2021 Cadillac CT4 vs. 2021 Genesis G70

2020 Genesis G70 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Historically, the world’s best sports sedans have been German. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz invested heavily in intricately engineered vehicles with exquisite driving dynamics. These days, though, Germany’s best sometimes feel cold. Even classic driving machines like the BMW 3 Series have lately skewed more toward isolation than excitement.

That left room for upstarts to challenge the Germans on their historic turf. Two such models are the 2021 Genesis G70 and the 2021 Cadillac CT4. The G70 is the first compact sedan from Hyundai’s premium division, which got its start with full-size models. It debuted to rave reviews in 2019. The CT4, introduced last year, is an overhauled version of the Cadillac ATS — a compact sedan that had offered excellent ride and handling but also a host of drawbacks. Priced from well below $40,000, the G70 and CT4 both promise driving fun at relatively attainable prices. Which one pulls it off better? Keep reading as we explore how these two sedans compare in different categories and name an overall winner.

Exterior Design

The CT4 provides a stately, serious aesthetic that’s unlike most small, affordable luxury sedans. It looks like a bigger sedan than it is, and it favors simple lines over potentially garish cues. Like other recent Cadillacs, it has a vertical theme to its headlights and taillights; up front, that includes a slim stretch of LED that wraps around from above the front fender to point down toward the ground. The only note that we see bothering anyone is the unusual way the rear bumper spreads up to fill a gap between the vertical taillights and the small trunk opening.

The G70 has a more rounded body than the CT4, with a curved windowline, big curved taillamps, and a gentle bulge that extends from the rear of the car to gradually disappear as it makes it way under the side windows. Up front, the Genesis has a big vertical grille flanked by two slim headlights. Next year, an updated 2022 G70 will wear fresher front and rear styling shared with the newly introduced Genesis G80 and GV80.

Tie

Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Design

Neither the G70 nor the CT4 has the highest-end interior in their class. While most of their materials are suitably upscale for the price, both sedans have areas that feel inappropriately cheap. The Cadillac’s weak points include budget-grade plastics on the lower parts of the interior door panels and center console. Meanwhile, the Genesis has cheap plasticky dashboard knobs and plastic interior door handles. Both sedans also have wobbly turn-signal stalks and infotainment systems that, while easy to use, offer nothing you wouldn’t find in a good economy car.

We’ll give this win to the Genesis for trying harder to dazzle than the Cadillac, even if the results are inconsistent. Our G70 test car had rich pleated Nappa leather upholstery with red stitching, while things consistently look more businesslike in the CT4. If you’re patient, the upcoming 2022 G70 will also add a 10-inch touchscreen that’s higher-end than the 8-inch screens found on the current G70 and CT4.

Genesis G70

Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Space and Comfort

The CT4 and G70 both have comfortable front seats with plenty of room, supportive bolsters, and available heating and ventilation. They’re both cramped in the back, with limited legroom for adults, and they have among the smallest trunks of any modern sedans: shallow spaces with less than 11 cubic feet of space.

We’re giving the Genesis the edge because of some extra optional features that can help passengers get more comfortable. You can get rear seat heaters, plus secondary controls for the power-adjustable passenger seat, which the driver or rear passenger can use to easily create some more rear legroom.

Genesis G70

Photo by Brady Holt

Ride and Handling

Continuing their similarity, the G70 and the CT4 both balance a firm but comfortable ride with agile, responsive handling. They provide crisper, more involving driving experiences than their more sterile-feeling German rivals, yet generally without sacrificing comfort. Both have standard rear-wheel drive with optional all-wheel drive.

The Genesis wins this round for two reasons. First, the steering system on our CT4 Premium Luxury test vehicle felt slightly numb as we sped up; it was impressively composed and inspired confidence, but the G70 did better. The CT4-V maximum-performance model should rectify that issue, but it doesn’t solve the Cadillac’s other drawback: Its four-cylinder engines sound harsher and more gravelly than the smooth, refined V6 included on our G70 test vehicle.

