The Cadillac ATS is a good example of a car that needs a high sales volume in order to remain relevant in a competitive market. The coupe version of the entry-level model has been able to pull its own weight in that regard. Unfortunately, the sedan version hasn’t had as much success. It’s no wonder then that Cadillac appears to be ready to cut ties with this version of the ATS as documents received by The Truth About Cars show that Caddy’s 2019 product lineup will hit the market without the ATS sedan.

This is what happens when a model doesn’t bring anywhere near the sales volume a brand expects. Hard decisions have to be made and based on VIN code documents submitted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; it does look like Caddy’s 2019 lineup will hit the market without the ATS sedan. As surprising as it is to see Caddy drop an important model, the numbers paint a bleak picture for the argument of keeping the ATS sedan.

According to Carsalesbase_data, Cadillac sold a combined 21,505 units of the ATS in 2016. It’s a decent number, but it also represents a significant drop from the 38,319 units the American automaker sold in 2013. Remember, the ATS coupe only arrived in 2015 so all the units of the ATS that Caddy sold four years ago came in sedan body styles. Unfortunately, 2017 has been much worse for the ATS as only around 12,000 units have been sold in the U.S. through November. In November alone, Cadillac sold only 831 ATS models, the lowest number since the model’s first month on the market. That was in September 2012. Unless Santa Claus decides to give 10,000 kids from all over the world with brand-new ATS models, it’s not going to come close to approaching the volume of models that the company sold in what was described as a “disappointing” 2016.

The good news is that the coupe version of the ATS will live to see another year, perhaps even a few more. Cadillac didn’t comment on questions about the possible axing of the ATS sedan, but it probably doesn’t need to. The numbers already paint a damning picture of the sedan’s shortcomings. It’s a disappointing turn of events for fans of the ATS, but that’s what happens when you don’t perform. You get sent to the shed.

Fortunately, all’s not lost for Cadillac. The automaker still has plans to be involved in the entry-level sedan market with a new model that will compete against the Mercedes CLA-Class and the Audi A3. In the meantime, it looks like the new CT5 will have to hold down the fort for Caddy.

References

Cadillac ATS

Read our full review on the 2017 Cadillac ATS.

Read more Cadillac news.