After being rumored for quite some time, the new Cadillac ATS compact sedan has officially been unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The car was built to challenge some of the world’s best premium cars like the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class. It will go on sale in Summer 2012.
The new 2013 Cadillac ATS will be distinguished by its active shutter grille, LED-infused headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome trim, vertical taillights, and integrated trunk spoiler. It is also the first Cadillac model to carry the CUE infotainment system - an eight-inch LCD multi-touch sensitive screen that is integrated into the top of the center instrument panel.
Customers will have the possibility to choose between three engines: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 200 HP, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 270 HP, and a 3.6-liter V6 with 318 HP. All three engines can be combined with either a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic transmission, as well as an optional all-wheel drive system.
"Designed with quick, nimble and fun-to-drive dynamics, ATS expands Cadillac’s portfolio into a crucial global segment," said Don Butler, vice president of marketing for Cadillac. "For a new group of luxury consumers, this is a car that will fit their lifestyle and challenge the segment’s status quo."
UPDATE 01/09/2012: This review has been updated with the official info and images of the new Cadillac ATS.
UPDATE 01/23/2012: Cadillac has unveiled today a new video for the ATS sedan. Called "The Journey Chapter 4", this video takes you behind the scenes of Cadillac’s reveal event to capture the reactions of the auto industry press as the ATS is unveiled.
UPDATE 01/30/2012: Cadillac’s ATS commercial for the Super Bowl XLVI tells everyone who does not believe it can beat the BMW 3-Series to go to "Green Hell." That is, of course, the Nurburgring race track. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Cadillac ATS.
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Cadillac seems to be just about done filling in all of the blanks in their popular CTS model, so it was high time for them to provide some definitive details on their next project: the ATS. Prepared to slide in right below the CTS and all of its variants, the ATS should be debuting in sedan form in 2012. That’s all fine and dandy, but we are much more interested in the variant following that unveiling with the ATS-V in 2014.
First rumored in 2008, the ATS is ready to go and will be built on GM’s new Alpha platform with a rear wheel drive system. Its design will be inspired by Cadillac’s Art and Science design language which "incorporates sharp, sheer forms and crisp edges — a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it."
The ATS-V was first thought to carry a 470 HP V8 engine as found in the CTS-V, but worried that the car would then take sales away from its bigger brother, Cadillac opted for a twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 that will produce around 380 HP. The engine will be mated to a six speed manual or automatic transmission and the combination will get the ATS-V coupe to 60 mph in under five seconds with a top speed of above 170 mph. This engine choice fits in nicely with the ATS-V’s biggest rival, the BMW M3, but Cadillac may need to up the ante in terms of power for the competition to be a bit stiffer. The future M3 will produce around 450 HP and should get to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds, but top speed will be electronically limited to 155 mph.
The full line of ATS models should cover a sedan in 2012, the ATS-V and Coupe in 2014, and an ATS-V Convertible in 2015. Stay tuned for more details!
Cadillac has announced a new Touring package available for all models in the CTS line: coupe, sedan, and station wagon. Priced at $2,065, the new Touring Package adds luxury features such as Recaro seats, microfiber suede inserts on the seats and steering wheel, high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, a performance-tuned suspension, a V-series aerodynamic spoiler, and performance wheel packages.
The new Touring Package can be combined with both 3.0 liter and 3.6 liter V6 engines. In the 3.0L version, it brings 18-inch pearl nickel finish wheels; dual exhaust; dark finish grille; HID headlamps and fog lamps; V-Series aerodynamic center high mounted stop lamp; suede seat inserts, steering wheel and shifter; midnight Sapele wood trim ; and metal pedals.
The 3.6 L package adds Recaro performance seating, suede-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, midnight Sapele wood trim, and metal pedals.
The Touring Package for the Cadillac CTS adds another $2,065 to the standard vehicle’s price - $36,790 for the sedan, $39,590 for the coupe, and $39,890 for the sport wagon.
Cadillac’s recently unveiled XTS Platinum Concept has been made over into a production model revealed at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Cadillac XTS sedan will hit dealer showrooms in 2012 in late spring or early summer as a competitor for models like the Audi A6, the BMW 5-Series, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The new XTS will be placed above the CTS in the current Cadillac line-up and will deliver "the space, elegance, and dramatic presence that are Cadillac signatures, but with entirely new and technically advanced methods tuned for a new generation of luxury customers."
"The Cadillac XTS represents a new formula for luxury, driven by advanced technology," said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. "XTS showcases the evolution of our Art & Science philosophy, merging the best technical ideas with the continued refinement of Cadillac design."
UPDATE 11/16/2011: This review has been updated with the official details and images.
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Hennessey has a way of doing business that makes you want to throw money at them, especially when it deals with automotive tuning. These guys know what they’re doing and if you have a car like a Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon and you’re not satisfied with its standard specs, the right thing to do is pick up the phone and have Hennessey give it the boost you’ve always wanted.
The American tuning company’s V700 program is a good choice for that. Not only does it have a few styling tweaks to make the car a little more eye-friendly, but more importantly, it has the perfect performance improvements that can turn your CTS-V wagon from a mild-mannered family ride into a snorting piece of action-packed mayhem.
Remember the Cadillac CTS-V Black Diamond Edition that we profiled a couple of months back? Well, it’s essentially the same program except that it doesn’t come with the special edition enhancements of the Black Diamond. So even if you ’only’ have a standard CTS-V Sport Wagon, never fear because Hennessey will give it the kind of engine nip and tuck that you’ve always wanted.
UPDATE 11/09/2011: Check out Hennessey’s new video release showing their CTS-V Sport Wagon achieve 10.69 seconds at 134.69 mph in the 1/4 Mile!
Find out more about the Cadillac CTS-V V700 Sport Wagon by Hennessey after the jump.
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