Last week, Cadillac Society was first to report that the Cadillac CT4 with the optional turbocharged 2.7L I-4 engine (production code L3B) will wear the 450T badge on its decklid. However, that wasn’t entirely correct, as models with the up-level engine actually wear the 500T badge instead. As it turns out, the source for the mixup involved about a thousand units of the CT4 that left the factory with the incorrect 450T badge.
Cadillac Society has learned that a total of 1,155 units of the 2020 Cadillac CT4 left the Lansing Grand River plant with 450T badges. It’s unclear why 450T badges were made or why they were present at the factory in the first place, since not a single Cadillac vehicle uses that designation (as of this writing).
Cadillac has now issued a service bulletin to address the issue. Dealers will remove the incorrect 450T badge and replace it with the correct 500T badge. This service will be performed free of charge to the owners.
Additionally, the service bulletin will expire at the end of the involved vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty period, which for the CT4 is four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.
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 its 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 used in the CT4-V. In the CT4 Premium Luxury, 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 is rated at 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 |
We’ll continue bringing you the latest on all things CT4 and invite you to subscribe to Cadillac Society for more Cadillac CT4 news and around-the-clock Cadillac news coverage.
But still less than the industry average.
No, the V badge doesn't add horsepower... but nice try.
Due to an issue with oversized lifter bores.
Applicable only to models that are NOT eligible for the tax credit.
Dressed in black with bright silver accents.
Caddy swept both first and second.
