HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

WE'RE TAKING A DEEP DRIVE WITH KIA'S NEW SORENTO HYBRID UTILITY... WE'VE GOT TICKETS TO A PORSCHE HERITAGE EVENT IN PARADISE... THEN, IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF QUICKSPINS BEFORE WE TAKE TO THE TRACK IN CADILLAC'S CT5-V BLACKWING...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

John: AS KIA CONTINUES TO EXPAND THEIR SUV LINEUP, THEIR MIDSIZE STALWART SORENTO MADE A MOVE TO REGAIN SOME OF THE FLAVOR OF THE RUGGED ORIGINAL WHEN THE 4TH GENERATION ARRIVED LAST YEAR.

TO US, THAT MADE IT EVEN MORE DESIRABLE; BUT, IT TURNS OUT THAT WAS JUST A STARTER, AS IT'S BECOME A LOT MORE EFFICIENT, TOO, WITH THIS SORENTO HYBRID.

* MAKING AN ALREADY GREAT VEHICLE EVEN GREATER IS A GREAT WAY TO GRAB OUR ATTENTION; AND THAT'S JUST WHAT KIA HAS DONE WITH THIS 2022 SORENTO HYBRID 3-ROW CROSSOVER UTILITY VEHICLE.

KIA HAS BEEN IN THE HYBRID GAME FOR QUITE SOME TIME, SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THE SORENTO'S POWERTRAIN IS SMOOTH AND WELL-SORTED; YET...ALSO...QUITE PUNCHY, BOTH FROM A DEAD STOP AND FOR HIGHWAY PASSING.

AND, NOT ONLY IS IT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE POWERFUL THAN THE SORENTO'S STANDARD NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 2.5 LITER I4, IT'S LOADS MORE EFFICIENT.

KIA MATES A 177 HORSEPOWER 1.6 LITER TURBO-4 ENGINE WITH A 44 KILOWATT MOTOR TO DELIVER A TOTAL OF 227 HORSEPOWER AND 258 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS OPTIONAL ON THE HYBRID, THOUGH WE STUCK WITH FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE TO MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY, NOT TO MENTION APPRECIATE ITS DIESEL-LIKE ABILITY TO TRAVEL WELL MORE THAN 600 MILES ON A TANK OF GAS.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 39-CITY, 35-HIGHWAY, AND 37-COMBINED; THOUGH WE WERE CERTAINLY ON THE LOW END OF THAT, WITH A 35.7 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE ON REGULAR FUEL.

STILL, THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS FAR BETTER THAN AVERAGE, WITH 8.0 BARRELS OF ANNUAL PETROLEUM CONSUMPTION AND JUST 4.0 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

THERE'S ALSO A PLUG-IN PHEV HYBRID AVAILABLE WHICH NOT ONLY GETS MORE POWER FROM A LARGER ELECTRIC MOTOR, BUT A BIGGER BATTERY TO DELIVER UP TO 32 MILES OF EV DRIVING.

WE CONTINUE TO APPLAUD KIA'S USE OF A TRUE 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND NOT A CVT; THOUGH IN OPERATION, IT DOES HESITATE A BIT AT TIMES TO DOWNSHIFT, WANTING TO RELY ON THE ELECTRIC MOTOR FIRST AND THEN DROPPING A GEAR OR TWO WHEN REINFORCEMENTS ARE NEEDED.

IT'S THE ONLY DETRACTOR FROM THE VERY SMOOTH DRIVING EXPERIENCE THAT MIXES A BORDERLINE, FLOATY HIGHWAY RIDE WITH COMPETENT CORNERING.

NOT MUCH ELSE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE SORENTO WE TESTED LAST YEAR WHEN THIS GEN DEBUTED; IT STILL FEELS INCREDIBLY SPACIOUS AND KIA CONTINUES TO INCLUDE UNEXPECTED FEATURES LIKE A REAR WIPER THAT ENGAGES AUTOMATICALLY WHENEVER YOU SELECT REVERSE, AND EVEN THE HUGE 10 INCH TOUCHSCREEN IS STANDARD EQUIPMENT.

