2020 Cadillac CT6 Sedan Performance

With engine options down from four to two, you'll have the choice between a standard 3.6-liter V6 and a menacing twin-turbo V8 - even if the latter comes at the price of both kidneys and a lobe of your liver. The base engine has enough determination to get the 5,000-pound lump of luxury from a standstill to 60 mph in around six seconds, albeit without the fuss of a V8 roar and all the accompanying turbo whooshes present on the V8. The V8 is a work of art - dubbed the Blackwing, a pair of turbochargers combine with the standard all-wheel-drive system to send the heavyweight sedan from 0-60 mph in around four seconds, giving the CT6 serious clout against German rivals. Those wanting even more performance, though, will look towards the CT6-V with even more power on tap, a model we review separately.

Cadillac no longer offers the frugal 2.0-liter turbo as an option for the CT6, and the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 has also been given the boot for this year's model. We're left with a more than capable 3.6-liter V6 engine that comes standard on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trim levels, but you can opt for a ridiculously potent 4.2 liter V8 that's aided not by one, but two turbos; it lives under the Blackwing moniker and finds a home as standard in the Platinum derivative.

The bigger engine adds nearly $40,000 to the final asking price though, so the extra power comes with a bigger sacrifice than fuel economy. The naturally aspirated V6 manages 335 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque while providing an attractive melody, but is less powerful than rivals with smaller engines, thanks to their turbos. The unforgiving Blackwing powerhouse crunches out 500 horses and 574 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission that makes rifling through gears a quick and slick affair. Smoothness is a given for the most part, but once in a blue moon, a hint of hesitation is present when trying to find the right gear.

As expected, neither of the two engines are friends of the environment. This is especially true for the Blackwing V8 that's likely to have birds falling out of the sky behind it, and by contrast, the 3.6-liter V6 is an absolute eco-warrior. The standard engine has EPA estimates of 18/27/21 mpg city/highway/combined and falls rather far behind the BMW 740i's 22/29/24 mpg figures. The optional twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 guzzles gas, unsurprisingly, and carries EPA estimates of 14/25/17 mpg. When the 19.2-gallon fuel tank is full, the V6 will manage just over 400 miles of range, while the V8 brings this figure down to just under 330 miles.