What is it?
2013 Cadillac ATS
What's special about it?
The 2013 Cadillac ATS is the company's latest attempt to build a better BMW 3 Series. Just about every luxury manufacturer has tried to do the same before and none of them have cracked the code with any great success.
This time Cadillac isn't trying the bigger car/smaller price formula it used with the original CTS. Instead, the ATS is nearly identical in size to the latest 3 Series. In fact, the ATS is not even a half inch longer at 182.8 inches and fractionally shorter and wider at 55.9 and 71.1 inches, respectively.
More importantly, Cadillac says the ATS is lighter than a comparable 3 Series, too. It hasn't provided any final numbers yet, but Cadillac says the ATS will weigh less than 3,400 pounds. We assume that's for the lightest configuration possible. In the 3 Series lineup that means a 328i with a manual transmission and it tips the scales at 3,406 pounds. Let's hope Cadillac does better than 3,399 pounds.
No matter how far under the 3,400-pound threshold Cadillac gets, the ATS will be well-equipped to outrun the 3 Series, provided you choose the right engine. Three different engines will be available, the least powerful of which is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder rated at 200 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque. We suspect this is the bottom-feeder special, or the car Cadillac will use to drop the price under $30,000 and suck in a few extra step-up buyers who might otherwise opt for a loaded non-luxury sedan.
The real fun starts with the optional turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It develops 270 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, a significant bump over the 240-hp 2.0-liter engine found in the base 3 Series. Then there's the V6 option, which delivers 318 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. Both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic transmission will be offered, although Cadillac hasn't specified in which configurations.
An all-new rear-wheel-drive platform underpins the ATS. Cadillac says the new chassis delivers a nearly 50/50 front-to-rear weight balance. The front suspension is a multilink, double-pivot MacPherson strut design, while the rear suspension is a five-link, fully independent setup. An optional "FE3" suspension will be available that adds driver-adjustable Magnetic Ride Control similar to the larger XTS sedan. A set of 17-inch wheels will come standard, while 18-inch wheels and Brembo brakes will be optional.
As far as interior features go, the ATS will offer all the safety and convenience features you would expect in an entry-level sport sedan. Its one ace in the hole is the company's new CUE (Cadillac User Experience) system. It pairs a touch-sensitive screen with the ability to connect with up to 10 Bluetooth devices to deliver music, phone and navigation integration, with a minimalist design that keeps the button count to a minimum. Like so many other aspects of the ATS, we'll have to try it out before we'll know for sure if it's an improvement over the competition or not.
Inside Line says: Cadillac finally goes after the BMW 3 Series head-on in terms of size, power and features. It looks good on paper. We'll see how it feels on the road later this year.
Add A Comment »
sesbandit says:
12:50 PM, 01/19/2012
Somehow it looks like the trunk is to short. Didn't Caddy chop off the trunk in the early 80's?
wowo5 says:
04:51 PM, 01/15/2012
I bet ATS will sell better in US than Acura TSX, Audi A4 or Lexus IS. Its success in other markets is less certain, however.
tbone85 says:
12:12 PM, 01/15/2012
"Spent a good 10 minutes around the ATS today. It looks just as boring in person as in pictures. In that time, only 2 guys under 30 spent more than 2 minutes looking at it, the rest were all older men > 50. You couldn't even sit in the car or anything...."
Well that certainly is a complete set of data. If Cadillac is aiming a $40k vehicle at 20 somethings instead of 30 and 40 somethings then they are lost.
"Hopped over to Acura, NSX is a slam dunk! Younger people are all over it. Then at Audi and BMW areas, it was like a zoo of younger males and females!! Clearly Cadillac has done little to attract younger clientelle based on that observation. Even if the ATS will sell well, it sure won't be to < 35 year old males based on the reception at the Auto Show. The Buick Regal GS and Chevy Malibu blew the doors off ATS in terms of bringing in younger buyers into the brand."
How much does it matter if "younger people" are all over a concept car that is years away from actual execution? The final car is certain to be different. Hopefully it will be a home run, but not even peripheral traffic can be drawn into dealerships from a product that won't exist for years.