THREE-ROW SEATING IS STANDARD AS WELL, WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SETUPS FOR EITHER SEVEN OR SIX PASSENGERS.

OUR TESTER'S 2ND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS WERE VERY COMFORTABLE, BUT NO MATTER WHERE YOU WERE SITTING, IT'S A QUITE PLEASANT EXPERIENCE; ALL OF THE CREATURE COMFORTS YOU EXPECT, WITH NOTHING OVERLY COMPLICATED TO FIGURE OUT.

PLENTY OF STORAGE SPACE, TOO, AS EVEN BEHIND THE 3RD ROW THERE'S A DECENT 12.6 CUBIC-FEET, EXPANDING TO 45.0 CUBIC-FEET, AND MAXING OUT AT 75.5 WITH ALL SEATBACKS FOLDED.

GAUGES ARE FAIRLY TRADITIONAL LOOKING WITH AN ANALOG SPEEDOMETER, SMALL CENTRAL INFO SCREEN, AND A POWER-METER ON THE LEFT REPLACING THE TACH.

FOR NOW, THE HYBRID IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN MID-LEVEL S AND EX TRIMS, BUT OUR EX'S FITTINGLY NAMED RUNWAY RED PAINT JOB IS MORE AKIN TO WHAT WE USUALLY SEE ON A LUXURY CAR.

AND MAY EVEN BE ENOUGH TO ALLOW YOU TO SNEAK INTO THE WHOLE FOODS PARKING LOT WITHOUT FEELING OUT OF PLACE.

NOTHING REALLY SETS THE HYBRID APART IN APPEARANCE, WHICH IS FINE BY US; SAME LED-EQUIPPED TIGER NOSE FRONT, CHISELED BODY, AND EXPRESSIVE C-PILLAR MOTIF AS THE REST OF THE SORENTO LINEUP.

EX COMES WITH STANDARD ROOF RAILS AND 17 INCH WHEELS.

OFF TO MASON DIXON DRAGWAY TO SEARCH FOR THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS HYBRID POWERTRAIN'S PERFORMANCE.

IT HOPS OFF THE LINE WITH IMPRESSIVE EV POWER, DELIVERING QUITE AN AGGRESSIVE LAUNCH; CHIRPING THE TIRES A BIT, AND EVEN TRYING TO TORQUE STEER ON YOU AS YOU SPRINT TO 60 IN 7.3 SECONDS.

POWER DELIVERY STAYED VERY CONSISTENT DOWN THE TRACK THROUGH A 15.5 SECOND QUARTER-MILE, ENDING AT 92 MILES PER HOUR.

BUILT ON THE K5'S CAPABLE N3 CHASSIS, THE SORENTO HYBRID IS VERY LIGHT ON ITS FEET FOR A VEHICLE OF THIS SIZE.

STEERING TO IS LIGHT, BUT NOT VAGUE AT ALL.

THE REGEN BRAKES HAVE AN IMPRESSIVE ALMOST NATURAL FEEL TO THEM, AND GOOD STOPPING POWER TOO, THOUGH WE DID EXPERIENCE SOME FADE AFTER A FEW RUNS.

WE RATE ITS 115 FOOT STOPPING DISTANCE AS GOOD.

PRICING FOR THE SORENTO S HYBRID STARTS AT JUST $35,345; ONLY $1,700 MORE THAN A COMPARABLE NON-HYBRID.

ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ADDS $1,800, WHILE OUR EX STARTS AT $37,345.

THAT'S NEARLY AS MUCH AS THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE SORENTO PHEV AFTER FEDERAL TAX CREDITS.

THERE ISN'T MUCH DOWNSIDE TO STEPPING UP TO THE 2022 KIA SORENTO HYBRID, OTHER THAN IT NOT BEING ABLE TO TOW QUITE AS MUCH AS THE 2.5 TURBO WITH THE TOWING PACKAGE.

THAT ASIDE, THE SORENTO HYBRID IS NOT JUST A MORE FUEL EFFICIENT SORRENTO, BUT ALL AROUND, THE BEST SORENTO VALUE.

* WE'VE LITERALLY TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD IN PORSCHES.

