Atlanta — Cadillac's new compact 2013 ATS does more than fill out the American luxury car maker's long stagnant vehicle lineup.
The all-new car could make Cadillac a player in the important small luxury segment dominated by the BMW 3 Series.
"This is the first time any American luxury carmaker has built a vehicle on par with the best of what the Germans have to offer in this segment," said Alec Gutierrez, senior auto analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "Nothing has ever before come even close in amenities, styling or performance. I think they are going to sell a ton of these."
The nimble and opulently appointed ATS was introduced to the motoring press last week on a drive through the Appalachian foothills and on a roadracing circuit north of the city. ATS was comfortable and capable on both the road and track.
Looking like a 3/4-sized Cadillac CTS sedan, ATS is almost identical in size to the BMW 3 Series sedans. It is, like the BMW, almost evenly weighted from front to rear. But the Cadillac is slightly lighter and it comes with more luxurious appointments and more modern technology.
ATS offers a variety of engines, including a 202-horsepower four-cylinder, a 272-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder and a 321-horsepower V-6 cylinder, that match or exceed the competition on horsepower but lag behind the Germans in low end torque. Pricing also is competitive, starting at $33,990. A well-equipped premium version will cost about $51,000.
Cadillac has never cracked the introductory luxury car market before because, frankly, it has never built a compact car worthy of consideration. ATS won't even be offered in Europe until after its reception is measured in the U.S. and China.
"I happen to think this car is superior in many ways to the BMW 3 Series, but we at least want to be part of that conversation," said Don Butler, a vice president at Cadillac.
The hard part for Cadillac will be convincing well-heeled young motoring enthusiasts to give ATS a chance. Those who actually try one will see the appeal to enthusiasts, but ATS must start as the unknown in a category loaded with respected automobiles.
"The toughest thing to overcome is another car's great reputation," Gutierrez said. "Cadillac will have to battle the perception gap on whether this is a product that will deliver. Convince people to get behind the wheel and they will immediately know this is a legitimate contender. I can see it stealing sales from the 3 Series and Audi A4."
In three months, Cadillac has added new cars to the large and small ends of its vehicle lineup that survived for more than a year offering only a mid-sized car, a crossover and a big SUV. Cadillac's new full-sized XTS is arriving in showrooms now. ATS will arrive at the end of the summer.
Courtesy of The Detroit News
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