- Cadillac's new 3 Series fighter goes on sale this summer.
- The 2013 ATS is a five-passenger sedan available in rear- and all-wheel-drive variants.
- Cadillac will offer a choice of four-cylinder and V6 engines, with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.
DETROIT — Cadillac's new 3 Series fighter, the 2013 ATS sedan, goes on sale this summer as the smallest, lightest model the brand has sold in years.
Just 0.3 inch longer than a 3 Series, the ATS is built on a new corporate architecture — GM insiders call it Alpha — that supports rear- and all-wheel drive (the ATS can be equipped with either) and is likely to spin off additional variants, including a coupe and a wagon.
The ATS is a Cadillac that's been designed and outfitted to tackle luxury compacts in global markets. Toward that end, General Motors has built and tuned this new five-passenger sedan to meet world-class standards.
The chassis employs a five-link rear and front struts, with ZF variable-assist electric power steering and four-wheel disc brakes (Brembos on the upmarket trim levels). Wheel sizes include 17 and 18 inches, with 225/35ZR19 run-flat all-season tires as the top choice.
As an extra-cost option, the ATS can be fitted with a driver-adjustable FE3 sport suspension with Magnetic Ride Control real-time damping.
Engines start with a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit rated at 200 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque. A step up is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder delivering 270 hp and 260 lb-ft, while North America also gets a range-topping 3.6-liter V6 that makes 318 hp and 267 lb-ft. All three DOHC engines are direct-injected. Transmission choices include a Tremec M3L TR3160 six-speed manual and a Hydra-Matic 6L45 six-speed automatic.
Cadillac has loaded up the cockpit of the ATS with plenty of goodies, and trimmed it in a combination of wood, leather, metal and carbon fiber. There's an LED gauge cluster, plus ambient lighting and such nice touches as push-button start, satellite radio and optional performance seats with power-adjustable bolsters.
Cadillac is making a big deal out of its new CUE infotainment system, which pairs data from your smartphone or other Bluetooth-capable mobile device, all of it accessible via voice command or through an 8-inch LCD multi-touch screen.
Among the available high-tech features are a full-color reconfigurable head-up display, navigation and a Bose surround-sound audio system, as well as front and rear automatic brakes that employ short-range radar and ultrasonic sensors, adaptive cruise control, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind-zone alert, a rear back-up camera and adaptive headlamps.
Inside Line says: A stunner. Let's see how it drives.
Add A Comment »
2006vr6 says:
04:54 PM, 01/11/2012
Handsome looking inside & out. Magnetic Ride Control and adjustable damping is a great option. The turbo 4 sounds great & should move this ride around well. Should handle the curves real well with the magnetic ride control in place. Looks like this one can compete w/ Audi, BMW, and Mercedes.
willbuyan09 says:
06:29 PM, 01/10/2012
For Smooth 694:
I understand the confusion. I hate all the letters and numbers all auto makers use for their models these days. The CTS is really more of a BMW Series 5 size vehicle. I have never understood the 3-series comparisons.
The XTS is the DTS replacement. (and STS too). So, size wise, it will be XTS, CTS, ATS. Akitadog-chill out, dude. Seeing how the XTS and ATS aren't even available yet, it is easy to get them mixed up.
I was disappointed the ATS scrapped the convertible option. In my humble opinion, if they want to compete w/ BMW in this segment, they must offer a 'vert-no matter how many they think they will sell.
Overall, very excited by the American automakers products. Bout time!!
ziggerman says:
10:46 AM, 01/09/2012
Who's the guy in the video? Since when is the XTS the "answer to the 5 series"? It's a DTS replacement, how many more times does it have to be said?? Oh, and the V6 in the ATS is 3.6l and not "3.7l".
@smooth694: you've got it backwards, the ATS is smaller than the CTS and the CTS will grow bigger soon. So you may wait for the next-gen CTS if you need something bigger than the current CTS.
akitadog says:
10:44 AM, 01/09/2012
smooth694,
The ATS had ALWAYS been billed as the "baby Caddy," i.e. the small entry-level model. Did you just start following the auto industry?
smooth694 says:
10:02 AM, 01/09/2012
I was expecting the ATS to be bigger - larger than the CTS series and slightly smaller than the DTS. And I would prefer a 300 HP V8. That's why I switched to Cadillac 23 years ago. Guess I'll have to test-drive it.
a1c_scg says:
07:37 AM, 01/09/2012
Styling- I think it looks great. Very much an evolution of the original CTS's design. Great proportions, good blend of hard edges, smooth curves, I dig it.