EVEN FLYING ALONGSIDE A FEW OF THEM IN A CARGO PLANE AS PART OF A MULTI-CONTINENT TEST DRIVE.

OUR LATEST PORSCHE ADVENTURE TAKES US TO THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII, WHERE WE FIND OUT THAT WITH PORSCHE, THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY THANKFULLY STAY THE SAME.

* Brian Robinson: ALOHA, AND WELCOME TO THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII, AN ISLAND KNOWN NOT JUST FOR ITS INCREDIBLE BEAUTY, BUT FOR ITS ACTIVE VOLCANOES THAT ARE CONSTANTLY GROWING AND RESHAPING THE ISLAND ITSELF.

YET, THROUGH ALL OF THE CHANGE, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS SENSE OF HERITAGE AND CULTURE WEAVING THROUGH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING: SOMETHING THAT COULD ALSO BE SAID ABOUT PORSCHE.

I'M HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII TO, UH, GET A REAL FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF PORSCHE'S SENSE OF HERITAGE, BY DRIVING SOME OF THEIR MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT VEHICLES BACK-TO-BACK WITH THEIR MODERN-DAY COUNTERPART.

THAT, OF COURSE, BEGINS WITH THE CAR THAT STARTED THE PORSCHE STORY: THE 356 SPEEDSTER.

DRIVING ONE WAS DEFINITELY ON MY BUCKET LIST, AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

YOU ARE TRULY IN THE ELEMENTS, AND A VERY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE JOY OF DRIVING.

YET, IT'S SHOCKINGLY COMFORTABLE AND EASY TO DRIVE.

PORSCHE HAS KEPT THE SPEEDSTER NAME ALIVE WITH OCCASIONAL LIMITED-EDITION RELEASE, BUT THE CAR IN THEIR CURRENT LINEUP THAT PROVIDES AN EQUALLY VISCERAL EXPERIENCE TO THE ORIGINAL IS THE 718 BOXSTER T. THIS 356 MAY WORK WITH A LOT LESS HORSEPOWER FROM ITS 1.6 LITER AIR-COOLED POWER-PLANT, BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL UNDERPOWERED AT ALL, ESPECIALLY KEEPING UP WITH HAWAIIAN HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

THIS BOXSTER 25 YEARS IS A SPECIAL EDITION LIMITED TO 1,250 EXAMPLES.

THE NEODYME COLOR, FRONT FASCIA, SIDE INTAKES, AND 2-TONE 20 INCH WHEELS HARKEN BACK TO THE ORIGINAL BOXSTER AND THE CONCEPT THAT GAVE BIRTH TO IT.

THE ULTIMATE BOXSTER IS OF COURSE THE 718 SPYDER WITH ITS NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 4.0 LITER ENGINE AND 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION.

ITS PREDECESSOR IN SPIRIT IS THE 914/6; THE FIRST PRODUCTION MID-ENGINE SPORTS CAR FROM GERMANY.

YES, IT WAS A JOINT VENTURE WITH VOLKSWAGEN, BUT IT FELT ALL PORSCHE RIPPING AROUND THE BIG ISLAND.

LEAVING THE BOXSTER SCENE, YET, KEEPING THE TOP DOWN THEME INTACT, NEXT UP WAS A SPIN IN THE TYPE-964 911 CABRIOLET.

THIS QUINTESSENTIAL 911 BROUGHT A HOST OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES ALONG WITH IT WHEN IT ARRIVED IN 1989, AND STILL LOOKS GORGEOUS TODAY, BUT OF COURSE, THE CURRENT 911 CARRERA S IS BETTER IN EVERY MEASURABLE WAY.

AND I CAN'T GET THROUGH THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE WITHOUT SOME TURBO TIME, SPECIFICALLY THE CURRENT 911 TURBO CABRIOLET, AS WELL AS ITS 944 TURBO CABRIOLET PREDECESSOR.

PORSCHE'S STORY BEGAN IN 1948 WITH THE TYPE 356; AND AFTER 55 YEARS OF BUILDING SPORTS CARS EXCLUSIVELY, 2003 SAW THE ARRIVAL OF AN SUV, AND OF COURSE, LATER A SEDAN, AND EVEN FULLY-ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

YET, NO MATTER WHAT FORM IT TAKES, IT ALWAYS TRULY DOES FEEL LIKE A PORSCHE.

