The writing is on the wall for gas-burning performance sedans like the Cadillac CT5-V. Electrification, and buyers flocking away from sedans and into SUVs, are not good signs. But the CT5-V — and in particular, the CT5-V Blackwing — are charging toward that wall like they’re in a Vin Diesel movie and will smash through it into a gratuitous, smoky drift. For 2025, Cadillac’s high-performance duo is gaining momentum with a light refresh.
Related: 2025 Cadillac CT5 Up Close: Be Happy It’s Still Here
Data Analysis for Lap Times
Both intensities of CT5-V get a new front end that retains the same basic forms as before: trapezoidal grille, yawning lower intake, vertical headlights flanked by yet more intake area. But the elements are slightly reshaped for 2025, with the slimmer headlights being the most obvious differentiator. A taller lower intake with a flat bottom distinguishes the Blackwing from the standard V.
The greater change lies inside, where the cars get a new dashboard that melds the digital gauge cluster and touchscreen infotainment system together into a single 33-inch display. Additionally, an available Performance Data Recorder acts like a mix of dash cam, telemetry feed as you’d see in televised racing and driving coach. It can not only record the driver’s laps on a racetrack, it can also play them back side by side with reference laps to highlight opportunities to improve lap times. In the heat of the moment, the center screen can display a friction circle and pedal positions to inform a human driving coach riding shotgun, while the head-up display projects important details directly into the driver’s line of sight. AliveDrive, a mobile app, allows the driver to continue to nerd out over their performance and analyze laps after a session ends.
Powertrain Specs and MPG
The CT5-V’s engines are unchanged for the 2025 model year. The regular V is powered by a 360-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 making good for 405 pounds-feet of torque and paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is available. The CT5-V Blackwing is the resident mad king of the performance sedan world with a 668-hp, supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 generating 659 pounds feet of torque. It offers the last six-speed manual in its class (the 10-speed automatic is available) and is only offered with RWD.
Fuel economy is unlikely to change from the 2024 figures. With RWD, the 2024 CT5-V is rated by the EPA at 18/27/21 mpg city/highway combined; adding AWD has a minimal impact, dropping the ratings to 18/26/21 mpg. The automatic-equipped Blackwing gets 13/21/16 mpg, while the manual is rated at 13/21/15 mpg.
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New Standard Safety Features
Active blind spot warning that will resist if the driver tries to change lanes while a vehicle is in their blind spot is now standard on the CT5-V, as are a driver attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, and additional functionality that watches for crossing and oncoming traffic during turns. These systems join forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, and a 360-degree camera system as standard equipment. Cadillac’s Super Cruise hands-free highway driving system is standard on the CT5-V and Blackwings equipped with the automatic transmission, and a head-up display is standard on the Blackwing and optional on the CT5-V.
Availability
Production of the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing will start in the summer, and pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
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