Cadillac’s 4th Generation MagneRide Suspension Has Tons of Improvements

Let us be honest, when someone decides to buy a Cadillac, they are looking for a luxury car that stands out from the crowd of vehicles made by the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Genesis.

They want a pure American car that offers equal amounts of comfort and performance. Cadillac has been hard at work to offer exactly that and one of the technologies that they have developed and improved over time is the Magnetic Ride Control suspension system.

Developed by Delphi Automotive corporation at a time when the company was a subsidiary of General Motors, it was first introduced in 2002 on the Cadillac Seville STS four-door sedan to offer a smoother and more enjoyable ride.

Unlike traditional suspension systems, Cadillac’s innovative Magnetic Ride Control does not use any mechanical valves or other small moving parts that could wear out.

The active-damping system is made up of four monotube dampers, a sensor set, and an electronic control unit that manages the whole suspension. The dampers contain magnetorheological fluid, which is made up of a mixture of magnetized iron particles in a synthetic hydrocarbon oil.

A piston containing two electromagnetic coils and a fluid passageway is placed inside each damper. The two coils are able of creating a variable magnetic field across the fluid passageway.

When the magnetic properties of the coils are not being used, the dampers can move freely which results in a more comfortable ride.

However, when the system determines that a stiffer suspension is necessary, the electromagnetic field created inside each damper effectively increases the fluid’s viscosity.

The suite of sensors continually scans the road and damping ratio sending information to the electronic control unit at a rate of 1,000 times per second which is about 10 times faster than the blink of an eye.

In simpler terms, the Magnetic Ride Control system manipulates the chemical and physical properties of the dampers to make the ride more comfortable, more aggressive, or find the right balance between both. This increases comfort and delivers precise handling and optimum tire grip.

The fourth generation of this technology receives hardware improvements like the in-wheel accelerometers that are more accurate than those in earlier versions of the system.

Also, the inertia formula and the damper fluid have been improved to allow quicker response times and a smoother ride.

The software of the system was also updated. The sensors can now process a wider selection of input and output data, which translates to broader changes in damper ratio.

Overall, the response time of the fourth generation Magnetic Ride Control has been significantly improved. The response time is now up to 45% quicker as Cadillac states that these are the most comprehensive updates made to the system since it was first released.

With all these upgrades to what was already an excellent system, the fourth generation performs a lot better in tight cornering situations and under heavy braking, delivering more consistent performance and a more comfortable ride.

The latest generation Magnetic Ride Control system comes as standard on the 2021 CT5-V and 2021 CT4-V and is also a part of the V Performance package for the CT5.