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES, WHILE KEEPING A STRONG SENSE OF HISTORY AND CULTURE IS WHAT HAS MADE PORSCHE THE SPECIAL BRAND IT IS TODAY; MUCH LIKE IT MAKES THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII A SPECIAL PLACE TO VISIT ANY DAY.

John: FROM THE ROUGH AND TUMBLE TO THE SMOOTHEST STREETS, WE LOVE GOING ON QUICKSPINS!

* Alexander Kellum: THE PREMIUM PICK-UP SEGMENT IS ALIVE AND WELL, AND GMC IS PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS WITH TWO NEW TOP-OF-THE-LINE TRIMS FOR THE SIERRA 1500: THE DENALI ULTIMATE AND THE AT4X.

JUST AS THE NAME ALLUDES TO NORTH AMERICA'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN PEAK, THE DENALI TRIM IS MEANT TO BE THE PEAK OF GMC'S PREMIUM OFFERINGS; THE ULTIMATE ELEVATES THAT FURTHER WITH A SUITE OF UPGRADES, LIKE 16-WAY POWER FRONT SEATS WITH BUILT-IN MASSAGE FUNCTIONS-- HEATED AND COOLED, OF COURSE-- A 12.3 INCH DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTER, A 13.4 INCH INFOTAINMENT SCREEN, AND A 15 INCH MULTI-COLOR HEADS-UP DISPLAY.

MATERIALS INCLUDE A SUEDE HEADLINER, FULL-GRAIN LEATHER, AND OPEN-PORE WOOD TRIM: COMPLETE WITH A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF MOUNT DENALI.

IT'S DRIVEN BY A STANDARD 6.2 LITER V8 ENGINE OR AN AVAILABLE 3.0 LITER DURAMAX TURBO DIESEL.

THE V8 WITH THE 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC MADE FOR EXCEPTIONAL THROTTLE RESPONSE AND HIGHWAY ABILITIES: 420 HORSES AND 460 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE WILL DO THAT.

OUR TIME IN THE DENALI ULTIMATE HELPED US BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS NEW SUMMIT AND ITS $80,000 STARTING PRICE.

BUT IT WAS OUR SECOND SAN DIEGO SUNRISE WHICH BROUGHT AN ENTIRE DAY OF ON-AND OFF-ROAD RAMBLES IN THE AT4X...

THE AT4 IS GMC'S OFF-ROAD ANSWER FOR THE ADVENTUROUS CONSUMER, AND THE X STEPS IN TO SWEETEN THE DEAL.

THE INTERIOR FEATURES MANY OF THE DENALI ULTIMATE'S UPGRADES, FROM THE HEATED AND VENTILATED MASSAGING SEATS TO THE SAME SCREENS AND HEAD-UP DISPLAY.

THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE AT4X, BUT MY FAVORITE IS THE 6.2 LITER V8.

AT A TIME WHERE WE'RE LOSING MORE AND MORE V8s AS THE DAYS GO BY, IT'S SO NICE TO COME OUT HERE IN THE SAND AND SHUFFLE THROUGH IT AND DO A LITTLE BIT OF AMATEUR BAJA-ING...

IT'S JUST FUN.

THAT 6.2 V8 IS GREAT, BUT THE X'S OFF-ROAD PROWESS IS ALSO THANKS TO A SLEW OF UPGRADES: MULTIMATIC DSSV DAMPERS, FRONT AND REAR E-LOCKING DIFFERENTIALS, AND TRAIL CAMERAS, FOR EXAMPLE.

THE AT4X IS CERTAINLY MORE GEARED TOWARDS THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE, BUT STILL PACKED TO THE BRIM LIKE A LUXURY PICKUP.

AS SUCH, THE AT4X STARTS AT $77,000; NEARLY $15,000 MORE THAN THE STARTER AT4.

John: THE PHRASE "ENTRY-LEVEL" ISN'T ALWAYS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE MERCEDES-BENZ LINEUP, BUT THE TRUTH IS THERE ARE SOME MORE ATTAINABLE MODELS.

