© Mike Meredith, Automotive Content Experience
2020 Cadillac CT4
The newest addition to Cadillac’s range, the CT4 is a luxury model smaller than the midsize CT5, filling the position of ATS in the lineup. Designed to appeal to younger buyers who may be new to the Cadillac brand, CT4 is offered in four versions with unique exterior details: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport and V-Series.
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Test Vehicle
Cadillac provided a 2020 CT4 Premium Luxury for us to test, finished in Shadow Metallic with Whisper Beige leather seats and black interior accents. The CT4 Premium Luxury starts at $37,495, although our test car arrived with a number of options for a total MSRP including destination charge of $50,265. Optional equipment includes a 2.7-liter turbocharged engine; all-wheel drive; Navigation and Bose Premium Audio Packages; a Driver Assist Package; a Climate Package; a Technology Package; a Driver Awareness Plus Package; and optional 18-inch wheels with diamond cut finish and Midnight Silver painted accents.
© Mike Meredith, Automotive Content Experience
Design
The CT4 is built on Cadillac’s rear-wheel-drive architecture with an athletic stance and a sporty look to appeal to younger buyers and compete with other sport sedans. The front-end design and grille are similar to other Cadillac sedan models, but also unique to CT4 so they stand out and draw attention. All trim levels include LED headlights, LED taillights and signature vertical lights at all four corners. Unique design element for the Premium Luxury trim include bright exterior accents and premium hot foil-stamping for the grille.
© Mike Meredith, Automotive Content Experience
CT4 Interior
The CT4 interior is contemporary and fresh, and as with the exterior, designed to attract a new buyer to the Cadillac brand. In front of the driver is a full-color, dual display driver information center. The driver-focused cockpit is surrounded by intuitive controls on the steering wheel, behind the steering wheel and in the center console.
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New Technology
In the center of the CT4 dash is a tablet-style high-definition 8-inch-diagonal touchscreen. The CT4 benefits from GM’s all-new electronic architecture, which enables the adoption of the company’s next generation of technologies including faster signal transmissions, vehicle improvements through over-the-air updates and enhanced cybersecurity measures. Below the touchscreen are volume and tuning knobs for the radio. The controller in the center console can also be used for selections on the screen, and a second volume knob resides in the console.
© Mike Meredith, Automotive Content Experience
Interior Enhancements
The CT4 we tested includes a Climate Package that adds heated / ventilated front seats, 4-way power lumbar front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Driver Assistance Package also adds advanced adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking and reverse automatic braking.
© Mike Meredith, Automotive Content Experience
Under the Hood
The CT4 we tested is powered by the optional 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. The 2.7-liter engine gets paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission with Electronic Precision Shift; our tester also had optional all-wheel drive. Selectable drive modes include Tour, Sport, Snow / Ice, Track and My Mode.
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Driving Dynamics
Cadillac engineers focused on balanced driving dynamics with near-even front to rear weight distribution, double-pivot MacPherson-type front suspension, Bosch Premium electric power steering, ZF Multi-Valve System passive dampers and available all-wheel drive.
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In the Driver’s Seat
Slipping behind the wheel of the CT4 for the first time, drivers will soon observe that the CT4 is a car that feels comfortable almost immediately. The interior is inviting, all controls are easy to access and everything seems to be where it should be. The Premium Luxury trim level is nicely appointed with comfortable leather seats, a sporty design and appreciable details including metal trim and stitching on the dash and door panels.
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On the Road
The CT4 delivers a sporty look and feel — it looks the part of a sport sedan with a design easily identified as Cadillac, but with a sporty flare. Although it still feels like a sport sedan, the Premium Luxury variant shifts the balance toward luxury; but keep in mind the CT4 also offers Sport and V-Series trims with more focus on performance.
© Mike Meredith, Automotive Content Experience
Powerful Engine
Powered by a turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine, our test car possessed a lot of power, making it effortless to drive. Pulling into traffic or merging onto a highway was a breeze thanks to a lot of low-end torque from the turbo engine. The exhaust is relatively quiet, even in Sport mode; the Sport and V-Series trims likely offer a louder exhaust note. The 2020 Cadillac CT4 always has plenty of power on tap, and the 10-speed automatic transmission keeps the car in the correct gear — holding onto lower gears longer in Sport mode. In Manual-Shift mode, the CT4 has a bit of delay before the shift occurs but after gear selection via the paddles.
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Driving Dynamics
The CT4 Premium Luxury leans toward the luxury side of the driving spectrum, but it remains a sport sedan with great driving dynamics. The responsive steering has excellent feedback and the suspension is well-controlled without being too stiff. Sport mode adds additional steering weight and stiffens the suspension when needed for winding back roads.
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Challenges
The 2020 Cadillac CT4 Premium Luxury is a great looking, comfortable sport sedan that would function as a fantastic everyday driver. However, buyers are still flocking to crossovers and Cadillac even offers its own CT4 competitor in the XT4. Add to that established models from competitors such as Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and others. The new CT4 is an extremely competitive offering, but the competition remains well established.
© General Motors
Rating: 8.0
The Cadillac CT4 Premium Luxury powered by a turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine is a sporty, fun-to-drive sedan with a great design and comfortable interior. New owners will appreciate that the CT4 is incredibly easy to get to know and drive comfortable within a short period of time. And although the competition is fierce, Cadillac aims for an entirely new buyer with this model and should be able to challenge the established competition with the CT4 sport sedan.
