As a high-performance midsize sport sedan, the 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing has a limited competitive set—primarily the BMW M5 and the Audi RS 6 Avant. But it has a leg up over these two German performance vehicles in that it costs significantly less and still comes with a manual transmission. The CT5–V Blackwing was new on the scene in 2022 and received a significant refresh in 2025. It is a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) only model.
2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Though the 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is largely a carryover, there is some new equipment for this model year. It now comes standard with a Performance Data Recorder, a rear camera mirror, an air quality sensor, hands-free decklid release, and blind-zone steering assist.
Design
The 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is an edgier version of the conventional CT5 sedan. It has a bold front end with vertical daytime running lights (DRLs) and a fastback profile. It has a sportier black mesh grille, a wider front end, and unique V-Series badging. The CT5-V comes standard with 19-inch wheels available in silver, graphite, and bronze finishes. High-performance summer-only tires are standard, while competition-oriented tires are available. Though there aren’t any appearance packages, the CT5-V Blackwing offers blue, red, and bronze brake calipers and center wheel caps.
Powertrain
The RWD-only Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing comes with a 6.2-liter Supercharged V8 direct-injection engine that delivers 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission with active rev matching and no-lift shift is standard, but a 10-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with electronic precision shift is also available. Zero-to-60-mph times ring in at 3.4 seconds for the automatic and 3.6 seconds for the manual. Fuel economy for this high-performance sedan measures 13 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway for both the manual and automatic transmissions. Premium fuel is required.
Interior
The 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing has a luxurious interior with a large curved digital display and standard leather seats. It comes with performance front bucket seats, but upgraded, high-performance front bucket seats are available. In addition to a choice of six interior colors, you can choose red seat belts and a suede microfiber steering wheel. As a midsize sedan, the CT5-V Blackwing seats five, but cargo space is limited, with just 11.9 cubic feet in the trunk. An UltraView dual-pane power sunroof is available.
Technology
With the 2025 refresh, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing got a 33-inch LED display, which includes Google Built-In and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Other standard tech features on the 2026 CT5-V Blackwing include wireless phone charging, a 360-degree camera display, a premium 16-speaker AKG surround sound system, ambient lighting, a rear camera mirror, a head-up display, Adaptive Forward Lighting headlamps, and a hands-free deck lid. Super Cruise hands-free highway driving hardware (a subscription required after the trial period ends) and remote start are available.
Safety
The 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing comes with plenty of standard safety features, but many are optional because they're only available with the automatic transmission. Standard safety kit includes forward collision alert, front and rear parking sensors, traffic-sign recognition, GM's Teen Driver tech, blind-spot monitoring, rear pedestrian alert, and lane-keep assist. Available safety tech includes Buckle to Drive, enhanced automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, intersection emergency braking, reverse automatic braking, driver attention assist, rear cross traffic braking, and enhanced automatic parking assist. Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had crashed tested the CT5-V Blackwing at the time of this writing, but the NHTSA gave the regular CT5 an overall five-star safety rating.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is on sale now, but if you’re looking for something extra special, beginning in mid-2026, a new Curated by Cadillac program will let you customize a 2026 model to your ideal spec. At the time of this writing, Cadillac set the base price for the V-Series Blackwing with a manual transmission at $101,820 and automatic models at $107,070. Customized CT5-V Blackwings will start at $158,000.
