By the time 2030 rolls around, the whole Cadillac showroom is planned to consist of EVs. But General Motors’ luxury brand is not quite done with internal-combustion engines and is introducing new gas-fed ’25 editions of the CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing.
Cadillac remains GM’s only pure-play luxury marque, despite the fact that it has Chevy and GMC vehicles that crest $100,000. The automaker has had trouble for decades making Cadillac a legit contender against German and Asian luxury brands. But the brand is coming off a positive year both in the U.S. and China, and the V-Series performance vehicles have been the closest things to come out of GM to challenge BMW or Mercedes-Benz performance vehicles.
“Cadillac sedans continue to drive positive brand momentum, year over year,” says John Roth, vice president in charge of the Cadillac brand. “Last year, our sedans experienced their best sales since 2018 and CT5 is Cadillac’s best-selling model globally. As V-Series celebrates a record year, the importance of this option for those customers who value performance and power cannot be overstated.”
Cadillac’s U.S. sales were up 9.3% to 147,000 in 2023, per Wards Intelligence. In China, Cadillac sales were up 5.4% last year to 183,600. GM has also returned to Europe with its luxury brand via a direct-sales operation since it sold off its European operations a few years ago.
V is for Victory
Cadillac has been selling V-Series performance cars since 2003. The letter V was chosen as a salute dedicated to post-WWII Cadillacs that featured a V-shape ornament below the crowned wreath logo.
The division is redefining the V-Series’ role in the lineup to take advantage of the brand equity that has built up over the past two decades as an entry-level performance variant and introduce the new top-level V-Series trim named V Blackwing (after the engine used in the CT6-V), taking the place of the previous-generation V models. This strategy pushes V models to the middle level among Cadillac’s trim levels, and features smaller engines than the V-8s that built up the V-Series’ reputation. Cadillac also offers its top-tier Platinum trim packages with the V-Series variants.
The ’25 CT5-V is powered by a 3.0L twin-turbo V-6 producing 360 hp and 405 lb.-ft. (549 Nm) of torque with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Other key features include available all-wheel-drive, performance traction management, standard launch control and magnetic ride control. New to both the CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing is a 33-in. (84-cm) diagonal LED color touchscreen display.
Both vehicles come standard with a three-year subscription to Super Cruise driver assistance technology with Driver Attention Assist. Google is built-in, with Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Playavailable in most markets.
Hot Laps
Cadillac is catering to the track crowd with an available in-vehicle Performance Data Recorder, which is accessed from the center-screen display. The system has a lap-analyzer tool, which has been upgraded to provide data analysis functions previously only available in laptop-based programs; an overhauled and upgraded user interface offering more robust performance analysis and graphic display; speed tips, which highlights the driver’s best opportunities for improvement; tire pressure and track data; live data screen that shows info such as lap-time data; a head-up display; a database of tracks; detailed lap data from past track outings, and more.
The CT5-V Blackwing kicks this vehicle up a few notches, powered by a 6.2L supercharged V-8 producing 668 hp and 659 lb.-ft. (893 Nm) of torque with 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. Brembo front and rear brakes with V-series graphic are standard, as are performance traction management; custom launch with line lock; magnetic ride control with electronic limited slip; and driver mode selector.
With all those track features, Cadillac will be touting the vehicles to the weekend racing crowd by debuting the CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing at this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. The cars, built at GM’s Lansing (MI) Grand River Assembly plant, go on sale this summer.