ONE OF THEM IS THE C-CLASS SEDAN, WHICH SAW SEES SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FOR 2022.

THIS FIFTH-GENERATION C-CLASS COMES OFF AS A BABY S-CLASS IN MANY WAYS, WITH SIMILAR DESIGN CUES AND TRICKLE-DOWN TECH.

STILL, THE C-CLASS HAS GROWN 2.5 INCHES IN LENGTH FOR A LITTLE MORE ROOM INSIDE.

THAT'S ALSO WHERE THE PREMIUM AMENITIES ARE BEST SEEN, LIKE A 12.3 INCH DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND AN 11.9 INCH CENTER DISPLAY.

THEY UTILIZE MERCEDES' LATEST MBUX SOFTWARE, INCORPORATING VOICE CONTROLS AND EVEN A FINGERPRINT SCANNER.

WIRELESS APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO ARE ALSO STANDARD, ALONG WITH A SUNROOF, BLIND SPOT ASSIST, ACTIVE BRAKE ASSIST, AND PRESAFE TECHNOLOGY.

THERE'S EVEN AN AVAILABLE HEAD-UP DISPLAY, PUTTING THE C-CLASS A LITTLE CLOSER TO ITS S-CLASS SIBLING.

Jessica Ray: THE INTERIOR OF THE C-CLASS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE S-CLASS, INCLUDING FUNCTIONALITY.

SPECIFICALLY, I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS STEERING WHEEL, WE HAVE HAPTIC CONTROLS HERE.

MY LEFT THUMB VERY EASILY CONTROLS THE DASH CLUSTER AND MY RIGHT THUMB VERY EASILY CONTROLS THE CENTER SCREEN.

SO...PRETTY SIMPLE.

John: EQUALLY MODERN IS THE POWERTRAIN: A 2.0 LITER I4 TURBO, PUTTING DOWN 255 HORSEPOWER AND 295 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT'S PARTNERED WITH A 48 VOLT MILD HYBRID SYSTEM WHICH ADDS ANOTHER 20 HORSEPOWER AND 148 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THAT'S ALL CHANNELED THROUGH A 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC GEARBOX TO EITHER THE REAR WHEELS OR TO A 4MATIC ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, THE 2022 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS STARTS AT UNDER $45,000 WITH DESTINATION, PROVING WHY IT REMAINS THEIR BEST-SELLING SEDAN: LOWER COST, WITH LOADS OF LUXURY.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

* Greg Carloss: "FEELS BIG, DRIVES SMALL" IS A GREAT WAY TO SUMMARIZE OUR TIME WITH MITSUBISHI'S RE-IMAGINED 2022 OUTLANDER.

SITTING IN THE CABIN, IT FEELS INCREDIBLY SPACIOUS; AND NOT ONLY IS IT ONE OF THE FEW COMPACT UTEs TO EVEN OFFER A 3RD ROW, IT COMES STANDARD.

PLUS, THERE'S ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY WITH 40/20/40 SPLIT-FOLDING FOR THE REAR SEATBACKS.

AND, THE UPGRADED INTERIOR IS QUITE HOSPITABLE; WITH NICE LEATHER AND FIT, AND FINISH THAT'S ON PAR WITH MANY LUXURY BRANDED UTILITIES.

AS FOR THE DRIVING, THIS MUCH-IMPROVED 4TH GEN OUTLANDER HAS HAD US CRUISING THROUGH COMMUTES WITH EASE.

FROM A COMFORT AND TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, THIS OUTLANDER REALLY SHINES.

ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING ITS SUB-$40,000 PRICE TAG.

COMPARED TO SOME MORE SPORT-ORIENTED COMPACT UTILITIES, IT'S NOT PARTICULARLY NIMBLE IN THE CORNERS AND THAT'S FINE.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.

WE'RE STILL PLEASED WITH WHAT THE CHASSIS HAS TO OFFER.

WE'RE AVERAGING A GREAT 29.4 MILES PER GALLON OVER THE 6,000 MILES WE'VE TRAVELED IN THE FIRST 4-MONTHS OF OUR TEST.

