This Caddy sets a good foot forward with its rear-wheel drive
Taking the next step in realigning their range of four-door cars, Cadillac has officially rolled out their CT4 sedan. Sized in between the Audi A3 and A4, this Caddy sets a good foot forward with its rear-wheel drive architecture and decidedly rear-drive proportions.
Cadillac has been simplifying its trim offerings with a ‘Y-strategy’, placing Luxury and Premium Luxury models on one branch while Sport and V trims take up residence on the other. That trend continues with the CT4. Luxury and Premium Luxury models will ladle on the chrome trim while Sport and V rigs get darker accents and more angular fasciae.
In terms of size, the CT4 slots between Ingolstadt’s A3 and A4 sedans. The three cars are 4756, 4458, and 4726mm in length respectively. CT4’s wheelbase very nearly splits the difference between the two Audis at 1815mm. The Cadillac’s width is on the smaller end of the scale, though, measuring 1815mm to the A3’s 1796mm and the A4’s 1842mm.
Two different engines will be available. The brand’s 2.0L turbo makes 237 horsepower and 258lb.-ft of torque, while a 2.7L turbo produces 309 ponies and 348lb.-ft of twist. The former is mated to an eight-speed transmission with the latter gets ten cogs. Rear-drive is standard on all trims but power can be sent to all four corners via optional all-wheel drive.
As for the V, it gets an uprated version of the 2.7L that is jacked to 325 horses. If that number seems a bit off the mark for a V, you’re exactly right. The third-gen CTS-V packs a 6.2L V8 heaving out 640 horsepower. Company brass quickly promised a hotter V sometime in the future but why they felt the need to stick a V badge on a car with less horsepower than a Ford Edge ST is mystifying.
The CT4’s interior draws heavily on other Cadillacs with which it shares a showroom. An 8-inch touchscreen handles infotainment duties and houses a markedly improved CUE system. A pair of physical buttons sprout from the dash ready to handle volume and tuning duties, an excellent addition. Standard kit includes what one would expect to find in a Cadillac, including a heated leather-wrapped wheel and noise-cancelling audio system.
Dead ahead of the driver is a standard set of gauges, with a speedometer and tachometer flanking a configurable TFT screen. It would be great if Cadillac would offer something in the visage of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, especially given they have something of the sort currently installed in the big-boy Escalade.
Cadillac’s killer app, Super Cruise, will show up in calendar year 2020. When it does, the driver assistance feature will give the CT4 a major selling point compared to the Germans and Japanese. Super Cruise deploys LiDAR map data, high-precision GPS, a state-of-the-art driver attention system, and a network of camera and radar sensors to enable customers drive hands-free on certain highways. Your author tried this gee-whiz tech on a CT6 last year on a lengthy stretch of Quebec highway and came away quite impressed.
Look for the 2020 CT4 on dealer lots later this year.
Keyword: Cadillac Rolls Out New CT4 Sedan