Luxury cars are expensive and come in all shapes: sedan, coupe or convertible. They offer all the comfort, luxury and performance but you will have to pay premium price. German cars like BMW or Mercedes are the first brand that come to our mind but nowadays nearly all car makers offer nice and comfortable models that enter in the luxury car category.
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.
The X6 Active Hybrid may be seeing the end of its production day, but BMW is still forging ahead in its environmental pursuit with the new ActiveHybrid5. The new hybrid sedan will go on sale in March 2012.
The BMW ActiveHybrid5 combines a BMW TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line engine, an electric drive system, and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. With a total output of 340 HP, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 has become the most powerful and efficient full hybrid in its segment. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and deliver a fuel economy of 44 – 40 mpg. The 55 HP electric engine offers an all-electric driving range of up to 2.5 miles at an average speed of 22 mph.
The BMW ActiveHybrid5 will feature the same design language as the standard 5-Series, but will be further identified by "ActiveHybrid 5" lettering on the C-pillars, a BMW kidney grille with galvanized slats, and exhaust matte chrome tailpipes.
UPDATE 01/09/2012: BMW showed up to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show with pricing for their ActiveHybrid 5. The 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5 is scheduled to arrive in US BMW Centers in late Spring 2012 at a starting price of $61,845 (including the $895 Destination and Handling charge).
UPDATE 01/30/2012: BMW has announced that the new ActiveHybrid 5 will go on sale in March 2012 with a base MSRP of $61,845 (including $895 destination and handling). Next to this bit of news, the company has also unveiled a new set of images for the hybrid sedan. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more about the BMW ActiveHybrid 5.
We all know that vampires have many perceived weaknesses. There’s garlic, crucifixes, and apparently, you can add the Audi S7’s LED headlights to that list.
Audi’s highly-anticipated S7 commercial has finally been revealed and we’ll be the first to tell you that the wait and anticipation was definitely worth it. In what could be this year’s version of "Little Darth Vader", Audi went to a popular pop culture subject these days, featuring vampires in the Twilight mold for the commercial.
One of the vampires is bringing a bag full of blood to a camp party - that’s their version of beer! - while driving an Audi S7. As soon as he gets to the site, all the vamps looking in the direction of the S7 were instantly incinerated by the luxury car’s ridiculously bright LED headlights. Heck, even the clueless driver who was wondering where his buddies went, fell to looking at the S7 and getting fried to bits himself.
Pretty hilarious commercial and an early contender for the best auto ad for this year’s Superbowl.
When BMW unveiled their X6 back in 2008, it immediately made jaws start to flap about what Audi’s response to the luxury SUV would be. Everyone got their answer when, in 2011, Walter de’ Silva, Design Boss at Audi’s parent Volkswagen Group, confirmed that the company had already started to work on the Q6 and that it would be out on the streets by 2015. This rendering is our interpretation of the future X6 competitor.
The Audi Q6 will be built on the platform used for the next generation Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, and will offer the same crossover-coupe aspect of its competitor. Under the hood, Audi will place a variation of gas and diesel engines, as well as a hybrid option (following the hybrid option of the Cayenne). The top version, rumored to be called the Q6 RS, will be powered by the company’s latest turbocharged 4.0L V8 engine.
BMW brought out the X6 in the second half of 2008, and with a few years of experience in the market, the SUV is now ready for a minor facelift to keep it refreshingly attractive. And when we say minor, we really do mean minor, because you need to look very close to see the changes in this facelift.
The facelift starts off with redesigned fog lights, headlights, and taillamps with a new adaptive LED option, and moves on to newly designed bars, new paint finishes, light alloy wheels, and leather trim. And that’s pretty much it.
The US market will get its usual xDrive50i powered by a 4.4-liter 400 hp TwinPower Turbo V8 and the X6 xDrive35i with a 300 HP TwinPower Turbo inline-6. However, for the first time, the BMW X6 will be able to be ordered with an M-Performance package that adds a few ponies and a meaner look.
On the US market, the new BMW X6 will go on sale in the spring of 2012.
UPDATE 01/26/2012: This review has been updated with the official images and specs for the BMW X6.
