Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Cadillac ATS is Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year

Cadillac
LOS ANGELES –The all-new Cadillac ATS has been named the 2013 Car of the Year by the Motor Press Guild, the largest automotive media association in North America. The ATS was chosen from a field of six finalists in part for its safety, quality, performance and technology.

“In many ways, the ATS is a breakthrough vehicle for Cadillac,” said Laura Burstein, president of the Los Angeles-based Motor Press Guild. “Our members remarked that the ATS is capable on both the street and the track, offers a well-made and attractive interior, is replete with the latest technology, and – perhaps most importantly -- is fun to drive.”

“The ATS is the result of an extensive, all new, ground-up mission to deliver a segment-winning vehicle,” says Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “It is especially rewarding when our efforts are recognized and awarded by a large and influential panel of automotive experts.”

A press conference to present the award will be held on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 during the Los Angeles Auto Show press days.

To be eligible for the Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year award, models must be all-new or substantially changed from the previous year and available at dealerships on or before Jan. 1, 2013.

A compact sport sedan, the new ATS is the lightest car in its class with a unique architecture designed for nimble driving performance. In October, its first full month on the market, ATS started on its mission of expanding Cadillac’s brand to new customers. Of buyers who traded in another vehicle for an ATS, 70 percent were new to Cadillac.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Cadillac ATS Wins Popular Mechanics Honor

NEW YORK –The all-new Cadillac ATS won the 2013 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award in the “Luxury” category, editors of the magazine announced today. The ATS was chosen for its performance and value within the entry-level luxury car segment.

The full package is available at PopularMechanics.com and in the December issue, which hits newsstands today.

“The ATS was developed as an all-new, ground-up approach to deliver a segment-winning vehicle,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “Because of this, it is rewarding to be recognized by one of the premier publications for science, technology, and automotive innovation.”

The yearly Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards recognizes 10 vehicles based on functionality, style, performance, technology, and driving character. Cadillac’s new sport sedan was chosen from a field of the world’s finest new luxury cars.

“The ATS is the first Cadillac to fully assault the entry-level luxury sport sedan class long dominated by German brands,” editors of the magazine wrote. “Cadillac delivers this substantial sedan for under $35,000. That’s one of the best luxury sport sedan deals of the year.”

A compact sport sedan, smaller than Cadillac’s centerpiece CTS product line, the ATS is the lightest car in its class with a unique architecture designed for nimble driving performance. The ATS is offered in rear- and all-wheel drive versions, with a choice of powerful and efficient four and six-cylinder engines.

Courtesy of media.gm.com

Ats

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

2013 Cadillac XTS

Xts
General Motors presents the all new 2013 Cadillac XTS full size sedan and hopes very much that we, as in you, like it because it is a significant vehicle for the luxury brand.
And it’s a big car at over 4,000 pounds and nearly 17 feet long, more than 6 feet wide and almost 5 feet tall but it doesn’t handle like a big car at all.
Outside, there is the modernized but rather familiar Cadillac front chrome grille and narrow vertical headlights which flow neatly into the sedans handsome but more contoured sheetmetal.
The large foot print translates to a spacious and comfortable passenger compartment as well.
Our AWD Premium Edition had generous head, leg and rear dimensions and the general fit and finish of a luxurious, finely crafted automobile.
There’s plenty of technology onboard too starting with the touch screen entertainment and information system called CUE or Cadillac User Experience.
The set up incorporates audio, navigation, phone and OnStar functions with an 8-inch screen.
It’s takes a little getting used to but the functionality is broad and highly configurable without feeling overly “techy” or difficult.
High end leather and wood trim give the greenhouse a rich, European feeling and workmanship and materials including the microfiber suede headliner add to the opulence.
All XTS models are powered by GM’s 3.6 liter V6 engine tuned to produce 304 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque and paired to a six-speed automatic transmission driving either the front or in our case all four wheels.
The result is good fuel economy and a nice power supply that helps the large sedan move from zero to sixty in just under 7-seconds.
All wheel drive combined with a magnetic ride control program, a strut front suspension and air suspensions in the rear yield a very satisfying ride quality and gave us the sense that we were in more of a sport sedan than a high end country clubber.
There are a variety of state of the art safety features on the XTS including collision, lane departure, blind spot and traffic alert programs, rearview camera, a full complement of airbags and ABS with braking programs.
Pricing was not available at review time but we did find an online quote of $57,510 for a new XTS AWD Premium like the one we tested.

Another great review for Rohrich Cadillac!