The Cadillac ATS (short for ''Alpha Touring Sedan'') is a
compact executive
A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a #Subcompact executive cars, premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the Euro ...
4-door
sedan and 2-door
coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
manufactured and marketed by
Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
and developed at the
General Motors Technical Center
The GM Technical Center is a General Motors facility in Warren, Michigan. The campus has been the center of the company's engineering effort since its inauguration in 1956. In 2000 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places; fourtee ...
in
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. Cadillac assembles the ATS at the
Lansing Grand River Assembly
Lansing Grand River Assembly (LGR) is a General Motors owned and operated automobile assembly facility located in Lansing, Michigan, United States. Lansing Grand River Assembly produces vehicles built upon the GM Alpha platform including the Cadi ...
plant in
Lansing
Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...
, Michigan.
The ATS is based on
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
'
Alpha platform and is offered in either
rear- or
all-wheel drive
An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand.
The most common forms of all-wheel drive are:
;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...
configurations. The ATS base engine had been a
naturally aspirated
Naturally may refer to:
;Albums
* ''Naturally!'', an album by Nat Adderley
* ''Naturally'' (Houston Person album)
* ''Naturally'' (J. J. Cale album)
* ''Naturally'' (John Pizzarelli album)
* ''Naturally'' (Sharon Jones album)
* ''Naturally'' ...
2.5-liter
I-4 gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
engine that produces , until the 2016 model year. Optional engines include a 2.0-liter
turbocharged
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
I-4 gasoline engine that produces and a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter
V6 gasoline engine that produces . The 2.0-liter engine replaced the 2.5-liter engine as the base engine for the 2017 model year. A
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
had been planned to be available in the future. All versions were equipped with a 6-speed
GM 6L45 Hydra-Matic
Hydramatic (also known as Hydra-Matic) is an automatic transmission developed by both General Motors' Cadillac and Oldsmobile divisions. Introduced in 1939 for the 1940 model year vehicles, the ''Hydramatic'' was the first mass-produced fully-a ...
automatic transmission as standard until the 2015 model year. An 8-speed automatic transmission was introduced for the 2016 model year. The 2.0-liter turbocharged, rear-wheel drive version can be mated to an optional 6-speed
Tremec M3L TR-3160 manual transmission.
Cadillac debuted the ATS to the press in the United States in January 2012, placed the ATS into production in July 2012 and began selling the ATS in the United States in August 2012 as a 2013 model. GM began selling the ATS in China in November 2013. Cadillac sold the ATS in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, China, Japan, and South Korea, until it was replaced by the CT4 in 2019 and 2020.
Development
GM engineers working principally at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, United States developed the ATS.
Rationale
Prior to the debut of the ATS, Cadillac's smallest vehicle was the
mid-size
Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...
CTS. The CTS was comparable in price to compact competitors like the
Audi A4
The Audi A4 is a line of compact executive cars produced since 1994 by the German car manufacturer Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.
The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platform. The first ...
, the
BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
, the
Lexus IS
The is a compact executive car sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota since 1999. The IS was originally sold under the nameplate in Japan from 1998 (the word ''Altezza'' is Italian for 'height' or 'highness'). The IS was introduced as an e ...
and the
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class ...
but was comparable in size and weight to the more expensive mid-size
BMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972, succeeding the New Class Sedans, and currently in its seventh generation.
The 5 Series was initially available as a sedan, with a wagon/estate body style (market ...
. Although Cadillac believed that customers would favor a 5 Series sized car at a 3 Series price, that assumption proved to be incorrect. Cadillac's research found that target customers who already owned vehicles like the 3 Series or A4 did not want a larger vehicle. General Motors began development of a smaller car that would satisfy these target customers; that car would eventually become the Cadillac ATS.
Competitive benchmarking
To establish parameters around which they would design the ATS, GM engineers benchmarked the 1999-2006
BMW E46 3 Series, which ATS chief engineer Dave Masch and his team regarded as the most dynamic and driver-focused iteration of the 3 Series.