No one is looking at the A4 or 3 series because of scintillating design. Most people buying in this segment are looking for performance, the appearance of performance, and image. BMW and to a lesser extent Audi have a reputation for compact sport sedans. It will take a decade or more of excellence in execution, performance, and customer experience to make an impact on the market. The ATS design on paper looks more than good enough and it's certainly different than the competition. When it comes to sports sedans, BMW has proven that design is for show, and execution is for dough.
91camrs says:
12:34 PM, 01/14/2012
No matter what your preference be the German brands or the GM's new ATS. It seems the ATS got you all talking about it...I guess the strategy is working. We all know whose the king when it comes to building the sports sedan standard of the world. I just think its nice that other manufacturers haven't given up and will continue to make better and more exciting products for us the consumer. That means better dynamics, quality interiors, tighter panel gaps and high speed stability for our low speed US roads. So whether the ATS will do what its set out to do or not. I am glad some other car company made them get off their butts to design and not re-badge it calling it Euro tuned.
ilovecars12 says:
11:56 AM, 01/14/2012
@bestjinto
I agree that the ATS could have been more bold, but that is not the same as saying it is boring. It's not exactly like the all new 3 series that 95% of show goers don't realize is not the exact same as a 2006 3 series. As for the crowds, I wonder what time you got there? The Audi/BMW section is right in front, and Cadillac is all the way in the back. I was at the show early when there were not all that many people in the back (VW and Toyota too), and later in the day it was packed. The most people I saw crowded around any car all day (with the exception of the GT500 dyno demo)? The ZR1! True there are a lot of locals at the show, but it truly had a crowd/line just to get a look at it which could not be said of really any other car.
Also, disappointed with the MKZ in person, but a little more impressed with the XTS. It's actually a pretty nice looking car. Thanks to Audi for letting me into an S7, BS of ford/chrysler for locking me out of the focus ST and Dart. Best car of the show? Fusion. Amamzing. If you covered up the blue oval with your thumb (to trick your brain into not thinking what a ford should cost), it looked like a $65,000 car. They should have taken a page out of the Genesis playbook and just left the badge off of the front. Watch out Camary.
occam49 says:
11:44 AM, 01/14/2012
@ hwyspeeder.
Then you've never driven a C5 Vette across the long lonely stretches of Arizona hi-way at 145. A bit of wind noise but rock solid and comfortable. I' maxed it out at 172, real noisy, but again rock solid stable. The cars was stable ... I wasn't ... you come up people going 65 real fast LOL!
I'm calling BS on you buddy.
occam49 says:
11:36 AM, 01/14/2012
As a previous owner of a CTS-V [I loved that car more than my C5 Vette], I think the ATS has great potential. I'm not a fan of UAW/Government Motors ... no more GM cars for me.
bestjinjo says:
08:37 PM, 01/12/2012
Spent a good 10 minutes around the ATS today. It looks just as boring in person as in pictures. In that time, only 2 guys under 30 spent more than 2 minutes looking at it, the rest were all older men > 50. You couldn't even sit in the car or anything....
Hopped over to Acura, NSX is a slam dunk! Younger people are all over it. Then at Audi and BMW areas, it was like a zoo of younger males and females!! Clearly Cadillac has done little to attract younger clientelle based on that observation. Even if the ATS will sell well, it sure won't be to < 35 year old males based on the reception at the Auto Show. The Buick Regal GS and Chevy Malibu blew the doors off ATS in terms of bringing in younger buyers into the brand.
mbukukanyau says:
03:08 PM, 01/12/2012
You do not have to try it.
On paper, it smashes the competation
rascal99 says:
10:26 AM, 01/12/2012
@ hwyspeeder - sounds like you have an axe to grind with the 3-series. Did an ex-girlfriend drive one or something? Her new boyfriend drive one? Hate on it all you want, it is still the best all-around driving car on the planet. The BMWCCA is also the largest enthusiest car club there is.
Anyway, the ATS is looking good. I wouldn't mind driving one. Still can't get over the "old guy" stigma with Cadillac, but I generally really don't care what others think of my car.