AND WHILE, WE WOULD APPRECIATE A LITTLE MORE GRUNT OFF THE LINE, THE 181 HORSEPOWER NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 2.5 LITER I4 HAS NO PROBLEMS KEEPING UP WITH TRAFFIC, MAKING THE OUTLANDER AN EXCELLENT CRUISER.

WE'LL LIVE THE SEDAN LIFE, WITH OUR VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: MUCH LIKE BIGFOOT, FOR YEARS NOW WE'VE BEEN HEARING TALES OF A MYTHICAL CREATURE KNOWN AS THE CADILLAC BLACKWING.

A LITERAL FIRE-BREATHING BEAST, SO FEROCIOUS IT STRIKES FEAR IN THE HEARTS OF BOTH LESSER SEDANS AND ROAD COURSES ALL OVER THE LAND.

WELL, WON'T YOU JOIN US NOW AS WE HIT THE TRACK IN SEARCH OF TRUTH ABOUT THE BLACKWING?

* THERE ARE TWO CADILLAC BLACKWING SEDANS AVAILABLE, A COMPACT CT4-V AND A MIDSIZE CT5-V.

BUT CONSIDERING ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY IS A BIG TRACK THAT CAN EASILY HANDLE BIG HORSEPOWER, THE CHOICE FOR US WAS OBVIOUS; THE 2022 CT5-V BLACKWING.

ITS 6.2 LITER SUPERCHARGED V8 CRANKS OUT 668 HORSEPOWER AND A WHOPPING 659 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ASSEMBLED AT THE BOWLING GREEN CORVETTE PLANT; IT FEATURES TITANIUM VALVES, FORGED PISTONS, AND ROTOCAST ALUMINUM HEADS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'LL HOLD UP TO SOME SERIOUS ABUSE AND HELP MAKE THIS BLACKWING THE MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION CADILLAC EVER, AND ALSO THE FASTEST!

OFF THE LINE, IT'S EVERYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE: EXPLOSIVE WITH POWER, REQUIRING RIGHT FOOT RESTRAINT.

BUT, IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T TAKE AS MUCH PATIENCE AS YOU'D THINK WAITING FOR THE SPECIAL COMPOUND MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4S 305s TO GET GOOD TRACTION.

WE HIT 60 IN 3.6 SECONDS ON JUST OUR SECOND RUN.

SEDANS IN GENERAL ARE RARE ENOUGH THESE DAYS, BUT ONE WITH THAT KIND OF POWER AND A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, WE'RE TALKING MORE UNICORN STATUS HERE.

THE STANDARD TREMEC 6-SPEED GETS A TWIN-DISC CLUTCH AND A SHORT-THROW SHIFTER, BOTH OF WHICH WERE A MECHANICAL JOY TO OPERATE AS WE WORKED OUR WAY THROUGH THE QUARTER-MILE IN 11.7 SECONDS AT 124 MILES PER HOUR.

AN AVAILABLE 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC IS TWO/TENTHS QUICKER TO 60 ACCORDING TO GM, BUT WE HAD BIGGER THINGS OUR MINDS; GETTING THROUGH ALL OF ROEBLING'S NINE TURNS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, THE CT5 SHARES A CHASSIS WITH CHEVROLET'S CAMARO, SO IT'S MORE THAN TRACK-WORTHY RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO.

BUT SIGNIFICANT UPDATES HAVE TAKEN PLACE TO PUSH THE BLACKWING INTO WORLD-CLASS SPORT SEDAN TERRITORY.

STARTING WITH FASTER-RESPONDING MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL 4.0 AND THE BIGGEST BRAKES EVER BOLTED ONTO A PRODUCTION CADILLAC.

THE STRUCTURE ITSELF HAS ALSO BEEN STIFFENED WITH SHOCK TOWER BRACES, BEEFIER REAR CROSS MEMBERS, AND ADDED CHASSIS REINFORCEMENTS BELOW.

STEERING RESPONSE IS QUICKENED DUE TO THE RETUNED HYDRO BUSHINGS AND CROSS-AXIS BALL JOINTS OF THE MACPHERSON STRUT FRONT SUSPENSION; SIMILAR TREATMENTS IN BACK, WITH THE ADDITION OF STIFFER KNUCKLES AND CRADLE MOUNTS FOR THE 5-LINK SUSPENSION.

