Surprise! Cadillac has more to show aside from the 2019 Cadillac XT4 at the 2018 New York Auto Show. Meet the 2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport, which ushers in the brand’s long-awaited 4.2-liter twin-turbo DOHC V8 engine.

Exterior Design

Cadillac has heavily reworked the 2019 CT6 V-Sport’s design, which will translate to the entire 2019 CT6 lineup. The front fascia moves away from a glorified CTS style and adopts the Escala concept’s angular mesh grille, while the headlights slant inward toward the grille itself for a more horizontal look. The LED running lights, meanwhile, sweep straight down to project the vertical look. It’s an incredibly cleaner look with more refined lines, and we think it’s doing the CT6 a lot of favors.

At the rear, the 2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport also adopts new taillights, which extend down and across the trunk line. Cadillac first applied this design to the 2018 XTS, which also first debuted with the Escala concept. Regular 2019 CT6 sedans will also adopt the look, and Cadillac will adopt “Luxury” and “Sport” trims with more distinct personas, per the brand.

Performance Starts With 4.2L DOHC Twin-Turbo V8

How about the performance figures for the brand-new 4.2-liter dual-overhead cam twin-turbocharged V8 engine? Cadillac estimates peg the engine to produce 550 horsepower and a whopping 627 pound-feet of torque. With the new engine, engineers started from a blank canvas and emphasized tight packaging and performance.

Notably, the 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 features a “hot V” configuration, which allowed engineers to mount the turbos at the top of the engine itself. The placement should reduce turbo lag to a minimum and the design helped keep the engine rather small.

Power will be sent to the GM 10-speed automatic transmission with a 7.39 overall gear ratio. Cadillac says to expect “narrow steps” between gear changes to maintain speed.

The engine may be the centerpiece of the 2019 CT6 V-Sport, but engineers didn’t overlook other elements. The performance sedan boasts new summer-only tires developed exclusively for the Cadillac V-Sport line, a limited-slip differential and V-Sport tuning for the handling, steering, and improved roll control. Specifically, the active rear-steer is track-tuned and the all-wheel-drive system features a revised torque split. Yes, the CT6 V-Sport is AWD only.

Further, 19-inch four-piston Brembo brakes provide stopping power and were developed exclusively for V-Sport cars. Tweaks to the Magnetic Ride Control system and a tuned exhaust system give the CT6 V-Sport further poise and a louder bark.

Technologies Abound

The Cadillac User Experience still powers the 2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport, but the new controller includes volume and seek forward/back controls for the audio system. Additionally, a large center dial handles primary features and shortcut buttons give drivers quick access to their most-used apps.

Notably, Super Cruise is not included with the 2019 CT6 V-Sport. However, it does feature a 10-inch infotainment screen, next-generation wireless phone charging that’s compatible with more phones, a second-generation frameless rearview camera mirror with tilt and zoom features and a full suite of active safety technologies.

Look for more information and details on the 2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport when GM Authority is live from the 2018 New York Auto Show next week.