2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing First Drive Review: Out With A Pop
0Cadillac, like many other luxury brands, is going electric. The Lyriq SUV will debut first in 2023, and nearly every vehicle thereafter will have some form of battery power underhood. Understandably, that's a gut punch for people who pour gasoline in their cereal every morning and munch down on spark plugs for lunch and dinner. But at least Cadillac is sending out its V-Series cars with a bang, relatively speaking.
The 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is the fastest, most powerful subcompact car the company has ever built. This isn't the fire-breathing CT5-V Blackwing (more on that next week), but the pint-sized sedan does dig deep into Cadillac's performance roots with a twin-turbocharged V6, a blistering 60 time, and the ability to lap tracks like Virginia International Raceway – where we tested it – in record time.
Subtlety Over Shoutiness
But you might not know how technically capable this car is simply by looking at it. There are no "Blackwing" badges anywhere on the sheet metal of the CT4-V, disappointingly – not a single nod to this car's more potent persona. Cadillac tweaked the grille and touched up the bumpers, and the automaker forces you to shell out $4,350 for a carbon fiber package that adds a front splitter, side skirts, and a rear spoiler. Beyond neat visuals, at least the carbon fiber pack tacks on 169 pounds of downforce at 180 miles per hour – the most of any Cadillac ever.
The standard wheels are a rather boring set of 18-inch two-tone rims, and even the optional satin-finished shoes aren't all that exciting for an extra $600. The snowflake-patterned bronze rims are the best of the bunch, with a unique high-spoke design and a sublime finish, but they'll cost you $1,500 extra. The eye-searing Blaze Orange metallic paint pictured here is an additional $625 as well.
Inside, the same basic elements of the base CT4-V carry over, with some new carbon fiber dotting the dash and door panels, optional $300 microfiber material on the steering wheel and shift knob, and a neat 3D-printed metal accent atop the shifter itself. On top of that, the Blackwing's new microfiber bucket seats are super comfy, with better back and butt support than the base V's leather chairs, and adjustable bolsters that contour to your body like a well-fitting glove. You can even get optional red seat belts.
Pocket Rocket
Most of Blackwing's magic is under the hood. Cadillac ditched the base model’s four-cylinder truck-derived engine (thankfully) for a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 that produces 472 horsepower and 445 pound-feet. That number represents a huge improvement over the CT4-V’s 325 hp and 380 lb-ft.
Much like the rest of the CT4, technically this "new" engine is a carryover from the ATS-V. But with more power, a quicker 60 time of 3.9 seconds with the automatic (4.1 seconds with the manual), and a top speed of 189 miles per hour, the CT4-V Blackwing hustles down the front straight of VIR with ferocity.
Max twist arrives at 3,500 rpm and horsepower hits at 5,750, which is actually a tad peakier than what the lesser CT4-V offers (1,500 rpm / 5,600 rpm), and down still on the Audi RS3 (2,250 / 5,600 rpm) and Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 (2,250 / 4,750 rpm). And there is some obvious lag when you lay into the throttle. But once the turbos spool up and the 10-speed automatic cogs into gear, this car hustles.
Slapping the paddle shifters activates the 10-speed automatic's brutally quick shifts. This gearbox shows confidence on the track, yet feels anonymous when cruising through some of the sleepy towns of rural northern North Carolina later in the same day (in both good and bad ways). But you'd be crazy not to opt for the standard six-speed manual, especially since it's more than $3,000 cheaper.
The six-speed snickers satisfyingly into place with every throw. You might find yourself shifting maniacally, as we did, just to hear and feel the satisfying "clunk" of the transmission locking into gear – from fifth to fourth to third for no reason at all. And that unnecessary shifting is easy thanks to the standard rev-matching system, which does all the heel-toeing for you.