 3.4 seconds.

At its core, the CT4-V Blackwing is a compact luxury sedan. It provides seating for up to five, and like most compact sedans, the rear-seat space is limited. Also limited is the trunk space, at just 303 litres. That’s among the smallest in the class, though the trunk lid is large enough to make placing or removing bags easy enough.

There is adequate front-seat space for a car of its size, though, including good headroom and legroom. The seats are comfortable enough for a road trip, though other compact luxury cars like the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are far more comfortable in this regard. There is limited storage space in the front doors and centre console, but like any good American car, the cup holders are large and easily accessible.

Rear seating is where things start to fall apart. There is very limited headroom and legroom. Accommodating rear-seat passengers will require the front-seat occupant to slide forward and even then, headroom is still an issue.

The CT4-V Blackwing benefits from GM’s easy-to-use touchscreen infotainment system. It has a sensible layout, large icons, and helpful traditional toggles, such as a volume dial and home buttons. This infotainment system also includes a rotary dial and navigation buttons in the centre console, giving users the power of choice. While a touchscreen is optimal for many, the dial can be a bit easier while driving. Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are included as well. A head-up display is available.

The Blackwing comes equipped with a fully digital instrument panel that changes themes based on the various drive modes. In more performance-oriented trims, the most critical information is presented front and centre.

Other notable tech features include the optional Performance Data Recorder and downloadable Cosworth Toolbox. The latter allows you to drill down into every aspect of the vehicle’s performance. It tracks steering angle, braking, throttle data, and vehicle speed. If you’re a die-hard enthusiast, this can let you analyze your driving to sharpen your skills.

The CT4-V Blackwing comes standard with a whole host of driver assistance features. These include forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane change alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Blackwing also comes with GM’s clever Safety Alert Seat. It can vibrate the left or right side of the seat (or both sides simultaneously) to help draw your attention to a potential hazard triggered by one of the aforementioned systems.

Selecting the automatic transmission adds the Driver Assist Package ($1,165). It includes adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and reverse automatic emergency braking.

These systems all work as they should, and it’s an impressive feat that Cadillac was able to incorporate features like automatic emergency braking into a vehicle with a manual transmission. If the car slows too quickly or reaches too low a speed and the driver has not responded (by depressing the brakes and/or clutch), the engine will stall and/or the vehicle will stop. It’s a situation you’d hope to avoid, but we’re encouraged to see modern technology being made to play nice with the good-old manual transmission.

If you are aiming for the best fuel economy from your high-powered performance sedan, the 10-speed automatic transmission is the way to go. It returns fuel economy of 15.0 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 9.7 on the highway, and 12.6 combined. In our week of combined city and highway driving, we observed an average fuel economy of 13.2 L/100 km. If you choose to row your own gears, Natural Resources Canada estimates for the six-speed manual transmission are 15.2 L/100 km city, 10.2 highway, and 13.0 combined. The CT4-V Blackwing requires premium fuel.

Base MSRP for the 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is $71,797, including a $2,300 destination charge and other fees. Adding the 10-speed automatic brings the base price to $75,557. The CT4-V Blackwing is backed by a six-year/110,000-kilometre powertrain warranty.

There are several colours that add $900 and the Radiant Red Tintcoat colour costs $1,395. Bronze-finish 18-inch alloy wheels add $1,725. Buyers can select the Climate Package ($700) which adds massaging and ventilated cooling functionality for the front seats. The Driver Assist Package ($1,165) adds adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and reverse automatic braking to automatic-transmission models. There are several carbon fibre packages that can add more than $8,000 to the price as well.

With all options ticked, the CT4-V Blackwing can cost more than $90,000, and it’s still a value compared to rival performance sedans. The vaunted BMW M3 Competition xDrive starts at $89,500—and that’s before options. A fully loaded M3 can cost more than $100,000.

When you’re a young car enthusiast, you tell everyone you’d drive a race car to work if it could pass inspection. But as you get older, you appreciate balance in all things. As much as you might love the thrill of hard driving, a car that’s too performance-focused can make driving hard. The CT4-V Blackwing expertly bridges the gap between performance and comfort into an exciting sedan that’s actually functional. Other rivals might offer more luxury, but few can match the daily usability of the CT4-V Blackwing.

Frankly, cars are getting so good that a sport sedan delivers speed that’s on par with supercars from a decade and a half ago. You really won’t be able to push a car like this to even close to its limits unless you are on a track. Most of the time, you’ll be driving on public roads, so a fast car better be drivable in conditions other than the track. The ideal car is one that provides its specialized attributes without detracting from daily usability. Other competitors might have higher-calibre interiors, but if you’re here for the speed, the CT4-V Blackwing delivers a solid level of luxury with the calibre of performance that makes it one of the most compelling cars of 2023.

Note: Images show a US model.