The fourth generation of Magnetic Ride Control sharpens the driving performance of the Cadillac CT4-V (RWD), CT5-V, CT5 Sport and Escalade, with up to 45-percent faster damping response.

The suspension technology allows for greater responsiveness and enhanced isolation from road imperfections. It includes all-new wheel accelerometers, improved magnetic flux control and an inertial measurement unit that increases sensitivity to body motion, enabling even quicker changes as the suspension reads the road.

How it Works 

Magnetic Ride Control is an active damping system that uses electro-magnets paired with magneto-rheological fluid within the shock absorbers to continually vary their damping rate. Wheel accelerometers read the road up to a thousand times per second, triggering changes in the magnetic charge within the fluid that can alter the damping rates of the shocks almost instantly.

By adjusting the damping rate, the car can better respond to varying road surfaces or sharp turns by maximizing tire contact on the road for greater driving precision.

What’s New

Debuting on the 2020 CT5-V and CT4-V (RWD only), and expanding to the 2021 CT5 Sport, nearly every aspect of the previous system was reevaluated for the development of Magnetic Ride Control 4.0. This includes the sensors, controller hardware, dampers and vehicle tuning methods 0. Highlights include:

• New wheel hub accelerometers and an inertial measurement unit transmit and process changes in road conditions four times faster than the previous system, for more fluid and natural-feeling damping changes.
• The inertial measurement unit provides more precise measurements of body motion, relative to the wheel, for more accurate readings under heavy braking, hard cornering and other driving conditions.
• New secondary temperature maps enable engineers to compensate for changes in damper fluid temperature, which contributes to more consistent performance, especially during performance driving.
• New magnetic flux control creates a more consistent and more accurate transition between rebound and compression in the dampers, improving the system’s ability to sense and control vehicle body movement.
• A significant reduction in damper friction produces a near “no damping” effect, that enables engineers to tune for more pronounced differences between drive modes.
• Improvements to hardware and software improve transient body control to allow the vehicle to remain more level as it transitions between corners.
• A new magneto-rheological fluid formula reduces friction within the damper that contributes to smoother overall damping.

Cadillac’s 2021 CT4-V (RWD) and CT5-V come standard with Magnetic Ride Control. Magnetic Ride Control is available as part of the new optional V Performance package on 2021 CT5 Sport, which also includes additional suspension performance upgrades and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

For the 2021 Escalade, Magnetic Ride Control is standard on the Sport and Platinum models, and its available on Premium Luxury trims.