Cadillac’s reinvention as a brand that has set its sights on its German rivals hasn’t gone unnoticed in these pages. But if there are still those that doubt Caddy’s new direction and the aggressive manner in which they’re pursuing it, well, the American automaker has a nice little message for you that it’s showing through their new Super Bowl ad.
One of Caddy’s new models is the all-new ATS sedan, a car that it painstakingly built from the ground up to be the kind of model that can bring the fight to its German counterparts, particularly that of the BMW 3-Series. Cadillac is not one to shy away from a boast too, and they do that every time chance they get with the ATS and the fact that the car’s dynamics and development were honed and fine-tuned in one of the world’s most demanding testing grounds, the Nurburgring, or as it’s affectionately called, the "Green Hell."
In the commercial, Cadillac puts one and one together, highlighting the ATS sedan and the fact that it’s got some Green Hell initiation to be proud of. And if there’s anyone that will tell you Caddy can’t beat the BMWs of the world?
Well, they have a short reply for that: "Go to [Green] Hell."
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.
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, much like Volvo and Buick, is in dire need of revamping its lineup to appeal to a younger generation. They’ve already come a long way with their CTS-V models speeding through the hearts of auto enthusiasts (even in wagon form), but if the grapevine is to be believed, the American luxury brand is thinking about offering a new roadster built off of the recently unveiled ATS’ platform.
The new ATS Roadster was previously thought to be offered in an ATS-V variant in 2015, but new rumors are stating that this new model will be a two-seater roadster ready to take on models like the Mercedes-Benz SLK. This new roadster will be built on the same rear-wheel-drive platform as the ATS and will most likely share the same engine lineup: 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. These options will allow the roadster ATS to be a bit more powerful than the SLK350 that delivers a total of 302 HP.
More details about the new ATS-based Roadster will be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
With the calendar turning over a new page to 2012, the very first major auto show is set to open its doors in Detroit when the North American International Auto Show welcomes automakers - both local and foreign - to the Motor City.
This year, American brands are coming to Detroit in full force where they will be joined by a number of international automakers in presenting a steady diet of concept cars, production debuts, and just about everything else in between.
Among the notable debuts set to take place include the brand-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL, as well as the 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8. German automaker Porsche has also penciled in the 911 Cabriolet for the festivities, while Lexus will be on-hand to display the intriguing and mysterious LF-LC 2+2 sports coupe concept.
As for the local contingent, Ford is leading the way with the premiere of the Fusion global mid-size sedan while Dodge is set to introduce their Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based compact sedan, the Dart.
There’s plenty of action headed to Detroit when the 2012 NAIAS opens its doors on January 14th. Head over after the jump to check out a preview of all the cars scheduled to be part of all the festivities.
