Outside of the fact that you could have pretty luxurious American car with decent power, something that made the Cadillac ATS-V (and the last-gen CTS-V) stand out was the availability of a manual transmission. Cadillac dropped the manual on the CTS-V a few years back, so we didn’t expect the CT5-V to be offered with one, but the CT4-V certainly should at least be offered with the option. At least the ATS-V and CTS-V came with decent power. Well, now Cadillac has announced both replacement cars and, as it turns out, there’s no manual transmission and no power in sight. Does that mean those both cars are duds and should just be written off like the many other GM models that GM ruined in one way or another? Yeah, probably, and I’m pissed. What the hell is wrong with GM these days?

2020 Cadillac CT5-V & CT4-V drivetrain specifications

Engine Type:

3.0L Twin Turbo V-6

2.7L Turbocharged I4

Valvetrain:

Dual-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, dual-independent valve timing and Active Fuel Management

Dual-overhead camshafts, four-valves per cylinder, 3-step sliding camshaft, continuously variable valve timing, variable valve lift and Active Fuel Management

Fuel Delivery:

Direct, high-pressure fuel injection

Direct high-pressure fuel injection

Turbocharging System:

Twin low-inertia twin-scroll turbochargers with electronically controlled wastegates and water-to-air intercooling

Single dual-volute turbocharger with electronically controlled wastegate; intercooling system; 33-psi / 2.3 bar max boost

Horsepower(hp / kW @ rpm):

355 / 265 @ 5600 (est.)

320 / 239 @ 5600 (est.)

Torque(lb.-ft. / Nm @ rpm):

400 / 542 @ 2400-4400 (est.)

369 / 500 @ 1800 (est.)

Transmission Type:

Hydra-Matic 10L80 ten-speed automatic

Hydra-Matic 10L60 ten-speed automatic

Final Drive Ratio:

2.85

2.85


2020 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V: The Good

Both the CT4-V and CT5-V are actually quite attractive. I’m honestly not a fan of Cadillac’s current headlight, but overall both cars have that sleek, sporty, four-door look without being tarnished with that four-door coupe bullshit every other luxury automaker is trying to push on us. Seriously folks, those four-door coupes or gran coupes are all sedans – I don’t care what the automakers say.

But I digress. I do like the CT4-V a little better because it actually has a sportier rear end that’s somewhat aggressive. The CT5-V, on the other hand, kind of looks like Cadillac was afraid to get too aggressive with the fake diffuser. I do, however, like the front design of the CT5-V a little more than that of the CT4-V. If Cadillac blended the two together, I’d be one happy guy.

That’s right, they have the power, and it’s all delivered to the proper wheels by default. Of course, you can still opt for Caddy’s AWD system, but in RWD form, both the CT4-V and CT5-V have the ability to become true enthusiasts’ cars if they can hold up to expectations in their segments.

2020 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V: The Bad

Well, the bad here is painfully obvious. The CT4-V and CT5-V could serve as both luxury and sports cars. Remember what the ATS-V and CTS-V offered? The ATS-V used to put down 464 horsepower while the CTS-V pumped out 640. The replacement for the ATS-V is down by nearly 100 horsepower to just 320 and the replacement for the CTS-V has had one of its testicles removed and puts out just 355 horsepower. Is GM serious right now? GM just can’t stop with the disappointment.

I have just four words for you : Brembo front braking system. Yeah, that’s how the press release reads. Maybe it’s just an error and the CT4- and CT5-V really have Brembo brakes all of the way around but, somehow, I doubt it. I could see GM cheaping out and going with cheap stuff for the rears. If that’s the case, that definitely ranks up on my bad list.

Final Thoughts

In the end, I do have a bit of a soft spot for Cadillac’s V-Series, but it’s becoming a really hard lineup to like. Yeah right. Not a lot of people bought the V-Series in the first place, and I’m will to bet that nobody will now. Cadillac… uhem… GM has just signed the death warrant for the Caddilac V-Series badge and, if I had to guess, I’d say that without better leadership, Cadillac as a brand won’t be around much longer either. Why? Well, think about this:

-* Cadillac ousted its CEO over failure to build SUVS fast enough

-* Moving out of Manhattan (wasted money)

-* Canceled subscription service

-* Worthless renderings of an EV that doesn’t exist while the competition gains momentum

-* Janky semi-autonomous driving systems

-* And now, two shitty V-Series models with no balls

All of this happened over the last 14 months. It just stinks to high hell of death, don’t you think?

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2020 Cadillac CT5.

Read our full review on the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Sedan.

Read our full review on the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V.