Our sharp-eyed, GM-obsessed buddies over at GMInsidenews.com captured this image from a video that appears to have disappeared from the GM.com website, and they’re pretty sure it shows a skin-off look at the forthcoming Cadillac ATS. Based on the troubled (think: 4,000 lbs)Alpha platform that will also underpin the next-gen CTS and Camaro, the ATS is likely to launch with four-cylinder engines in naturally-aspirated and turbocharged forms, with a possible twin-turbo V6 rumored for the “V” version. Unless, of course, GM has made the questionable decision to engineer the platform to take a small-block V8 (which actually would not be much harder to package than a twin-turbo V6). Meanwhile, the big news recently on the ATS front has been GM CEO Dan Akerson’s opinion that the ATS and XTS
are not going to blow the doors off, but they will be very competitive.
We can’t see any front or rear subframes, so rumors of a complex and “sub-optimal” multilink front suspension must remain rumors for now. Otherwise, the body seems to have some strong potential looks-wise. Let’s just hope the entire package is able to deliver something better than what the rumors are suggesting, otherwise GM will have squandered yet another opportunity to crack the lucrative 3-Series market.
Tagged as Alpha Platform, ATS, Cadillac, Enthusiasm, Future Vehicles, GM, platforms, RWD, Sports Sedan
(Sarcasm on) Hey look, another car with a miniscule trunk opening that’s not actually a hatchback! Whoo hoooooooooooooooooo! (Sarcasm off)
And yes I know that charge could be leveled against every manufacturer.
(Sarcasm on) Hey look, another car with a highly useful huge parcel shelf! Whoo hoooooooooooooooooo! I will be able to store extra hats, nodding dogs and tissue boxes!(Sarcasm off)
Here’s a key test of how serious Cadillac is – what sort of boot hinges will it have?
“Based on the troubled (think: 4,000 lbs)Alpha platform that will also underpin the next-gen CTS and Camaro”
Does that mean there will be a four-door Camaro, too?
Ahhhh…just like old times – following Educator Dan again!
(Sarcasm on)
I don’t like the interior. I think this minimalist approach has been taken too far
(Sarcasm off)
You can’t see it in this picture, but there are manual seat tracks in this car.
Bob
I don’t know whether this is funny or not
That quote from Akerson is hilarious… way to set the bar low, buddy.
Also, aren’t those the wheels from a late 90′s 7 series. Throwing star wheels? They look great, but definitely have seen them before.
I didn`t take Akerson’s comments to be that bad – does any new car nowadays blow the “doors off”? The new Sonata and the new Focus (amongst others, they are illustrative of my main point) are great cars and certainly very competitive (and do well in magazine reviews) but do they “blow the doors off”? I would say not. We are used to incremental improvement. So a brand new Cadillac entry being competitive with BMW would be solid progress and an improvement for GM – other companies have tired and failed (for example Lincoln, Acura TSX, Lexus IS)
This idea of being better than the 3 series doesn’t do much.
Just make it good.
God.
Cadillac is the brand I am saddest about.
No one in the company is brave enough to sell more Obama limos.
What a shame, GM.
Cadillac doesn’t have to blow the doors off, but the ATS has to do something significantly better than the competition besides price. The Infiniti G25/37 and Lexus IS250/350 already do this. They beat the 3er on price and content/$ ratio, and takes a sizeable chunk out of what COULD be 3-series sales.