THE ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP REAR DIFFERENTIAL GETS A LIGHTER ALUMINUM HOUSING, IMPROVED COOLING, AND OPTIMIZED CONTROL FOR BOTH SENDING MORE POWER ACROSS THE AXLE AND PROPORTIONING IT UNIQUELY DEPENDENT ON DRIVE MODE.

STILL, AT TIMES YOU CAN FEEL LIKE YOU'RE FIGHTING WITH IT A BIT GOING AROUND THE TRACK, AS THE FRONTS COULD USE A LITTLE MORE GRIP TO DIAL BACK SOME OF THAT INITIAL UNDERSTEER, WHICH CAN EASILY BE OVERCOME WITH ALL OF THAT GLORIOUS MID-RANGE TORQUE; BUT WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF A LITTLE MANHANDLING, AS THIS BLACKWING STAYS PRETTY FLAT; FEELING DARN FAST AND HIGHLY CAPABLE.

WHETHER, IT'S THE PERFORMANCE TRACTION MANAGEMENT, OR JUST THE AMOUNT OF MECHANICAL GRIP PROVIDED BY THE SETUP, EVEN WITH ALL OF THAT POWER, MAJOR OVERSTEER IS NOT A NATURALLY TENDENCY.

AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING TRITE, PERHAPS THE BEST WAY TO PAINT THE CT5-V BLACKING PICTURE IS TO PORTRAY IT AS THE WELL-MANNERED OFFSPRING OF A HELLCAT CHARGER AND BMW M3.

IT SURE LOOKS LIKE ONE MEAN CADILLAC; THE STANCE IS JUST ABOUT PERFECT, AND A PAIR OF OPTIONAL CARBON FIBER PACKAGES ADD THE MATERIAL TO THE FRONT SPLITTER, WHEEL ARCHES, REAR SPOILER, GRILLE, ROCKER EXTENSIONS, AND REAR DIFFUSER.

PLENTY OF CARBON FIBER INSIDE TOO, INCLUDING ON THE AVAILABLE RACING SEATS; THOUGH WE FOUND THEIR LEATHER COVERING TO BE A LITTLE SLIPPERY OUT ON THE TRACK.

THERE'S A 10 INCH TOUCHSCREEN FOR INFOTAINMENT, PLUS, A 12 INCH CONFIGURABLE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHICH CAN DISPLAY INFO FROM THE AVAILABLE SECOND GEN PERFORMANCE DATA RECORDER.

IN NORMAL STREET USE, GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 13-CITY, 21-HIGHWAY, AND 15-COMBINED.

WHILE, EVERYONE LOVES THE IDEA THAT CADILLAC WAS ABLE TO NOT ONLY MAKE A WORLD-CLASS SPORT SEDAN, BUT ONE THAT'S INSANELY BEASTLY; NOT EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY IT, AS PRICING STARTS AT $84,990, AND YOU CAN EASILY CLEAR SIX FIGURES WITH OPTIONS.

CADILLAC HAS ALREADY SAID, "THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE GASOLINE POWERED V-CARS; THE UPCOMING ESCALADE-V SUV NOTWITHSTANDING."

THE BRAND'S FUTURE IS DESTINED TO BE ALL-ELECTRIC.

WHAT A SHAME TO GET CARS LIKE THE BLACKWING JUST ABOUT PERFECT ONLY TO HAVE THEM EXIT STAGE LEFT!

SO, LET US ENJOY THIS REMARKABLE SERIES, OUR MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE BEST SPORT SEDAN PICK, WHILE WE CAN.

AND, HOPE THAT THE SPIRIT OF OUR 2022 CT5-V BLACKWING WILL LIVE ON IN SOME FUTURE CADILLAC EV SUPER SEDAN.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK, INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN WE'LL CONQUER ALL ROADS IN THE LUXURIOUS LEXUS LX600 SUV, THEN GET A GRIP ON VOLKSWAGEN'S ID.4 PRO AWD.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] * YOUR WATCHING PBS.