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2020 Cadillac CT4 Review & Buying Guide | Cadillac recommits to the small sedan

The 2020 Cadillac CT4 is a brand-new entry into the baby luxury sedan space, replacing the ATS. With an excellent rear-wheel-drive chassis and a performance-oriented “V” trim (to be topped by a yet-wilder “Blackwing” model), the CT4 is aimed at the enthusiast end of the segment. Cadillac fields the lone American entry in this class, meaning the CT4Â’s main competitors — the Audi A3, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and the Mercedes-Benz A- and CLA-Classes — are all European. However, since it's a bit bigger than those and features a rear-wheel-drive platform (all-wheel drive is available), it's hardly an apples-to-apples situation. The Genesis G70 is perhaps a closer comparable. In any event, the CT4 is a compelling, American alternative that delivers excellent comfort, interior quality and driving dynamics at a price that strongly challenges the various competitors from Europe. What's new for 2020? The Cadillac CT4 is new for 2020, alongside the bigger CT5. You can check out our first drive of the hot CT4-V model for more on CadillacÂ’s new sedan strategy. 2020 Cadillac CT4 View 4 Photos What's the CT4's interior and in-car technology like? The Cadillac CT4 packs the sort of high-quality materials and convenience features one expects from an entry-level luxury model. The seats are comfortable and supportive, and in higher-end models, the front buckets are offered with heat, ventilation and massage features. The CT4 also boasts what GM calls a “sound-optimized” interior coupled with active noise cancellation and amplification to mitigate unpleasant frequencies and enhance desirable ones. In all, we find the CT4Â’s interior much more compelling than that found in other recent Cadillac products such as the new XT4 crossover. The infotainment system is controlled by an 8-inch touchscreen with an optional rotary-control interface. The base setup includes Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa integration and offers USB Type-A and Type-C connectivity and charging. Upgrades include navigation and multiple Bose audio packages, all of which bring with them wireless device charging. How big is the CT4? Like many of CadillacÂ’s previous sport sedans, the CT4 is a bit of an oddball size-wise for the segment it targets, stretching more than a foot longer than the Audi A3 and nearly 9 inches longer than the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. However, this doesn't translate into a comparable interior space advantage because of the CT4 rear-wheel-drive platform.

Johan de Nysschen tells his side of the story

Automobile snagged time with ex-Cadillac, Infiniti, and Volkswagen of America boss Johan de Nysschen. General Motors decided to part ways with de Nysschen on April 18, 2018, after the German spent four years in charge of America's luxury brand. The longtime auto exec is a polarizing figure for enthusiasts, who seem to take a mostly negative view of his work at Infiniti and Cadillac. However, there's no denying de Nysschen is frank, and in the Automobile interview he puts an insider's perspective on a big bag of issues we can only speculate on. One of the biggest bombshells in the interview was that it wasn't de Nysschen's idea to move Cadillac to New York: "When I was recruited, I was informed that the company would relocate to New York," he said. Previous GM CEO Dan Ackerson had made the decision before hiring de Nysschen, then Ackerson let his new hire make the announcement. The big change came only two years after de Nysschen had taken over Infiniti after insisting Nissan's luxury brand move to Hong Kong. De Nysschen explained Cadillac's NYC move with the same rationale as Infiniti's Hong Kong move, so everyone assumed the new guy was doing his usual. He explains in the interview that after the move, "Folks who rooted for Detroit felt betrayed. Cadillac had an enemy." And that became a problem. He has nothing bad to say about GM or Cadillac, believing on the contrary that "GM is in a good position going forward." But he brought clarity to some of Cadillac's struggles. Among the issues was GM's "very vigorous" post-bankruptcy test for green-lighting a project. Another was the lack of specialization for the luxury arm. "Engines were generically developed with the Chevy brand in mind," he said, "and, then, 'Okay, well, yeah, it's good enough for Cadillac.'" That carried over into haphazard technology rollouts. "GM didn't have a specific technology roadmap aligned to particular brands," he said. "The process was, as they were developing new technologies, they would look at what product's launch date would be aligned with the maturation date and market readiness of a technology and go with it, whether Buick, Chevy, or what have you." De Nysschen worked to end such generalized approaches, which is how we get Cadillac taking the GM lead on technology and electrification.

Gimp Pimp and Aqua Volvo at 24 Hours of LeMons | Car Club USA

Car Club USA heads to Sonoma, CA where the Gimp Pimp Cadillac and Aqua Volvo will take on all the crazy, sub-$500 competition at the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance race. "Over the last 30 years, car racing has gotten extremely serious and extremely expensive and it just seemed like there was a real need to make it accessible again," said LeMons founder Jay Lamm. The result is a series of endurance races across the US and Australia where all you need to join the fun is a junky car and some basic safety equipment. "It's just fun, compared to pro racing," said Wendy Epstein, driver of a 1979 Volvo 242 in bright "Aqua Volvo" livery. "24 Hours of LeMons is a form of racing that is designed to be cheap and easy, and anybody can do it," said Bill Manfroy, driver of the Gimp Pimp, a 1996 Cadillac SLS with some important modifications. "Part of what makes the Gimp Pimp Cadillac so special is that it does have hand controls, so it gives access to people like me that ordinarily get to race." "Which makes it perfect for LeMons." Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. Motorsports Weird Car News Cadillac Volvo Driving Racing Vehicles Car Club USA Videos Original Video viral video