Confirmed: Cadillac ATS Sedan Won't Return for 2019

Yesterday, we brought you the latest evidence that Cadillac’s ATS sedan will disappear from the market a year before its coupe sibling bites the dust. While a message sent to General Motors initially proved fruitless, dawn brings confirmation that Cadillac’s smallest offering will ditch the four-door format at the end of the current model year.

Don’t worry, entry-level Caddy buyers, there will be a replacement.

Donny Nordlicht, product communications specialist at Cadillac, says the sedan’s discontinuation is needed to get the ball rolling on retooling efforts at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly plant.

“This year will bring forth significant changes to our product portfolio, most notably with the introduction of the all-new XT4 SUV as well as concluding the successful lifecycle of the ATS Sedan in North America,” Nordlicht wrote in an email. “The ATS Coupe, which is on a later lifecycle, will continue into 2019.”

Nordlicht said GM is “managing” the production rate and inventory levels of the sedan to ensure its availability through the end of the year. While the ATS sedan’s sales fell precipitously since 2013 — its first full year of U.S. sales — the first quarter of 2018 saw volume grow 18.4 percent compared to the same period a year before.

For 2019, the ATS and ATS-V coupes carry on the model nameplate until a successor arrives. Under the plan hatched by former Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen, the ATS, CTS, and XTS will disappear after 2019, replaced by two strategically positioned sedans. de Nysschen envisioned the smaller of the two serving as a BMW 3 Series fighter.

“Production of the ATS Sedan is ending due to extensive plant upgrades, expansion and re-tooling to prepare for the next generation of Cadillac sedans,” said Nordlicht. “Cadillac’s future sedan portfolio will consist of three sedans, positioned in different segments and clearly differentiated by size and price. The CT6 will continue as the brand’s prestige sedan and will play also the lead role as a new technology platform for Cadillac, as evidenced by the debut of Super Cruise semi-autonomous technology in the 2018 CT6.”

As the smallest Art & Science sedan shuffles off this mortal coil, it’s likely we’ll see future sedans adopt styling cues from the Escala concept. That name could even appear on a future Cadillac vehicle, if a previous report proves true.

[Images: General Motors]