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First Drive: The New Cadillac CT4-V Sports Sedan Handles Better Than Your Supercar

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#1 · (Edited)
First Drive: The New Cadillac CT4-V Sports Sedan Handles Better Than Your Supercar
During a test-drive on SoCal’s Ortega Highway, the sport sedan impressed us with incredible handling—but is this new Caddy really all that?
Robb Report
July 10, 2020
MANUEL CARRILLO III

Perched upon a mountain overlooking the lake 1,800 feet below, I push the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V‘s start button and head back toward the coast, down the stretch of Ortega that I just ascended. I have no worries about the challenging tarmac ahead of me, for I’m driving one of the most planted-feeling machines I’ve ever tested. Cadillac‘s new, small sports sedan was made for roads like this.

The CT4 is Cadillac‘s replacement for the ATS, which also has fantastic handling. Both cars share the same GM Alpha chassis—one of my all-time favorite platforms. A few years ago, I got to shake down an ATS-V at Willow Springs International Raceway and I was blown away by how that car felt more at home on a racetrack than a few supercars I’ve tested.

Behind the wheel of the CT4-V, I feel a similar level of confidence. The new Caddy rides on MacPherson struts up front and a five-link setup in back. My all-wheel-drive tester uses ZF MVS (Modular Valve System) passive dampers, which do a great job at minimizing body motion while still offering a comfortable ride. The standard, rear-wheel-drive CT4-V uses even more advanced magnetorheological shocks, which I can imagine are even better for handling and ride.

The CT4-V’s impressive suspension is complemented by the most remarkable summer tires I’ve experienced on any car. The model is shod with Continental’s new SportContact 6 SSR run-flat rubber. These tires amplify the vehicle’s superb chassis tuning, and are so much fun and confidence-inspiring at—and even just past—the limits of adhesion. The tread pattern is rather slick but very grippy. Take a turn too fast, and the CT4-V progressively begins to step off its arc, giving you plenty of reaction time for adjusting the throttle to get the car back in line. The prodigious grip also translates to incredible stopping power, giving me clearance to dive harder into turns.


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#2 ·
It’s really strange to me how there is such a divergence of opinion from the V to the Non V models on the CT4/5. While the Vs are touted as near best in class (especially from a performance perspective) in most reviews the non Vs are just the opposite. Considering that the Vs will likely be ~10% of sales Cadillac needs to find a better strategy. Especially since the Vs are ~$5k premium to PL and Sport where I bet 75% of the volume is. It would seem the Vs would be a better option for a much bigger proportion (maybe 25%?)

Offering MRC on the 2021 CT5 sport is a good start.
 
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