2013 Cadillac ATS Revealed in Detroit
Bullz-Eye.com was invited to the 2013 Cadillac ATS presentation last night at the College for Creative Studies and we have to say that we walked away very impressed. The ATS is Cadillac’s answer to foreign automakers’ compact luxury sedans that have dominated this segment for many years. The ATS will launch this summer and Cadillac obviously has high hopes for the ATS as it will be competing in the largest segment of the luxury market, so the potential here is enormous. Along with a sleek and modern look, the ATS promises the desired performance from buyers in the compact luxury universe and that is partially because Cadillac looked at every material that went into the ATS and came away with a curb weight under 3400 lbs.
Depending on each individual buyer’s preference of the top fuel economy or all out power, you have a choice of three powertrains starting with a 200-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder that should produce over 30 mpg on the highway, a confident 270-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, or for those who want the power, there is a 318-hp 3.5-liter V6. Cadillac also went one step further by offering a manual transmission and optional all-wheel drive to the rear wheel drive platform. Pricing hasn’t been announced and believe me when I tell you we tried to find out, but we do know this segment’s current leaders start in the low 30k range and we expect something close for the 2013 Cadillac ATS.
I have to say that the 2013 Cadillac ATS made a strong first impression with us, and if the performance of this new luxury compact from Cadillac hits the mark, we look for thousands of new buyers coming into dealerships to give the ATS a drive. This segment is about much more than looks, and after hearing from GM North American President Mark Reuss and the other GM executives that presented the all-new ATS, they totally understand their potential customers and designed the ATS to “win” rather than just compete!