Interior- Definite homerun here. Looks very modern and classy, but at the same, elegant and understated. If the CTS is anything to go by, material usage and fitment will be spot on as well.
Chassis- Probably the biggest success, at least on paper. Light weight, Brembo brakes, magnetic/sport suspension options, good stuff. Let's hope it's as sound as the engineers make it out to be.
Powertrain- Here's where it gets dicey. AWD option is great, as is the manual trans. The boosted 4 looks to be promising, especially in terms of power. My question is, will they have ironed out any kinks that will necessitate the use of torque management features to preserve the drivetrain?? The Regal GS is already well-noted for suffering from this, as is the new 1.4 Sonic.
The base model 4cyl sounds like it was included because of the bean-counters, and should probably be avoided, especially if it's as thrashy at high rpms as it's predecessors.
The LFX is a great engine, and would be my choice (paired w/ the 6MT and rwd, of course), but let's not kid ourselves here, it doesn't hold a candle to BMW's N55. That engine is first off underrated, secondly has power everywhere, and lastly has enormous tuning potential. Added to the fact that like of BMW's I6's, it's as smooth as butter. Conversely, the LFX is at a major torque deficit, as a narrower power band, and little to no aftermarket support. True, not everyone in the compact luxury segment is going to mod their cars, but a lot of them are and do. I'm one of them. And as a prior owner of an Audi A4 1.8T, I, like many others, have become accustomed to having the option of squeezing out more power if I so choose. If Cadillac really, truly wants to make headway in this segment, the turbo four had better deliver, the V6 had better be good, and the V better really bring the show.
Cadillac- I say this as a prior European car owner, but still, and recently renewed, American car fan- Don't let me down.
lions208487 says:
07:31 AM, 01/09/2012
The 335i is rated at 320 HP not 330, and the ATS at 318 HP is lighter than the 335i, so the two HP is not that big of a loss. Torque numbers are deceptive when it comes to real world performance, so give the ATS a chance to go toe to toe first before judging it's numbers. The base 4 cylinder is not great, but does well to compare against the A4 2.0T and IS 250, while the 328i will have plenty to handle with the ATS 270 HP turbo.
I am sure the 3.6 DI will fall a little short and that's where I agree with virtualscouser.
Why not come with a 330 HP 280 ft lbs to really mash the comp rather than just try to equal it. I am sure the ATS V will do very well against the new M3 and C63AMG. Infiniti, though I love them is going the wrong direction by adopting Mercedes engines over their current VQ engine series, so not much there soon anyway. Lexus always falls short, and Acura has lot's of work to do.
virtualscouser says:
07:03 AM, 01/09/2012
@jadis
Er...that was the point I was making...next time I won't use sarcasm as it's too difficult for you to understand...
jadis says:
06:59 AM, 01/09/2012
The base engine is worthless, only there to meet a base model $$ amount and adverstise that the car starts at a low price. The turbo 4 looks to be about right, the 3.6 however..... Tell me how 318hp and 268tq is "about right" for the 335i 330hp and 300tq? Why not give it the 330hp and 280tq that the CTS will have?????? (let alone the infiniti V6 and others out there)
Again, GM is limiting engines and screwing around with things in their lineup to keep distance between cars. For BMW, MB, Audi you can get the same engine up and down the line. Why does GM do this?
As others have said it is not merely enough to come to the table with engines that just meet the competition (the 4 appears to be above it, so that is good). If you want to seriously contend you have to come to the table with things way beyond what the competition has now. We all know that the competition has been out for years with their engines and if GM meets the competition's standards set years ago it will only be a matter of time before they are out competed once again.
piredon says:
05:22 AM, 01/09/2012
I can't really put my finger on it, but the interior, in any color scheme shown here, is absolutely repulsive to me. It looks incredibly cheap in these photos for some reason.
I like the exterior. The way the headlamps extend up the hood makes it look longer than the CTS.