The Cadillac CTS-V – Review Of The Performance Sedan

With the Cadillac CTS-V, the US manufacturer is sending a serious competitor into the race who is to inspire buyers of luxury sedans such as the BMW M5, Audi S8 or Mercedes E 63 AMG. In Switzerland, Cadillac doesn’t necessarily lead the list of best-selling brands – which is why – and we want to analyse this in more detail in our test of the 649 hp sedan.

The first impression of the Cadillac CTS-V

The Cadillac CTS-V is typically American and makes the 4-door a real eye-catcher: wide nose, carbon bonnet with massive air intake, 19-inch wheels, front splitter, rear spoiler and rear diffuser made of carbon fiber for better aerodynamics. Just under 5 meters long and almost 2 tons are powered by a 6.2L V8 compressor from the Corvette Z06.

Interior improvements

At first glance, I’m definitely surprised because there’s been a lot of improvement: leather seats, 12.3 inch display, cruise control, head-up display, navigation system with Bose sound system, inductive charging of smartphones, etc. Nevertheless, the interior looks a bit outdated when you consider that the Cadillac CTS-V 2016 made its market debut.

Endless power

The numbers literally freeze the blood in your veins: The Cadillac CTS-V delivers an impressive 649 hp and 855 Nm, catapulting this tank from 0-100 in 3.7 seconds and reaching an impressive 320 km/h. The enormous power is transferred to the rear axle, making the Cadillac CTS-V a real test of courage in wet or snowy conditions.

The Cadillac CTS-V is the most fun on the motorway

The colleagues with their expensive Porsches and Bentleys must have rubbed their eyes in disbelief, because they have spotted my CTS-V test car only behind on the German motorway – the fun is guaranteed, so the CTS-V definitely deserves the name ‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing’ and can exploit its full potential on the motorway.

The conclusion – less is more?

Is the engine a bit too much? The fact that American car manufacturers do not have an easy time in Europe is definitely nothing new. Personally, I like the Cadillac CTS-V visually very much, but maybe a little less would have been more here? The power is almost impossible to control in winter and in the wet, with a 6.2 liters engine and 17 liters consumption, the CTS-V isn’t exactly cheap to maintain either. The base price is 128’360 CHF, so there are also some interesting offers from the competitors. To give the Cadillac CTS-V a final rating, a spring/summer test on a passport road or race track would be the ideal opportunity – we’ll keep you up to date.