The engineers emphasized low weight when developing the ATS and their efforts resulted in a finished vehicle that weighs less than the BMW E46 benchmark.
[ To achieve this result, Masch suggested that the engineering team disregarded certain GM product development rules that, had they been followed, would have resulted in a heavier vehicle.]
Marketing
Cadillac showed a pre-production styling buck of the ATS to the press on 11 August 2009. Cadillac debuted the production ATS to the press on 8 January 2012.[ General Motors began selling the ATS in the United States in August 2012 as a 2013 model. Sales in China began on 21 November 2013.] Chinese-market vehicles were initially imported from the United States by Shanghai GM. A Chinese-assembled ATS-L was launched in China in August 2014.
New platform and minor refresh for 2015
During the early development of the ATS, GM engineers determined that downsizing the GM Sigma II platform that underpinned the second-generation CTS would result in a vehicle that was too heavy and that using an economical, front-wheel drive platform would sacrifice performance. Under the leadership of Dave Leone, GM engineers created a brand-new platform which was designed to be light and compact, to be capable of handling both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations and to have a near 50/50 weight distribution. The new platform developed by the GM engineers for the ATS is now called the GM Alpha platform
The GM Alpha platform currently underpins General Motors' compact to mid-size, front-engine, rear-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles. Platform basics include MacPherson struts on the front, 5 link independent rear, use of high strength steel ...
.
For 2015 model year, the refreshed Cadillac ATS gained most of its styling from its Coupe version, the two-bar grille, redesigned Cadillac emblem, seen on the ATS coupe first, and was eventually placed on every Cadillac in the lineup by 2017. Exterior tweaks for the 2015 Cadillac ATS front fascia has been lowered, and more exterior paint choices have been made. The ATS interior is a carryover for 2015, but has seen some modest technology updates for 2015 as well including a more responsive CUE system.
2016 model year changes
For the 2016 model year, the new generation 3.6L LGX V6 featuring a cylinder deactivation system replaces the 3.6L LFX V6 and a new 8-speed 8L45 replaces the 6-speed 6L45 automatic transmission. As opposed to the previous years of the ATS's more lower-placed emblems, the rear emblems were now placed near the top of the trunk lid. Automatic start-stop technology was added for the 2.0T and 3.6L V6 models using the 8-speed automatic transmission. GM claimed this ultracapacitor-based system reduced output by 6 percent. In addition to a refreshed gauge cluster using white LEDs and added chrome, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were also made standard starting with the 2016 model year.
2017 model year changes
A Carbon Black sport package, which blacks out chrome and adds body colored door handles and spoiler, two exterior colors and 17-inch wheels in two finishes are new for 2017 in addition to optional Recaro seats, complementing the Cadillac signature exterior and interior design.
Assembly
General Motors assembles the ATS at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, United States. GM spent US$190 million to upgrade the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant for ATS production and hired a second shift of workers. GM began assembling vehicles intended for sale to customers on 26 July 2012.
The Chinese-market ATS-L is assembled by SAIC-GM
SAIC General Motors Corporation Limited (More commonly known as SAIC-GM; ; formerly known as "Shanghai General Motors Company Ltd", "Shanghai GM"; ) is a joint venture between General Motors, General Motors Company and SAIC Motor that manufacture ...
in Shanghai.
Specifications
The ATS is a compact four-door, five-passenger sedan. A two-door coupe went on sale in summer 2014 as a 2015 model. Convertible and station wagon variants are expected to be produced, although Cadillac has not yet confirmed those body styles.
The 2013 ATS ranged in price from US$34,000 to US$52,000, about US$1,800 less expensive than the entry level 2012 BMW 328i
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the BMW 02 Series, 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series w ...
. The 2014 ATS ranges in price from US$33,065 - US$58,760.
