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Don't worry, hotter Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V variants are on the way

Cadillac's executive chief engineer says "there will be different personas" with the company's V models.

Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
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Jon Wong Former editor for CNET Cars
Jon Wong was a reviews editor for CNET Cars. He test drove and wrote about new cars and oversaw coverage of automotive accessories and garage gear. In his spare time, he enjoys track days, caring for his fleet of old Japanese cars and searching for the next one to add to his garage.
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Steven Ewing
Jon Wong
2 min read
Cadillac
Watch this: 2020 Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-V pump-up the V-Series performance sedan lineup

If you read about the new Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V and found the details a little underwhelming, don't worry, you aren't alone. Making 320 horsepower and 355 horsepower, respectively, the CT4-V and CT5-V are significantly down on power compared to their ATS-V and predecessors. But these might not be the only high-performance variants in the pipeline.

Some rumblings heard during the CT4-V and CT5-V reveal event in Detroit on Thursday suggest more powerful, track-focused models could arrive in the not-too-distant future. What sort of V-related nomenclature they'll use, however, is unknown.

2020 Cadillac CT4-V revealed with 320 hp and available all-wheel drive

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Brandon Vivian, Cadillac's executive chief engineer, says this "gives us the ability to have a range of V-Series models." Expanding the V-Series range means "there will be different personas;" customers will be able to "dial it up from just looks, to looks and performance, and keep going from there," Vivian says.

This jibes with news we reported last year, when a Cadillac employee said the brand's 4.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine would make its way into the next-generation CTS-V -- in this case, the CT5-V. Cadillac's Blackwing V8 makes 550 horsepower in the CT6-V, which we were worried might not be enough to properly replace the bonkers, 640-horsepower CTS-V. But considering the CT5-V only makes a measly 355 horsepower, a 550-horsepower V8 would be a seriously healthy bump -- assuming it uses the CT6-V's tune.

As for the CT4-V, Cadillac has a number of V6 engines in its portfolio that make more power than the sedan's 320-horsepower, 2.7-liter, turbocharged I4. So if a hotter CT4-V is indeed in the works, there are a few different ways Cadillac could go in an effort to have it better match the 464 horsepower offered by the outgoing ATS-V sedan and coupe.

2020 Cadillac CT5-V has 355 hp and Super Cruise tech

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Even with their lower power outputs, we're willing to bet the CT4-V and CT5-V will be pretty alright to drive. Both models get Cadillac's excellent Magnetic Ride Control, as well as the company's Super Cruise driver assistance technology. The CT4-V and CT5-V are said to be a bit lighter than their ATS-V and CTS-V predecessors, as well.

Still, it's nice to know these initial CT4-V and CT5-V models are only the beginning. "Cadillac's passion for [the] track isn't going anywhere," Vivian said.