2022 Cadillac CT5

By New Car Test Drive May 26, 2022

The Cadillac CT5 is a sleek mid-size sedan with models that can focus on luxury or performance.

For 2022 a new model joins the range, and it’s a screamer: the CT5-V Blackwing. A supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 churns out 668 horsepower in the sedan, and it’s available with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic. The chassis and structure are stiffened, and it rides on a magnetic suspension and sticky 19-inch tires. It can go more than 200 miles per hour or accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.

Not to be overlooked are more significant improvements to safety for the CT5 in 2022. Pedestrian detection is added to the standard automatic emergency braking system, along with rear parking sensors and a reminder if you’ve left something in the back seat.

Forgetting the show-stopping Blackwing for a moment, the CT5 can be quite civilized as a stylish daily driver, with a simple 237-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine. The next step up is a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 that makes 335 or 360 hp. There’s also a relatively mild version of the supercharged V-8.

The CT5 handles well and delivers a composed ride on that rigid structure. It’s rear-wheel drive with all-wheel drive available for every model but the Blackwing.

The most popular model is the 2.0-liter turbo-4, which is EPA rated at 23 mpg city, 33 highway, 27 combined with rear-wheel drive, or a couple mpg less as AWD. It takes premium fuel. The 335-hp twin-turbo V-6 engine earns a rating of 19/27/22 mpg, while the 360-hp version gets 18/27/21 mpg with rear-wheel drive and the same with AWD.

The Blackwing gets 16 mpg combined with the automatic transmission and 15 mpg with the 6-speed gearbox.

The CT5 gets top scores in every crash test performed by the NHTSA, while the IIHS hasn’t crashed it yet. Standard safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking, with pedestrian detection added in 2022. Options include a surround-view camera system, blind-spot monitors, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and GM’s Super Cruise driver assistance, which allows for short periods of hands-free driving.

Model Lineup

Made in Michigan, the CT5 comes as a Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, V-Series, or as a Blackwing.

Standard equipment on the $38,190 CT5 Luxury includes synthetic leather upholstery, a 10.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster, LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels. All-wheel drive adds about $2,500 on every model but the Blackwing.

Heated and cooled seats are optional, along with a 15-speaker Bose sound system and 20-inch wheels.

For $48,990, the CT5-V brings an electronic limited-slip differential, sport suspension, adjustable stability control system, magnetic dampers, Brembo front brakes, and 19-inch wheels with grippy tires.

The Blackwing starts at $84,990 with the 6-speed manual transmission or $88,165 with the 10-speed automatic. It adds comfort features as well as the horsepower; notable is the head-up display.

The warranty runs 4 year/50,000 miles.

Exterior

The CT5 is very handsome, with a sleek profile and short overhangs, front and rear. It sports a tidy version of the traditional Cadillac shield grille. It’s a sedan because it has four doors, but its sporty profile is that of a coupe.

There are low horizontal character lines that complement the flared fenders, among the details that work well.

The Blackwing has aerodynamic tweaks, available with two packages featuring carbon fiber. One has a fiber front splitter, wheel well deflectors and a rear spoiler; a package adds a grille header, rocker aero trim and a rear diffuser. It’s low and conspicuous, with a tough stance on wide-profile 19-inch wheels and tires.

Interior

The cabin is well designed, convenient, and contemporary, seamlessly blending sport and luxury. The trim surfaces are soft, accented by wood, aluminum, or carbon fiber. Two screens offer infotainment and digital instrumentation and give a high-tech feel to the instrument panel. Optional leather upholstery with diamond-shaped stitching looks great in gray. Optional sport seats on the Sport and V models add bolstering.

The Blackwing uses that diamond leather with synthetic suede on the steering wheel and shift knob.

As a mid-size car, the cabin is roomy in front and seats four comfortably, while five are squeezed in the rear, where taller passengers also will want more leg room and head room. The trunk is small for the class, at 11.9 cubic feet.

Driving Impressions

The 2.0-liter turbo-4 is reasonably quick, which is what makes it the most popular model/engine. It delivers 237 horsepower via a smooth and responsive 10-speed automatic and can move the sedan from 0-60 mph in about seven seconds.

The twin-turbo V-6 with 335 horsepower, or 360 hp in the CT5-V, is smoother and sounds much better. It can send the CT5-V from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, bringing a sweet and relatively soft wail to the party.

The 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 transforms the CT5 into a gorgeous muscle car, partly by adding a raucous exhaust note. With that breathtaking blast to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, you’ll want to keep your foot on the floor all the way to 200 mph.

The CT5 offers crisp handling that improves with each quicker model. The platform is based on that under the Chevy Camaro, with a suspension designed for the additional weight. The steering transmits the road feel with no loss in translation from the tires. The magnetic dampers are a worthwhile option, as they improve both ride and cornering agility.

The Blackwing comes with big brakes having big air intakes, which it needs to slow down the speeds brought by 668 horsepower. Optional carbon-ceramic brakes handle the heavy duty needs of the track. Meanwhile standard magnetic dampers make the ride civilized for the street.

Much as the sound is fantastic with the snappy shifts from the 10-speed automatic, we love the old-school 6-speed manual transmission. Its throws are short and positive, and it’s programmed with rev-matching.

Final Word

The 2022 Cadillac CT5 has a sleek shape, a high-tech cabin, and a wide range of powertrains. Its luxury-car profile gets a seriously sporty attitude in the most-powerful Cadillac ever, the CT5-V Blackwing.

 

—by Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection