Only hours before the Detroit Auto Show, Cadillac took to the College For Creative Studies to unveil the 2013 Cadillac ATS. The strange choice of venue was due to a large number of graduates at the college directly being involved in the ATS project.
Brief: The 2013 Cadillac ATS was unveiled in Detroit a few hours ago with the luxury brand confirming a diesel option will be offered.
2013 Cadillac ATS breaks cover, set to go head to head with BMW 3-series & Audi A4
The new Cadillac ATS now rides on an all-new RWD platform and the result is that it is around 8-inches shorter than its sibling the CTS. With sharp, angular lines and flat bases, Cadillac is indeed proud with the way the ATS looks, especially given that it will be going head to head with the heavier, curvier BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 luxury sedans.
GM’s North American President, Mark Reuss, stated that the new sedan will be “the most mass-efficient car in the segment.” Given that it weighs less than 3,400 pounds, the ATS is approximately 100 pounds lighter than the Audi A4 despite packing a more powerful engine range.
The base model comes equipped with a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, putting out 200 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque, which gives it a good 30 miles per gallon on the highway. The real attention grabber here would be the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which pushes 270 horsepower.
Another surprise came later in the presentation when Reuss confirmed that the ATS will also be getting a diesel variant, although the actual specifics have remained under cover. Given that GM is already developing a small diesel engine for the Chevrolet Cruze, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cadillac ATS grabs the same one.
