While You Were Sleeping: July 11th, 2014

by Derek Kreindler

Published: July 11th, 2014

Hybrid Bugattis and quicker Caddy’s – here’s what you missed.

The Cadillac ATS gets a slightly new look for 2015, as well as more power. The 2.0T engine gets a bump to 295 lb-ft of torque.
Bugatti’s next supercar might be a hybrid. The Veyron’s successor could follow the lead of the LaFerrari and McLaren P1 and gain a hybrid system alongside its monster gasoline engine – and monster price tag.
Europe isn’t out of the wood’s yet. Ford of Europe’s head honcho said that many of the problems in Europe still remain, with Stephen Odell telling AN ““we still have a market with 20 million units of capacity and about 14 million sales.”
The mid-size car market is tanking in Europe, as crossovers and small premium cars eat into sales. Honda will drop the Accord entirely from Europe.
The Audi A3 is giving the Mercedes-Benz CLA a good challenge in the small compact car sales race. CLA sales have been falling in recent months, as the newest, shiniest object from Audi is performing quite strongly.

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Derek Kreindler

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25 comments

Hummer on Jul 11, 2014

Put that 2.0T in the Cruze and Spark, put the 5.3 in the ATS. Where do I pick up my medal?

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- See 9 previous
- 28-Cars-Later on Jul 11, 2014
  
  LS motor probably will not fit.
  
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- Hummer on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @28-Cars-Later I'm not so sure, the 2.0 is a DOHC engine, it may be tight for the LS, but I think it could be shoehorned in.
  
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- Doctorv8 on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @28-Cars-Later I bet the LS fits just fine, given the next Camaro is going to use that platform.
  
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- PonchoIndian on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @28-Cars-Later It fits. I'd go for at least the LT1 though, skip right over the LS
  
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- Corey Lewis on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @doctorv8 Put the LS in the wood's! Hehe.
  
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- NoGoYo on Jul 11, 2014
  
  You mean Sonic, right? Not Spark? Because if you're gonna put a bigger turbo motor in the Spark you might as well put it in the trunk and resurrect the Fiesta Shogun.
  
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- Carguy on Jul 11, 2014
  
  The 3.6 already makes the ATS a little nose heavy so a V8 would only make this car worse. If anything Cadillac needs to work on the 2.0 fuel economy numbers or maybe fast track its 8 speed auto for the ATS.
  
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- Lie2me on Jul 11, 2014
  
  Use the platform to make a subcompact RWD/AWD Cadillac crossover. Where do I pick-up my Cadillac bonus (you can keep the medal)... Puts on flamesuit
  
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- Lorenzo on Jul 12, 2014
  
  @Lie2me Luxury makes don't offer subcompact anything. Yet. Chances are, the full size SUV will go away and there will be only the compact and mid-size CUV. Then a subcompact luxury CUV will make sense. IOW, add your name to the list of people who were ahead of their time (or a couple model change-overs).
  
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- Lie2me on Jul 12, 2014
  
  @Lorenzo Porsche Macon=184" Cadillac ATS=183" Ok whatever that is compact? BMW offers crossover/SUVs in a full spectrum of sizes, or they will as soon as the X8 comes out and isn't BMW Cadillac's target?
  
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Opus on Jul 11, 2014

Caddys and woods. These words are not used as possessives and do NOT need apostrophes.

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- Drzhivago138 on Jul 11, 2014
  
  This "While You Were Sleeping" Segment sponsored by the Greengrocer's Apostrophe Organization. GAO--for all your superfluou's apo'strophe need's.
  
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PrincipalDan on Jul 11, 2014

Wow Honda won't sell the Accord in Europe? The nameplate has been sold in almost every market Honda does business in since the 70s.

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- Bumpy ii on Jul 11, 2014
  
  Changing times. The Accord got too big for Europe, and the Civic got too big for Japan, so they were dropped.
  
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- Corey Lewis on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @bumpy ii Remember, Euro Accord = TL.
  
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- PrincipalDan on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @CoreyDL, I never said they were exactly the same car but the nameplate was being used all over and it is more or less considered to be the Honda brand's flagship in terms of being the car that many think of when you say the word "HONDA." It is like Toyota discontinuing the Corolla or Camry in one of the markets it is currently sold in.
  
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- Corey Lewis on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @PrincipalDan Just pointing out another reason it would go away in other markets.
  
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- George B on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @Corey Lewis Euro Accord = Acura TSX. The TL is based on the NA Accord.
  
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- Wmba on Jul 11, 2014
  
  @PrincipalDan From what I've read on UK forums over the last few years, Honda died when its prices got too high for the interior quality you got, and the weird exterior styling on the Civic. The undeniable reliability you get is not compensated for by the car itself. In other words, Honda over there has the cachet of Acura here. The big seller is the CRV over there.
  
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BklynPete on Jul 11, 2014

Glad the A3 is gonna kick CLA butt. The latter is pure garbage.

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- SCE to AUX on Jul 11, 2014
  
  Agreed on that.
  
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- Matador on Jul 11, 2014
  
  I'd have the Audi, too. I'll just take mine a little bigger. *Disclaimer- Owns a tan Audi A6 Wagon.
  
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- MRF 95 T-Bird on Jul 12, 2014
  
  @SCE to AUX Agreed as well. However I do see plenty of CLA's on the road. Probably folks who move up market from a Camry/Accord etc. or who think an EVO or WRX Sti is too boy racer. I notice when they accelerate the engine makes a whiney sound.
  
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- BklynPete on Jul 12, 2014
  
  @matador Typical customer: "We leased a Mercedes for $15 a month more than a Camry!" I remember driving a friend's 2000 C-Series Kompressor when it was new. Until then, I'd always thought Mercedes made the best. That thing was a POS. It seems as though Stuttgart is continuing on that path at the lower end. Like karma, it's gonna bite them hard in the not-too-distant future.
  
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