The ATS has a curb weight of , depending on configuration, and a 51/49 front to rear weight percentage distribution.[ The hood, front suspension and cradle are made from aluminum. The front suspension is a ]MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
, double-pivot set up, using a pair of ball joints and lower control links. Third-generation Magnetic Ride Control active suspension An active suspension is a type of automotive suspension on a vehicle. It uses an onboard system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels relative to the chassis or vehicle body rather than the passive suspension provided by large sp ...
is optional on the Premium RWD variant. A mechanical limited-slip differential is standard with the manual transmission variant and is an available on the premium automatic.
Powertrains
The ATS is available in either a rear- or all wheel drive layout, has four available engines and two available transmissions.
Engines
From 2013 to 2016, the ATS base engine in the U.S. model was a naturally aspirated
Naturally may refer to:
;Albums
* ''Naturally!'', an album by Nat Adderley
* ''Naturally'' (Houston Person album)
* ''Naturally'' (J. J. Cale album)
* ''Naturally'' (John Pizzarelli album)
* ''Naturally'' (Sharon Jones album)
* ''Naturally'' ...
2.5-liter inline-four engine
A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...
( LCV) that produces . As of 2017, the base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 gasoline engine ( LTG) that produces , which was optional in previous years. A naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engine ( LGX) that produces is optional. 2013 to 2015 ATS models had an available 3.6-liter LFX V6 gasoline engine. GM has committed to offering a diesel engine for the ATS, but has not specified an availability date.
;EPA estimated fuel economy
Transmissions
All versions of the ATS were equipped with a 6-speed GM 6L45 Hydra-Matic automatic transmission as standard until the 2015 model year. The 2.0-liter turbo, rear-wheel drive version can be mated to an optional 6-speed Tremec M3L TR-3160 manual transmission.[
The 2016 model year ATS replaces all uses of the 6-speed 6L45 with the new 8-speed 8L45 automatic transmission.
For China, 2014 and 2015 models used the '' GM 6T70'' gearbox. The '' GM 8L45'' gearbox replaced it for 2016 models onwards.
]
Trim levels
In North America, at the time of the model's introduction, the 2013 ATS was available in four trim levels: Standard, Luxury, Performance and Premium.
In China, at the time of the model's introduction, the ATS is available in five exterior colors and two interior colors over four trim levels: Standard, Luxury, Elite and Comfort.
ATS Coupe
The 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe debuted at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. I ...
. The two door Cadillac targets Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class ...
Coupe and the BMW 4 Series
The BMW 4 Series is a range of compact executive cars manufactured by BMW since 2013. The 4 Series was created when BMW spun off the 2-door models (coupé and convertible) of the 3 Series into a separate series. The 4 Series is currently in its ...
. It went on sale in the summer of 2014 as the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe. The ATS coupe is wider than the sedan. Two models were available at launch. One with a 2.0L four-cylinder engine with and of torque, the other with a 3.6L engine with and of torque. Buyers have a choice of six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, and the option of all wheel drive or standard rear wheel drive. The 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe is the first production model to wear Cadillac's newly revised brand logo without its previous laurel wreath, and was first shown on the Cadillac Elmiraj concept car. The ATS coupe received 4G LTE connectivity with a WiFi hotspot, CUE interface with Siri Eyes Free, and a Bose stereo with 12 speakers. GM discontinued the Cadillac ATS Coupe after the 2019 model year without any replacement planned due to poor sales and the growing popularity of GM's crossovers and SUVs. However, the sedan version of the ATS was replaced by the Cadillac CT4
The Cadillac CT4 is a compact executive sedan manufactured and marketed by Cadillac. It replaced the Cadillac ATS sedan and sits below the CT5 in Cadillac's lineup. The CT4-V was unveiled first on May 30, 2019, followed by the standard CT4 fou ...
sedan for the 2020 model year.
ATS-L
In July 2014, Cadillac announced that it would be producing a long wheelbase version of the ATS for the Chinese market known as the ATS-L. The ATS-L has a wheelbase 85 mm (3.3 in) longer than the standard ATS sedan and will be manufactured in China by Shanghai GM.
