Cadillac ATS priced well to sell?

Quick pricing summary:

  • Standard 2.5L Four: $33,990
  • Turbo 2L: $35,795
  • 3.6L V6: $42,090

This will likely make a Premium 2L turbo around $45K and a Premium 3.6L around $52K. The big seller for numbers however is likely to be the 2.5 L, and making is available as close to 30K as possible is crucial for sales.

20120507-100141.jpg

DETROIT – The all-new, rear-wheel-drive Cadillac ATS compact luxury sport sedan with a fuel-efficient 2.5L engine and next-generation six-speed transmission will be priced starting at $33,990, including destination charges. Highway fuel economy will be well over 30 mpg.

“The ATS enters a vehicle segment this year that’s one of the most competitive in the market, from both a price and performance standpoint,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “ATS will bring a distinctive presence and compelling value while offering quick, nimble, fun-to-drive dynamics that will appeal to the lifestyles of modern luxury buyers and challenge the segment’s status quo.”

A mid-level model with a lightweight and powerful 2.0L turbocharged engine costs $35,795 including destination and will offer automatic and manual transmissions, and rear- or all-wheel drive.

Topping the engine range is a 3.6L V-6 with a preliminary rating of 320 horsepower, costing $42,090 including destination with an automatic transmission and standard content that includes CUE, leather 8-way power seats with memory, adaptive start and more. All-wheel drive will be available.

A full breakdown of availability and pricing of packages and options will be available later.

ATS goes on sale this summer, but already the new sport sedan is positively impacting Lansing, Mich., where more than 410 new employees have been hired at Cadillac’s Lansing Grand River plant where the ATS will be assembled. A total of 600 new employees are expected to be part of Cadillac’s $190 million investment in the facility.

A dedicated engineering team has traveled the globe refining and advancing the ATS to meet customer demands. The addition of advanced materials has reduced curb weight to less than 3,400 pounds, more than 100 pounds less than an Audi A4 or Mercedes-Benz C250.

Time spent at premier race tracks around the globe, including Road America, Road Atlanta, Phoenix International Raceway and the Nürburgring in Germany has enhanced the ATS’ sporty ride and handling and engine tuning. The 3.6L model is expected to have a 0-60 mph acceleration time of well below six seconds.

Cadillac’s new CUE user interface, standard on most ATS models, offers the first automotive use of capacitive touch to create an intuitive, modern way for drivers to interact with the car. This technology, used for most smartphones and tablet computers, uses electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such as a finger.

Final Cadillac ATS power figures?

The Cadillac Dealer Order Guide is online and although the ATS info still seems pretty preliminary, it shows the initial figures for the Cadillac ATS power trains:

LCV Engine, 2.5L I4, DI, DOHC, VVT (202 hp [150.6 kW] @ 6300 rpm, 190.3 lb-ft of torque [258 N-m] @ 4400 rpm)
LTG Engine, 2.0L Turbo, I4, DI, DOHC, VVT (272 hp [202.8 kW] @ 5500 rpm, 260 lb-ft of torque [353 N-m] @ 1700-5500 rpm)
LFX Engine, 3.6L V6, DI, DOHC, VVT (321 hp [239.4 kW] @ 6800 rpm, 274.4 lb-ft of torque [372 N-m] @ 4800 rpm)
  • 2.5L Four cylinder LCV: The new standard equipment ATS will get the new 202 hp inline 2.5L four cylinder.  It wasn’t that long ago that the 4.9L OHV Cadillac V8 was rated at 200 hp, and that Cadillac weighed more than the ATS will.  The 2.5L ATS should have plenty of power.
  • 2L Turbo Four LTG: The LTG 2L turbo was spec’d at 270 hp but has settled up to 272 hp.  This is likely to be the surprisingly balanced choice for an overall package, and offer a lot of room for upgrades and modifications.
  • 3.6L Six LFX: The Cadillac ATS LFX 3.6L variant gets a Camaro-like 321 hp.  This is a good selection, as it could have been the 304 hp flex-fuel variant or the 318 hp version from the CTS.  Out of the box this will be the ‘hot’ choice for the ATS.

The planned wheels are 17″ and 18″ wheels which are ideal for weight and performance.  This also highlights the choice of tires:

RB7
Tires, P225/40ZR18 all-season, blackwall
QFN
Tires, P225/40R18 front and P255/35R18 rear, 90W blackwall RF4

The 17″ wheels will have 225/40 tires, and the 18″ will sport staggered 225/40 and 255/35 tires.

Some packages will include steering wheel-mounted Magnesium paddle shifters for the automatic, so no matter which transmission  you choose there will be complete control over gear selection.

Cadillac ATS photos with notes

Exterior:

Continues the CTS Art and Science design themes, which can be difficult on a smaller car.  The best critique received is that it looks too conservative — what the critics don’t recognize is that Cadillac has masterfully made a small car look as good as the mid-size CTS.  The team stayed with 18″ wheels to save weight, but they look in proportion to the ATS.

Hidden front bumper. High tech lighting solutions. Conventional door handles retained to keep the chrome touches?

Interior:

The electronic dash display is configurable in the CUE system.  The center console display is all a touch screen.  There is available HUD (Heads up display).

Interior appears to be evolutionary from CTS, which is good.  Looks very streamlined and well laid out.   Variety of colors is interesting and has a sporty appeal.

 

What are the down-sides?

Everything is scaled to a smaller car to save weight, increasing performance and MPG.

  • Rear leg room is reduced
  • Small trunk space at 10 cubic feet
  • Smaller gas tank at 16 gallons
  • 6L45 transmission lighter, but also less robust, less room for more power

These are all likely good trades to the target audience.

First Impressions

Wow they got it under 3,400 lbs! Looks good so far can’t wait to see more & get more details.

Questions

What are the performance numbers for the Turbo? for the 3.6L V6? What will the prices be?  When does the ATS-V arrive?