NEWS
DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Cadillac ATS Coupe
Down on weight and up on power, Cadillac's new ATS Coupe is loaded and hunting for BMWThe Cadillac ATS sedan is a very good thing if the trophy reading North American Car of the Year is a clue to its quality and handling.
Its stable mate the CTS sedan earned Motor Trends 2014 pick as car of the year. Cadillac it seems is building athletic and emotive cars today, unlike those of a decade ago, as the brand shifts its demographic focus from retirees to younger acquirees.
Cadillac’s hard-edged design identity wears well on the condensed and taut compact rear-drive cars that signify the current generation of American luxury and leather, hardcore tuned for real feel dynamics. The new generation of Cadillac is attracting a new generation of buyers with GM claiming 2013 sales growth exceeding 28 percent globally.
Elongated headlamps and dominant grille cue a new Cadillac against its rivals from Germany and Japan, and under the bonnet is a range of turbocharged small capacity alloy engines accompanied by rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The drivetrain layout may follow BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar in favouring rear drive, but there are those luxury differences, explains Andrew Smith, executive design director at Cadillac, that distinguish Cadillac.
“Cadillac is a celebration of American success,” he says. “Cadillac is also defined by technology.” Smith still looks reasonable young. The boy from Gilgandra, NSW who joined Holden Design in 1989 to pen the VU ute, followed by interior design responsibility for the VY and VE Commodore.
With his recognisable Aussie accent, Smith (pictured) introduces the new 2015 ATS Coupe highlighting extensive use of aluminium to 4G connectivity beneath its unique proportions and taut body lines that shadow between convex and concave. The proportions or at least the eye moves forward quickly guided by a firmly planted C pillar that then defines the rear deck lid. Designers love words like sophisticated, and Smith spills the S word frequently. He’s right and the ATS Coupe’s design, although cliché, carries drama and motion.
The roof, doors, rear guards and trunk lid are unique to the Coupe, along with a specific front fascia and front guards that accommodate a wider track than the ATS sedan.
The ATS Coupe, claims Cadillac, is one of the lightest and most agile models to wear the coat of arms. In fact, the ATS Coupe carries the lightest kerb mass in the compact luxury coupe segment, boasts Cadillac.
And they’ve also tweaked the torque output to 400Nm for the Coupe’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a 14 percent gain over the same capacity engine in the ATS sedan. Power rates at a peak of 203 kW. The 2.0-litre four is a true high-boost engine delivering 90 percent of maximum torque between 2100-5400rpm with peak torque of 400 Nm on tap from 3000-4600rpm. The turbo achieves boost levels as high as 18psi (1.26 bar) above atmospheric.
Also available is GM’s 3.6-litre V6 rated at 239kW and 373 Nm. By Cadillac’s claims, the ATS Coupe doesn’t loiter – 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds.
Cadillac will launch the all-new 2015 ATS Coupe about mid-year along with the revised and big Escalade SUV.
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Written byTodd Hallenbeck
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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