Previous ATS vehicles had been imported to China from GM's Lansing manufacturing facility in Michigan. The ATS-L has a starting price of 270,000 Chinese Yuan, or about $43,600 US dollars. The 2 litre LTG turbocharged petrol engine is standard across the range producing 230 and 279 horsepower. The ATS-L previously ran on the '' GM 6T70'' automatic gearbox for 2014 and 2015 and used the '' GM 8L45'' automatic gearbox from 2016 to 2019. Trim levels are known as the 25T and 28T. Production ended in September 2019.
ATS-L Sales
ATS-V
The Cadillac ATS-V is a high performance version of the Cadillac ATS, similar to how the CTS-V is to the standard CTS
Cts or CTS may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* Chinese Television System, a Taiwanese broadcast television station, including:
** CTS Main Channel ()
** CTS Education and Culture ()
** CTS Recreation ()
** CTS News and Info () ...
model. The ATS-V series includes two body styles, which feature a turbocharged DOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
V-6 engine and a sport-tuned suspension. The ATS-V sedan and coupe were introduced for the 2016 model year.
The sedan with the automatic transmission can reach in 3.7 seconds and can achieve a top speed of . The ATS-V is rear-wheel drive, and is powered by a LF4 3.6L twin turbocharged V6 producing and of torque.
''Motor Trend
''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...
'' conducted a comparison between the BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986.
The initial model ...
, ATS-V, and Mercedes-AMG C63-S. The Cadillac managed to accelerate faster than both German vehicles and was the fastest around Willow Springs International Motorsports Park
Willow Springs International Motorsports Park (commonly referred to as Willow Springs) is located in Willow Springs near Rosamond, California, about north of Los Angeles. It is the oldest permanent road course in the United States. Constructio ...
; it was also the least expensive in the test.
Cadillac competed at the Pirelli World Challenge
The GT World Challenge America is a North American auto racing series launched in 1990 by the Sports Car Club of America. It has been managed by the Stephane Ratel Organisation since 2018, and has been sanctioned by the United States Auto Club s ...
from 2015 to 2017 with the Cadillac ATS-V.R, a racecar based on the ATS-V under the GT3 regulations, developed in collaboration with Pratt & Miller
Pratt Miller Engineering, also known as Pratt & Miller, is an American company involved in the automotive and arms industries. It was founded by Gary Pratt and Jim Miller in 1989. A defense division was added in 2013 and the company was acqu ...
. Johnny O'Connell
Johnny O'Connell (born July 24, 1962) is the most successful GM factory racing driver from the United States. He currently drives for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge, winning the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 GT driver's championship.
Caree ...
won the championship in 2015, finished fourth in 2016 and sixth in 2017. In addition, Michael Cooper finished third in 2016 and second in 2017.
Safety
Testing conducted by the United States National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" relat ...
scored the 2013 and 2014 ATS, in both rear- and all-wheel drive variants, at five stars in frontal crash, side crash and rollover protection, resulting in five stars overall, the highest possible score. The NHTSA notes the availability of three NHTSA recommended technologies on the ATS: electronic stability control, forward collision warning and lane departure warning.
Awards
In 2012, the 2013 ATS was chosen as "Car of the Year" by ''Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'', "Luxury Car of the Year" by ''Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'' magazine and "Vehicle of the Year" by the Motor Press Guild
The Motor Press Guild ''(abbreviated MPG)'' is the largest professional automotive media association in North America. This Los Angeles-based non-profit association is made up of professionals in motoring journalism and news media
The news me ...
.
In 2013, a jury composed of 49 journalists from the United States and Canada named the 2013 ATS the North American Car of the Year
The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year are a set of automotive awards announced at a news conference each January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The jury consists of no more than 60 automotive journalis ...
.
Sales
References
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External links
ATS official website - Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadillac Ats
ATS
ATS or Ats may refer to:
Businesses
* ATS Wheels, or ''Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör'', a German wheel manufacturer and sponsor of a Formula One racing team
* ATS Automation Tooling Systems, an Ontario, Canada-based factory automation company
...
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Cars introduced in 2012
Compact executive cars
Coupés
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Sports sedans