If you're looking for a small sedan with raucous performance and a manual transmission, your choices are about to get slimmer. Orders for the Cadillac CT4 range, including the high-performance CT4-V Blackwing derivative, are set to close on April 20, according to GM Authority, leaving enthusiasts one less option and likely marking the end of an era, as no CT4 replacement has been announced. With the XT4 already gone, this means sub-$40,000 Caddies will cease to exist, but at least the CT4's bigger CT5 brother will live on, potentially bringing a new Camaro with it.
CT4 Order Books Close Soon, Ending an Era
Cadillac
With the April 20 deadline for new CT4 orders looming (production will cease in June), all CT4 models will soon only be available as part of inventory or used, and though the Blackwing variant is doubtless the sorest loss, the entire range has been a capable alternative to German offerings. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and the base model powers the rear axle with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Further up the range, a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-pot makes 310 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, while the CT4-V makes 325 hp and 380 lb-ft. At the top of the ladder, the CT4-V Blackwing comes with a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V8 with 472 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque.
Impressive numbers aside, the CT4 range provides communicative steering, and with a choice between a six-speed manual or a 10-speed auto, anyone can enjoy its well-balanced chassis. With the CT4 disappearing, there will no longer be any American small luxury sedans to choose from, but that may change before long.
American Sedans Are Ready to Make a Comeback
Cadillac
With sedans starting to see something of a resurgence (Ford, Buick, and Chrysler have all talked about new sedans), Cadillac may yet revive the CT4 someday, but for now, its focus is on a new CT5. GM has confirmed that, while the CT5 will end production at the end of 2026, it will return for "a future model year," though when exactly is a mystery. On the one hand, the next Camaro will be built on the current CT5's Alpha platform, so this architecture still has life left in it, but on the other, would Cadillac be comfortable launching a "new" CT5 on old underpinnings? And would an entirely new platform be worth developing? All that remains to be seen, but if Ford, Chrysler, and Buick see success with their sedans, Cadillac may well dip a toe back into the CT4's segment before decade's end.
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