Genesis G70

Photo by Brady Holt

Acceleration

Powertrains are the biggest difference between the G70 and CT4. The Cadillac comes with a choice of three turbocharged four-cylinder engines. A 2.0-liter with 237 horsepower is standard on most trim levels. Our test car had a 2.7-liter with 310 hp, which is optional on the Premium Luxury trim level. The CT4-V has a 325-hp version of the 2.7-liter.

The G70 has a more conventional lineup: a base 252-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (available, unlike any CT4 engine, with a manual transmission) and a 365-hp 3.3-liter turbocharged V6. Despite its on-paper advantage, the G70 fails to out-accelerate the Cadillac. Its V6 engine does sound nicer, but the 2.7-liter CT4-V is quicker. And the 2.0-liter Cadillac can outrun the 2.0-liter Genesis — which does not compensate with an aural advantage. The numbers are close, but the CT4 wins. 

Cadillac CT4

Photo by Brady Holt

Fuel Economy

In addition to speedy, the CT4’s engines are decently fuel-thrifty, too. Its base 2.0-liter scores EPA ratings of 23 mpg in the city, 34 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg overall with rear-wheel drive and 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 26 mpg overall with all-wheel drive. That compares with 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway/25 mpg combined for the RWD 2.0-liter Genesis and just 20 city/27 highway/23 combined with AWD.

The difference grows when you choose their bigger engines. The 2.7-liter CT4 ranges from 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway/23 mpg combined for an AWD CT4-V up to 21 city/31 highway/25 combined for a RWD CT4 Premium Luxury like our test vehicle. The V6 G70 gets 17 mpg city, 25 or 26 mpg highway (AWD and RWD), and 20 mpg combined. Our tested CT4 averaged 29 mpg and, according to the trip computer, it got as high as 40 mpg on the open highway. Our V6 AWD G70 managed 22 mpg.

Cadillac CT4

Photo by Brady Holt

Safety

The Cadillac CT4 hasn’t yet been crash-tested. But it would have a hard time beating the Genesis G70, which earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest honor of Top Safety Pick+.

What’s more, even though Cadillac added some standard safety features this year, Genesis still has more: a forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, a lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, and automatic high beams. New for 2021, the CT4 does include the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking as standard equipment, but the rest of those technologies still cost extra. One potential CT4 advantage is on the way in a few months, though: Cadillac is promising to offer its advanced Super Cruise hands-free driving technology — perhaps the industry’s most advanced semiautonomous system to be publicly available — on the CT4. However, for now, the Genesis is our winner.

Genesis G70

Photo by Brady Holt

Pricing and Features

The 2021 Genesis G70 starts at $36,000, compared with $33,395 for the 201 Cadillac CT4. While Genesis provides some extra safety technology and other high-end standard features like a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, it also balloons the price quickly if you want features like a sunroof or heated front seats, which are bundled together in the $4,150 Elite Package.

It’s also cheaper to get 300-plus horsepower on the Cadillac. The Premium Luxury with the optional 2.7-liter engine starts at $40,095, versus $46,200 for the cheapest V6-powered Genesis. Even the CT4-V starts at $44,895. The G70 offers a lot of features for the money by the standards of its class, but the CT4 costs even less.

Cadillac CT4

Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

Even in its third year on the market, the Genesis G70 is a great-driving car that blends comfort and performance, along with a more upscale-looking interior than the newer Cadillac CT4. It delivers strong value for the money, especially if you’re looking for all the latest safety features or melodious-sounding speed.

But the CT4 is our winner. Its advanced four-cylinder engines don’t sound beautiful, but they offer an excellent combination of acceleration and efficiency. And while the Cadillac doesn’t have a spacious or gorgeously finished interior, or entirely perfect steering feel, it doesn’t trail the Genesis by much. What’s more, it can cost thousands less. The 2022 G70 will make the match closer by elevating its in-cabin technology to eclipse the CT4’s, but here in the 2021 model year, we’re picking the Cadillac.

Cadillac CT4

Photo by Brady Holt