The Cadillac CT4 in the Premium Luxury trim equipped with the turbocharged 2.7L I4 engine (production code L3B) will wear the 500T badge on the decklid as part of Cadillac’s migration to a torque-based nomenclature.
Prior to this discovery, we did not know which badge the CT4 Premium Luxury model with the optional 2.7L engine would end up wearing, though we did know that the torque-based badges would range from 350T to 800T, at least for the 2020 model year.
Cadillac’s torque-based naming scheme utilizes the vehicle’s torque rating, in Newton Meters (Nm), which is then generously rounded to the nearest “50.” The torque number badges are followed by either a “T” to denote turbo-charging or “D” denoting a diesel engine. A number not followed by a letter, such as 400 or 600, designates a naturally-aspirated engine.
Cadillac began moving to the new torque-based nomenclature with 2020 model year vehicles, and the migration was completed with the 2021 Escalade, which was the final model to get the new naming treatment. The only Cadillacs that do not wear the torque-based badges are V-Series models; they feature the V badge instead.
The standard engine in the Cadillac CT4 is the turbocharged 2.0L I4 engine (production code LSY) rated at 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm) of torque. In that configuration, the CT4 wears the 350T badge on its decklid.
The CT4 Premium Luxury model can also be equipped with the optional turbocharged 2.7L I4 engine (production code L3B), which is the same engine in the hotter CT4-V. In the Premium Luxury model of the CT4, the 2.7L engine is rated at 310 horsepower and 350 pound-feet (474 Nm) of torque. In this configuration, CT4 wears the 500T badge on its decklid. By comparison, the same engine in the CT4-V makes 325 horses and 380 pound-feet (515 Nm) of torque.
| Model | Trim | Engine | Horsepower | Torque | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT4 | Luxury | Turbo 2.0L I4 LSY | 237 | 258 | 350T |
| CT4 | Premium Luxury | Turbo 2.0L I4 LSY | 237 | 258 | 350T |
| CT4 | Sport | Turbo 2.0L I4 LSY | 237 | 258 | 350T |
| CT4 | Premium Luxury | Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | 310 | 350 | 500T |
| CT4 | V | Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | 325 | 380 | V |
Update: we’ve just learned that about 1,155 units of the 2020 CT4 were shipped with the 450T badge, instead of the 500T badge.
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