Today (or yesterday?), Cadillac unveiled its newest project – the ATS. Supposed to slot below the CTS and compete directly with the BMW 3 in size and performance, the ATS looks like a legit contender at first glance. Aggressive, flattened nose with distinctive Caddy cues, and good horizontal lines flowing back. That’s half the battle, honestly. Just one reason why the 96-02 Saab 9-3 didn’t sell (dumpy hatchback) and the 03-10 9-3 (unoffensive sedan) did. For the record, I hate that color red.
In any case, it’s supposed to come with a turbocharged 4-cylinder and a higher-rated V6, identical to the forthcoming 2013 BMW 3, along with the 2012 Mercedes C, and 2012 Lexus IS. Sounds like a great comparison test…am I right? I love reading those…reading the reaction to them driven and thrashed back to back. I have no doubt the Caddy will be the most well-equipped of the lot in standard form, to account for its “new kid” rep (a la Acura).
In any case, like Hyundai with its Genesis and Equus, I sincerely hope that Cadillac unseats some of the BMW, Merc, and Lex loyalists. For as much as I don’t care for GM and its sad history of thinly-veiled badge engineering and cheap sell gimmicks, I can appreciate its efforts here. The CTS and the SRX are both popular alternatives to their European and Japanese counterparts…why can’t the ATS be too? Just…in a better color, and none of that dreadful BROWN wood trim. Jeez.
